Excerpt from Report to the Local Government Board on American Methods: Dr. Eastwood's Report to the Local Government Board on American Methods for the Control and Improvement of the Milk Supply

It is the policy of the Agricultural Experiment Station to encourage the farmers to do the actual work of testinthem selves. When a farmer applies to the Experiment Station for tuberculin he is required to fill up a form stating the details Of his requirements and undertaking to make the test within 30 days after the receipt of the tuberculin and to furnish the station with a full report Of the test on the form provided for that purpose; (2) in case any tuberculous animals are found in his herd, to remove them at once from the healthy portion of the herd; and (3) in case any tuberculous animals are found, thoroughly to disinfect the stables occupied by the herd. This undertaking has to be signed by the owner of the herd and by the person making the test. The Experiment Station examines the report of the temperature records and then informs the owner Of the result of the test, the duty of the person actually making the test being merely to record observations, not to interpret them. Of the tests supervised in this way by the Experiment Station during the year 1907 - 8, were performed by the farmers themselves, and by veterinarians. The farmers tests seem to have been carefully recorded, the number which it was found necessary to discard being only 77 the work of the veterinarians, I was informed, exhibited a higher proportion of error. The tuberculin which the Experiment Station supplies to applicants is Obtained free of charge from the Bureau of Animal Industry at Washington.

The facts which I have quoted certainly indicate that some progress is being made in Wisconsin towards the eradication of bovine tuberculosis. Will this progress be maintained Perhaps an answer to this question may be given with more confidence in the course Of the next few years, when further evidence will have accumulated with regard to the following points The proof that after repeated testing the herds now certified to be clean remain clean; (2) the increase in the number Of such herds; (3 the success Of the farmers who are now trying to eradicate t e disease by the Bang method or by vaccination; (4) the extent to which farmers continue to resort to the alterna tive method of slaughter for the disposal of their tuberculous stock; (5) the continued willingness of the State to meet demands for compensation which are made upon it; (6) the evidence of an actual preference on the part of the public for dairy produce from herds which are free from tuberculosis.

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