The number of cattle infected in Nebraska is probably about two per cent in the average farming districts and a much higher per centage among the strictly dairy herds of some sections. While we do not feel that we are ready for a law compelling all cattle to be tested, we do feel that each individual should protect himself and keep his herd free from infection. Bovine tuberculosis is not so contagious among human beings as it was once thought to be. But it is enough so that no further argument should be necessary to an owner of stock than that his own family or some one else may be infected with the disease from the milk. Next to tuberculosis, contagious abortion is probably the milk producer’s worst enemy. I do not know of any way for a farmer to detect this disease from an animal’s appearance. I usually look for evidence, not in the cattle themselves, but on the farm premises of the man who has cattle for sale. Be suspicious of any cow that does not readily get pregnant. When buying fresh cows always endeavor to see the cow’s calf. This is not a doctor book. I need not discuss the symptoms nor the cure. I only wish to warn the buyer to be on the lookout. CHAPTER III THE PURE BRED SIRE There is one law of breeding that does not seem to be recognized by people generally and in our judgment it is of greatest importance. This law is that the influence of the parent animals are not equal upon the offspring. This has been noticed in human experiences. No child is exactly one-half like his father and one-half like his mother, but is likely to be much like either one or the other. He is likely to be nine-tenths like one parent and one-tenth like the other. It is the same in grading live stock and this trait in breeding is of the greatest advantage to the breeder of grade stock. If the calf takes after the sire and the sire is a pure bred of strong type, the calf may be nearly as strong in producing ability as the pure bred ancestors. On the other hand, even pure bred cattle may breed back at times, and their offspring resemble some distant scrub member in the ancestry. Breeders are well aware of this fact and try very hard to keep all inferior cattle entirely eliminated from their line of breeding. It is important that they should for their line should breed as true as possible, and really poor calves with them are rare. The pure bred bull of a long established type is more likely to mark his offspring than is the scrub cow. A fairly large per cent, considerably more than half, of the heifers will be good and some of them nearly as good in milk production as the pure breds themselves. Grade cows are very valuable as milk producers, but grade bulls should not be used as sires because they do not have the ability to breed true like the pure bred.