Hormone for Cows

* I can’t help but notice that the apologists for recombinant bovine somatotropin don’t bother to address the issue of desirability or necessity. There is, after all, no shortage of milk. Those cows are out there giving their all and it’s plenty. They are already overworked--and now this!

The primary reason for introducing this new production technique is that Monsanto is looking for big new profits. The senior vice president of Monsanto (letter, April 4) forgot to mention that little detail but it is inescapable.

There is no need for the cows of America to be tormented in this way--and besides, there will be consumer resistance, risk or no risk.

F. S. RUSSELL

Burbank