the live stock remaining on the farm. It is therefore evident that the meat inspection can be made an effective agency for discovering and locating the presence of disease, and it seems important that the meat inspection should continue to be intimately connected with the administration of any work for the eradication of tuberculosis as well as other contagious diseases of live stock.

In order to give general application to this plan of tracing the disease, it seems essential that the various States should empower their officials by law to require that shippers shall tag their live stock, especially cows, shipped for slaughter, in such a way that they may be identified and their origin determined.

The agricultural appropriation act for the fiscal year 1909 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture "to investigate the prevalence and extent of tuberculosis among dairy cattle in the United States," and under this authority steps are being taken to collect such information. This should be followed, however, by systematic work on a large scale by the Federal and State authorities in cooperation, with a view to the ultimate eradication of tuberculosis from farm animals. This work to be successful will require many years and considerable expenditures, but there is no doubt that such expenditures will be a profitable investment, even if the subject is considered wholly from the financial standpoint. After more specific information is obtained as to the extent of the infection and as to the localities in which it prevails, the tuberculin test should be applied generally and systematically in the infected sections, this test being unquestionably the most accurate method of diagnosis known. The safest way of disposing of diseased animals is to slaughter them, but in order to make the financial loss as light as possible it would be well to have such animals slaughtered at abattoirs having Federal or other competent veterinary inspection. In this way a large proportion may be safely passed for food and made to yield their full meat value, while only those whose meat may be dangerous to health will be condemned. It seems only reasonable that persons whose animals are condemned and slaughtered should be paid indemnity, at least in part.

An important step looking toward the suppression of tuberculosis in live stock was taken in the organization in New York City in March of an association of live-stock sanitary officers of the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, with the special object of regulating and controlling the movement between those States of dairy and breeding cattle.

INADEQUACY OF STATE LAWS FOR DEALING WITH CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF ANIMALS.

Much of the Bureau's work for the control and eradication of contagious disease of live stock has been done in cooperation with State officers. In a few States the authorities are provided with both laws and funds for such work, but in a large majority of the States this is not the case. The Bureau has recently collected the laws of various States bearing on this subject, and it is found that in most of the States the laws are very inadequate for the protection of live stock against contagious diseases and that in most cases the appropriations are entirely insufficient for effective work. While many of the States

have cooperated very effectively with the Federal Government in the eradication of sheep scabies, cattle mange, and the southern cattle tick, the lack of ability on the part of other States to do their share in such work has resulted in delaying its progress. It is very important for the success of such work, especially with regard to the cattle tick and tuberculosis, that the States concerned should enact laws giving adequate powers to their officers and should make sufficient appropriations for the work that is to be done. In work of this kind it seems reasonable and proper that the expense should be divided equally between the States and the General Government.

RANGE CONDITIONS IN THE WEST.

Much of the Bureau's field work is done in the range country of the West, and good opportunities are afforded for studying conditions in that section as they affect the live-stock industry. The conditions on the open range are unsatisfactory from the standpoint of both the stock owners, who desire to use it for grazing purposes, and the sanitary officers, who are combating contagious diseases of live stock. It is well known that, aside from the reduction of the area of public range as a result of the taking up of homesteads, the grass on the remaining range has been so depleted that the number of animals which can be supported on a given area is much less than formerly. This condition is due to overstocking and misuse of the range. The range has been overcrowded, especially at certain seasons and in the vicinity of watering places, and the close grazing and tramping have in some places almost exterminated the native grass. It has also been found very difficult to eradicate or even to prevent the spread of contagious diseases of live stock on the open range, because the lack of fences or inclosures makes it practically impossible to control the movement of animals. This is especially true in the case of cattle mange, and if some more destructive disease should gain a foothold under such conditions it would undoubtedly cause enormous loss.

The best remedy for both of these conditions, in my opinion, would be the passage by Congress of a law regulating grazing and providing for the leasing of public range. By this means the range would be brought under definite proprietorship, and the lessees could exercise control over the land and would be encouraged to make improvements which would aid in conserving both the live stock and the range. Under such circumstances the enforcement of quarantine measures would be much easier.

ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY NEEDED FOR DEALING WITH CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.

Under existing legislation the Secretary of Agriculture has power to enforce measures for the protection of the live stock of the United States against the introduction of contagious diseases from abroad so far as they are liable to be brought in with imported animals or with hay, straw, forage, or similar material, or meats, hides, or other animal products from infected countries. There still remains, however, the danger that the contagion of some destructive animal disease may be introduced by the importation of virus or cultures of organisms causing such diseases. It is therefore respect fully recommended that

Congress enact a law prohibiting the importation, except with permission of the Secretary of Agriculture, of any virus that may be infectious for domestic animals. It is not the intention to prevent absolutely the importation of virus and cultures from abroad or to interfere with any proper scientific investigations by responsible persons, but it is considered desirable to have all such importations subject to the control and approval of the Secretary of Agriculture in order to avoid the introduction and spread of contagious diseases by careless investigators.

Authority should also be given to build fences along the international boundary lines, in order to control the movement of live stock and prevent the introduction of contagion.

As further measures to prevent the spread of contagious diseases of animals, the Secretary of Agriculture should have power to require the cleaning and disinfection of cars carrying interstate shipments of live stock, at such times and places as he may deem necessary; also to require that stockyards handling live stock which is the subject of interstate transportation shall be equipped and maintained in such manner as he may consider necessary in order to facilitate disinfection.

MORE LAND NEEDED FOR EXPERIMENT STATION.

The Bureau Experiment Station at Bethesda, Md., greatly needs more land in order to carry on properly experimental work with animal diseases and in breeding small animals, feeding poultry, etc. A tract of about 60 acres adjoining the land owned by the station has been leased so as to obtain more ground, but this arrangement is unsatisfactory, as the termination of the lease by the owners would cause serious injury to work under way, and might even force the abandonment of unfinished investigations. It is highly desirable that the station should be provided with sufficient land owned by the Government, and I respectfully recommend that Congress be asked to appropriate the necessary sum for the purchase of acreage at least equal to that now leased.

PUBLICATIONS.

There has been an unusual demand for the publications of the Bureau, especially those relating to tuberculosis and sanitary milk production. During the fiscal year there were issued by the Bureau 79 new publications, aggregating 2,446 printed pages, and besides these there were numerous reprints of former publications. The new publications consisted of the Twenty-third Annual Report of the Bureau (for 1906), a revised edition of the Special Report on Diseases of the Horse, the annual report of the Chief of the Bureau for the previous fiscal year, 9 bulletins, 23 circulars, 25 orders and regulations, 2 Yearbook articles, and 17 miscellaneous publications. The Special Report on Diseases of the Horse has proved to be one of the most popular publications ever issued by the Government, the total number of copies printed up to date amounting to almost 1,000,000. A monthly publication, issued under the name of "Service Announcements," has been found exceedingly useful in disseminating information and instructions to the large force of employees, especially in the meat-inspection service. In addition to the publications issued

during the fiscal year, the Twenty-fourth Annual Report of the Bureau (for 1907) was prepared for publication. These annual reports are volumes of several hundred pages, and contain special articles of both a popular and a scientific nature, in addition to miscellaneous information relating to the live-stock industry and the work of the Bureau.

THE INSPECTION DIVISION.

The work of the Inspection Division, in charge of Dr. R. P. Steddom, chief, consists, as heretofore, of two main lines: (1) the meat inspection and (2) most of the field work for the control and eradication of contagious diseases of animals. The latter comprises the inspection of southern cattle and the supervision of their movement when forwarded from the area quarantined on account of Texas or tick fever, the work for the extermination of the southern cattle tick which spreads this disease, and the work for the eradication of scabies of sheep and cattle in the West.

THE MEAT INSPECTION.

In the report for the fiscal year 1907 some of the tabular information covered only the nine months in which the new law had been in operation, while by consolidating the figures representing the work done under the old and new laws some tables were made to cover the entire year. The present report, therefore, is the first to cover an entire fiscal year's operations under the meat-inspection law of June 30, 1906, which became effective October 1, 1906.

NEW REGULATIONS.

The meat-inspection regulations promulgated July 25, 1906, and issued as B. A. I. Order 137, and the ten amendments thereto, were revised and republished as B. A. I. Order 150, effective April 1, 1908. The regulations are based upon the experience of more than a year and a half under the operation of the new law, and not only embody the judgment of the experts of the Department of Agriculture, but in their preparation the recommendations of a committee of outside scientists appointed by the Secretary have been adopted to a great extent. The more important features of the revised regulations are those

(a) Imposing inspection upon branch houses of establishments having inspection if such branch houses engage in interstate or foreign commerce and slaughter animals or process" meat.

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(b) Prescribing the domestic meat label to be furnished by the establishment for use on interstate shipments of meat or meat food products in lieu of the regular white meat-inspection stamp previously furnished by the Bureau.

(c) Requiring the separation on or before October 1, 1908, of compartments in which edible products are prepared or handled from those in which inedible products are prepared or handled for industrial uses.

(d) Authorizing inspectors in charge to permit the return to official establishments, subject to reinspection, of inspected and passed products which are alleged to have become unsound.

ESTABLISHMENTS AND CITIES.

The records show that during the year inspection has been conducted at 787 establishments in 211 cities and towns, a gain of 79 establishments and 25 cities and towns as compared with the previous fiscal year. Inspection was withdrawn during the year from 95 establishments. Of this number 77 either discontinued slaughtering or so altered their business that Federal inspection was not required, 1 manufactures products for medical use only, 1 manufactures only inedible fats, 2 were given market inspection, 2 transferred their business to other establishments, 3 violated the regulations by adulterating lard with tallow and low-grade fat, 1 was given exemption, 3 failed financially, 4 were insanitary, and 1 displayed a misleading sign.

Below are shown the number of establishments and the number of cities and towns where inspection of meat and meat food products was conducted in each fiscal year since 1891.

Number of establishments and cities where meat inspection has been conducted, fiscal years

During the fiscal year market inspection has been granted to 4 more cities, thus making 33 cities that now have the privilege of forwarding from public markets, upon reinspection and under marks of Federal inspection, interstate shipments of inspected and passed meat or meat food product which, in being prepared for delivery to the customer, becomes separated from the original mark of Federal inspection.

EXEMPTION FROM INSPECTION.

During the year about 116,000 shipments were made under certificates of exemption as provided by law. The total weight of these shipments can not be determined, as in many instances the weight has not been included in the shipper's certificate. However, a determined effort is now being made to have the weight of every shipment reported, so that hereafter an accurate record of this traffic may be kept. The number of certificates of exemption outstanding June 30, 1908, was 2,477, as against about 4,000 at the end of the previous fiscal year. In accounting for the reduced number it may be said that in some instances exemption has been superseded by inspection, while in others the certificates have been recalled on account of poor sanitation, violation of the regulations, etc.; however, the great majority of previous holders of certificates are permitted under the law to ship.