matters pertaining to food animals and their products and cooperating with the officials of those countries with a view to the extension of their export shipments of meat and animal by-products to the United States. Such shipments since the war began have become comparatively heavy owing in part to the loss of the European markets by the South American countries.

IMPORTATIONS OF ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS.

Systematic enforcement of the regulations (Joint Order No. 2) governing the importation of hides, skins, and other animal byproducts has been instrumental in improving the sanitary control methods of handling these products, both in the countries which export them to the United States and in the establishments in this country to which they are consigned. There have been fewer instances of anthrax infection from such sources, notwithstanding the fact that anthrax has been exceedingly prevalent in several of the hide-exporting countries. As statistics of importations are kept by the Treasury Department the bureau has not compiled statistics of inspections of the products mentioned. It is known, however, that large quantities of hides and skins were imported during the fiscal

year.

INSPECTION OF ANIMALS FOR EXPORT SHIPMENT.

The regulations governing the exportation of live stock have special reference to inspections for health and the humane handling and safe transport of such animals, to destination. In addition to the designation of suitable and convenient places of inspection, rules for the fitting of vessels, specifications of materials to be used, dimensions of lumber and pens, and the space to be allowed each of the different kinds of animals are indicated. The rules and regulations of the country to which the animals are to be consigned likewise receive careful attention.

During the fiscal year 344 inspections of vessels carrying live stock were made before clearance. Shipments of horses and mules to Europe were light. The mallein test was applied to 10,067 horses and 342 mules for shipment to Canada; 7 of these horses reacted and were rejected. For shipment to Canada 1,816 cattle were tested with tuberculin, with 9 reactors, and inspections for Canadian shipment were made of 7,880 sheep, 151 swine, and 393 goats. For shipment to other countries 1,026 cattle were tested with tuberculin and 3 reacted; the mallein test was applied to 33 horses with no reactors; 37 swine and 12 sheep also were inspected.

The following table gives statistics of inspection of live stock for export, including 41,065 horses and 24,438 mules intended for army use in Europe:

FIELD INSPECTION DIVISION.

The Field Inspection Division, under A. W. Miller, chief, has carried on work for the control and eradication of certain animal diseases.

INSPECTION FOR FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

As a precaution against the reappearance of foot-and-mouth disease the assignment of experienced veterinarians to make careful inspections for this disease in all cattle, sheep, and swine received at public stockyards was continued. Numerous suspected outbreaks of this disease reported to the bureau were investigated promptly, with negative results in all instances.

ERADICATION OF SCABIES.

In the work of eradicating sheep scabies in cooperation with State officials, 19,630,126 inspections of sheep were made in the field by bureau employees, and 5,585,543 sheep were dipped.

The work of eradicating the disease in Montana and Nevada, where outbreaks occurred during the latter part of the preceding fiscal year, was practically completed. During the year the bureau, in cooperation with the State officials of Idaho and Wyoming, was engaged in combating a considerable spread of the infection in those States, where for several years previously the disease had existed to a very limited extent, and satisfactory progress was made toward its elimination from affected herds. During the year 1,367 square miles in Louisiana were placed under quarantine on account of the prevalence of sheep scabies therein, and 239,484 square miles in Texas were released from such quarantine.

In the eradication of cattle scabies in cooperation with State officials, bureau employees in the field made 1,829,532 inspections of cattle, and 642,831 cattle were dipped. A few scattered outbreaks of the disease, which occurred in several States, were quickly brought under control. The remaining area under Federal quarantine, 3,817 square miles in Texas, was released.

Horses and mules to the number of 6,755 were inspected for scabies, and the dipping of 545 of these animals was accomplished under bureau supervision.

ERADICATION OF DOURINE.

Satisfactory progress was made in the work of eradicating dourine in most of the States in which the disease prevailed. No infected animals were found during the fiscal year in Iowa and Nebraska, where the work had been completed the preceding year, and only a small number in North Dakota and Wyoming. Although a considerable number of infected animals were found in South Dakota and Montana, the good progress of previous years in the eradication of the disease in those States was continued. New areas of infection, in addition to the large areas in which it was known that the disease prevailed, were found in Arizona and New Mexico. A very large proportion of the infection in those two States was found among horses ranging on Indian reservations, and the work of eradicating the disease on the reservations was extremely difficult, because most of the Indian horses are wild ponies, ranging in rough and

inaccessible regions. On the whole, the officials of the State concerned and the horsemen in the affected areas have cooperated with the bureau in a satisfactory manner. The bureau continued the practice of paying one-half of the appraised valuation of infected horses destroyed, such share not to exceed $100 in any case. The number of animals tested and the results of the tests are reported by the Pathological Division. The percentage of reactions was 2.23, as compared with 2.47 for the preceding year. A very large proportion of the diseased animals continue to be found among horses belonging to Indians living on reservations under a tribal form of government.

INSPECTIONS OF ANIMALS FOR INDIAN AGENCIES.

In cooperation with the Office of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior, 43 horses and mules and 842 cattle were inspected and passed for allotment to the several Indian agencies.

CONTROL OF INFLUENZA, ANTHRAX, AND BLACKLEG.

In connection with the war emergency campaign to stimulate the production and conservation of live stock, work was conducted looking to the control of influenza, anthrax, and blackleg and to a reduction of the losses from these diseases.

In the work against influenza of horses and mules 70 bureau employees were assigned to work in cooperation with State officials and the War Department. Activities covered practically all large markets and assembling points in the country and included supervising the cleaning and disinfection of cars, stockyards, barns, and other premises used in the handling of horses and mules, the inspection of such animals at market centers, and the supervision of the segregation and treatment of those found to be diseased. The measures taken gave good results in effecting a material reduction in the losses of horses and mules from the disease.

Cooperation was extended to the State officials of 15 States in the control and reduction of anthrax. Several bureau employees were regularly assigned to this work, and others were detailed as occasion required to assist owners and local officials in carrying out measures necessary to combat the disease and prevent its spread. These employees supervised the disinfection of infected premises and the proper disposal of carcasses of animals which died from anthrax, and whenever necessary assisted the owners of infected or exposed herds in the vaccination of all susceptible animals on the premises. Good results were obtained in the reduction of losses caused by the disease.

On the request of stockmen or other interested persons bureau employees were detailed to investigate outbreaks of blackleg in young cattle, to advise owners as to proper treatment, and, if necessary, to assist in the vaccination of animals in affected herds or localities.

TICK ERADICATION DIVISION.

Greater progress than in any previous year was made in the work of exterminating the ticks which transmit Texas or tick fever of cattle, conducted through the Tick Eradication Division under the direction of R. A. Ramsay, chief, in cooperation with the authorities of the Southern States affected.

ERADICATION OF SOUTHERN CATTLE TICKS.

Areas aggregating 67,308 square miles, as shown by the following table, having been freed of ticks, were released from quarantine during the fiscal year. The total area released since the beginning of this work in 1906 amounts to 379,312 square miles, which is more than 52 per cent of the originally infected area. The work is also far advanced in a large additional territory.

Areas released from quarantine as a result of eradicating cattle ticks.

During the year 34,927,959 inspections or dippings were made of cattle for the eradication of ticks, as against 24,390 721 in the preceding year. There were in operation 26,470 cattle-dipping vats where cattle were dipped under Federal or State supervision to rid them of ticks.

A great deal of advance work pertaining to the construction of dipping vats and preparing counties and localities for taking up regulatory tick-eradication activities in the near future was conducted in an effort to get proper organization in such localities, and there are indications that during the next fiscal year systematic dipping will be taken up in greatly increased area. Very effectual cooperation has come from transportation companies, commercial clubs, bankers, and other business men who are far-sighted enough to realize that the eradication of the cattle tick and the subsequent development of the live-stock industry means an increase of business for all concerned. The work accomplished in tick eradication in the last year makes available 86 counties and 37 parts of counties into which better bred cattle from tick-free States may be taken without danger of loss from tick fever. A consequent increase in meat and dairy products may be expected. In addition the hides of all cattle will be improved in grade to a degree which will render them 20 to 50 per cent more valuable.

SHIPMENTS FROM QUARANTINED AREAS.

The number of cattle of the quarantined area shipped to market centers for immediate slaughter was 3,015,875, which is a considerable increase over the preceding year and was brought about by local conditions such as drought which required the immediate marketing of many cattle. Then, too, there has been manifested by many cattle owners in tick-eradication localities a disposition to ship for slaughter as many unprofitable cattle as possible in preference to dipping them. This was done with the view of procuring, after ticks are eradicated, better-bred animals likely to be more profitable for breeding purposes. "Dipped ticky cattle" to the

number of 13,179 were shipped to points where inspection and dipping facilities are maintained for further treatment for movement as noninfectious.

At points other than public stockyards 383,513 cattle were inspected or dipped and certified for interstate movement as noninfected, as provided for in the regulations. To cover the shipments of these cattle 2,108 certificates were issued.

TUBERCULOSIS ERADICATION DIVISION.

The Tuberculosis Eradication Division, with J. A. Kiernan as chief, has taken up cooperative work for the control and eradication of tuberculosis of live stock in 40 States. Live-stock sanitary officials of the States in most instances have expressed a willingness to cooperate with the bureau in this work. Cattle owners throughout the country are becoming more interested in the eradication of tuberculosis from live stock, especially in the movement to establish tuberculosis-free herds of pure-bred cattle.

The compulsory tuberculin testing of cattle has been continued in the District of Columbia, and of 1,206 cattle tested 12 reacted, a trifle less than 1 per cent.

COOPERATIVE TUBERCULOSIS INVESTIGATIONS.

A summary of cooperative tuberculin testing in the various States is given in the following table. This work was done by bureau veterinary inspectors and by veterinarians regularly employed by the respective States. Bureau inspectors in charge of tuberculosiseradication work are stationed at 26 points throughout the country:

Results of cooperative tuberculin testing of cattle.