REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL 



INDUSTRY. 



United States Department of Agriculttire, 



Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 Washington^ D. C.^ September 28, 1915. 



Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith a report of the oper- 

 ations of the Bureau of Animal Industry for the fiscal year ended 

 June 30, 1915. 



Respectfully, A. D. Melvin, 



Chief of Bureau. 

 Hon. D. F. Houston, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



GENERAL STATEMENT. 



The most serious event of the year in the bureau's work was an 

 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which was first diagnosed in 

 October, 1914. This has been by far the most extensive of the occa- 

 sional visitations to the United States of this highly contagious 

 animal plague. The disease occurred in 21 States and the District 

 of Columbia. After months of energetic effort, in cooperation with 

 the authorities of the various affected States, the outbreak was 

 brought under control, and by the close of the fiscal year eradication 

 appeared to be almost accomplished, though infection has since 

 developed in some localities. 



The meat inspection showed an increase over the two preceding 

 years, more than 58,000,000 animals having been slaughtered and over 

 seven and one-half billion pounds of meat and meat food products hav- 

 ing been prepared under this inspection. A new method of destroying 

 trichinae in pork has been discovered by the bureau and has simplified 

 and rendered more effective the precautions against danger in pork 

 prepared customarily to be eaten without cooldng. It has been found 

 that refrigeration at a temperature not higher than 5° F. for a period 

 of 20 days is effective in destroying the trichina parasites. This 

 method as an alternative to the previously known method of 

 thoroughly cooking renders unnecessary the expensive and unsatis- 

 factory microscopic inspection which had formerly been used and 

 abandoned in this country and which is still used in some countries. 



The boys' and girls' pig clubs and poultry clubs have been extended 

 and continue to be a valuable means of increasing and improving 

 stock and poultry raising. The pig clubs have 9,000 members and 

 the poultry clubs nearly 4,000. By means of these clubs many chil- 

 dren are enabled to earn money to get an education. 



77 



