REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



U. S. Department op Agriculture, 



Bureau op Animal Industry, 



Washington, D. C, September 29, 1900. 



Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the operations 

 of this Bureau for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1900. 

 Respectfully, 



D. E. Salmon, 



Chief. 



Hon. James Wilson, Secretary. 



WORK OF THE YEAR, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. 



INSPECTION DIVISION. 

 MEAT INSPECTION. 



The inspection of meat for the interstate and foreign trade has been 

 conducted during the year on the same principles as heretofore. There 

 has been a great reduction in the amount of microscopic inspection on 

 account of the lessened demand in continental Europe for American 

 pork. This is probably due to the higher price which this article has 

 commanded in the American market. 



The expense of microscopic inspection is considerabl}^ greater per 

 carcass examined than heretofore, partly because of the irregularity 

 of this work and partly because more time has been given to each 

 specimen examined. 



In the general meat inspection much time has been devoted to 

 improving the system and perfecting checks to guard against the use 

 by unscrupulous dealers of meat which has been condemned as 

 unwholesome. The law which is intended to guard against this fraud 

 is not as stringent or as perfect as is desirable, and it requires constant 

 vigilance on the jDart of the inspectors to accomplish the object of the 

 inspection. 



The number of localities where the work of meat inspection was in 

 operation during the year was increased from 41 to 45, while the num- 

 ber of abattoirs and packing houses receiving the benefit of this 

 inspection was 148, as against 138 in the preceding year. 



A table on the next page shows the numbers and different kinds of 

 animals inspected before slaughter in stock yards and at abattoirs. 

 As most of the animals are inspected in the stock yards, compara- 

 tively few are rejected at the abattoirs. The figures show a material 



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