BUREAU OF ANIMAL IjSTDUSTRY. 



233 



ACCREDITED TUBERCULOSIS-FREE HERDS. 



The tuberculin testing under the accredited-herd plan, which pro- 

 vides for accrediting herds found free from tuberculosis on official 

 test, was continued throughout the year. The uniform methods and 

 rules governing this work were modified at the meeting of the United 

 States Livestock Sanitary Association in December, 1922. The gen- 

 eral changes as they affect the accredited-herd work are as follows: 



1. Final test of any herd which showed evidence of infection on 

 previous test shall be by a combination of recognized tests, applied 

 at the discretion of Federal and State authorities. 



2. A herd which has been removed from the accredited-herd list 

 on account of a reactor being found may be reinstated on tests 

 applied by accredited veterinarians in accordance with the uniform 

 plan. 



3. The payment of Federal indemnity for tuberculous cattle tested 

 by accredited veterinarians in accordance with the uniform plan is 

 authorized, provided that the total Federal indemnity paid for such 

 cattle in any State shall not exceed 15 per cent of the total allotment 

 of Federal indemnity to that State. 



The effect of these amendments is to allow the participation of 

 accredited practicing veterinarians to a much greater extent than 

 formerly. The number of such veterinarians listed at the close of 

 the fiscal year was 5,517. Tuberculin tests made by them are recog- 

 nized as official and their work supplements that of the official 

 veterinarians. 



At the conclusion of the fiscal j'ear there were listed as fully 

 accredited 28,526 herds, containing 615,156 cattle, an increase of 

 12,310 herds and 251,254 cattle within the year. In addition to the 

 fully accredited herds 312,281 herds containing 2,724,497 cattle 

 passed one test as a preliminary to being accredited, an increase of 

 150,748 herds and 1,176,314 cattle. The total herds under super- 

 vision at the end of the year numbered 400,097, containing 4,449,722 

 cattle, an increase of 187,915 herds and 1,833,327 cattle. At the end 

 of the year there were on the waiting list approximate^ 75,000 herds, 

 containing about 1,000,000 cattle. In connection with this work and 

 the area work (reported under another heading) the tuberculin test 

 was applied to 296,138 herds, containing 3,460,849 cattle, of which 

 113,844 cattle, or 3.3 per cent, were condemned as diseased. The 

 accompanj'ing table shows by years the number of accredited herds 

 and cattle and the number of herds and cattle that have passed one 

 test. 



Progress of work of establishing accredited herds free of tuberculosis. 



1 Includes testing under are.^ plan. 



