REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL 



INDUSTRY. 



United States Depautment of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 Washington, D. C, Octoher J3, 1920. 

 Sir: I lune the honor to transmit hel•e^Yith a report of the opera- 

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

 June 30, 1920. 



Respectfully, 



John R. Mohler, 



Chief of Bureau. 

 Hon. P2, T. Meredith, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



ACTIVITIES RECEIVING SPECIAL ATTENTION. 



NOTEWORTHY INCREASE IN ACCREDITED HERDS. 



Conspicuous among the efforts to suppress and eradicate animal 

 diseases during tlie year h:is been the excellent progress in tubercu- 

 losis eradication. The accredited-herd plan, under which herds of 

 cattle passing a series of official tests receive appropriate recogni- 

 tion, has met with general support from livestock owners and State 

 sanitary officials. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1920, 

 altogether 095,304 cattle were tested. Of these, 28,010 reacted and 

 were removed. The number of accredited herds at the end of the 

 year was approximately three times as large as on June 30, 1919. 

 The records sliow also tliat in addition to fully accredited lierds, 

 10.599 other herds containing 257,577 cattle have passed the first 

 official test, no reactors being found. Public interest in accredited- 

 herd activities and tlic enthusiasm with whicli cattle owners are coop- 

 erating are slioAvn by tlie numl)er of ajiplieations for testing. The 

 waiting list at times has included nearly 5,000 herds. 



To meet as fully as possible the demand for testing, the bureau 

 has modified some of the earlier features of the campaign. It has 

 recognized under ])re:scribed conditions the intradermic test in addi- 

 tion to the subcutaneous, v.hich in the jjast has been the one prin- 

 cii)ally used, and has obtained evidence also that the ophthalmic test, 

 now frequently used as a check on the others, is dependable when 

 applied by veterinarians slcilled in its use. 



A noteworthy devehtpment in tuberculosis eradication is the ten- 

 dency to free from the disease areas containing many farms. Dur- 

 ing the year Clay County, Miss., Island County. Wash., and Clatsop 



244.'}5— AGR 1020 7 f^O 



