REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL 



INDUSTRY. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Animal Industry, 



Washington, D. C, September 28, 1918. 

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

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

 June 30, 1918. 



Dr. Alonzo D. Melvin, chief of the bureau since 1905, died Decem- 

 ber 7, 1917, and the imdersigned succeeded to the position Decem- 

 ber 10. In Dr. Melvin's death the bureau and the department sus- 

 tained a severe loss. A sketch of his life and work and a tribute to 

 his memor}^ appeared in the Service and Regulatory Announcements 

 of the bureau for November, 1917. 

 Respectfully, 



John R. Mohler, 



CJiief of Bureau. 

 Hon. D. F. Houston, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



WAR ACTIVITIES. 



INCREASE IN ANIMAL PRODUCTS. 



In striving to do its part in meeting war conditions the Bureau 

 of Animal Industry has concentrated its energies on increasing the 

 yield of animal products needed for food and clothing. The main 

 object of the year's work has been to bring about the production of 

 more beef, more pork, more mutton, more poultry and eggs, more 

 milk, butter, and cheese, and more hides, wool, and fats. The work 

 has been such as to emphasize especially the fundamental principles 

 of live-stock production and to promote better methods of breeding, 

 feeding, and caring for farm animals and the constructive develop- 

 ment of the live-stock industry, while at the same time continuing 

 the necessary police and sanitary service provided for by law. 



The efforts to stimulate production have been directed along two 

 principal lines: First, through meetings, news articles, bulletins, 



Eamphlets, etc., to encourage the live-stock raiser to increase his 

 erds and flocks and the yield derived from them; second, assisting 

 the stock raiser to conserve his live stock after it has been produced 

 by aiding him in keeping his herds and flocks from being decimated 

 by disease. 



Much of this work was made possible by the congressional appro- 

 priation in the food production act, and much of it has been carried 

 out in cooperation with State authorities, agricultural colleges, and 

 other agencies. 



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