REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAI INDUSTRY. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 Washington, D. C, October 3, 1911. 



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, 1911. 



Respectfully, A. D. Melvin, 



Chief of Bureau. 

 Hon. James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The bureau deals with the live-stock industry in a threefold way, 

 comprising administrative, research, and educational work. This 

 work includes the inspection of animals, meat, and meat food products 

 in connection with interstate and export business under the law of 

 June 30, 1906; the inspection of animals for export; the inspection 

 and quarantine of imported animals; the eradication of contagious 

 and infectious diseases of live stock; the scientific investigation of 

 such diseases ; investigations in the breeding and feeding of live stock 

 and poultry; work relating to the dairy industry, and the diffusion of 

 information on these subjects. 



The number of employees in the service of the bureau on July 1, 

 1911, was 3,284, as compared with 3,183 a year before. 



After a brief general discussion of certain features the work of the 

 various divisions of the bureau's organization will be presented in 

 order and more in detail. 



STUDY AND ERADICATION OF ANIMAL DISEASES. 



The work of controlling and eradicating certain contagious and 

 infectious diseases of live stock has been carried forward with very 

 favorable results. 



Since the summer of 1906 the bureau has been engaged, in cooper- 

 ation with the State and local authorities, in the extermination of 

 the ticks wliich inhabit the Southern States and which spread the 

 infection of the disease known as southern or Texas fever of cattle 

 and otherwise handicap the cattle and dairy industries by keeping 

 animals in poor condition. Good progress was made in this under- 



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