220 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



be extended to include a study of the loss of vitality in cultures after 

 drying. 



DAIRY ENGINEERING, 



Work on various engineering problems pertaining to the dairy 

 industry has been continued. Particular attention has been given 

 to tlairy buildings, equipment, machineiy, etc. During the past year 

 the services of an eKj)ert engineer have been obtained to conduct 

 investigations pertaimng to cold storage. There is little scientific 

 information on the general subject of cold storage, and practically 

 none that applies especially to dairy problems. In many phases of 

 the dair}^ busmess cold storage is a tremendous factor, and the most 

 economical methods of applying it are of great importance. It is 

 hoped that this work will develop some improved methods in the 

 shipping of milk. 



THE BELTSVILLE FARM. 



The portion of the bureau's experiment farm at Beltsville, Md., 

 set asicte for the Dairy Division, amounting to 185.7 acres, is now 

 under cultivation. The principal work done on the farm so far has 

 been in connection with putting the fields into condition for cultiva- 

 tion. Most of the land has been freed from stumps, the ditches have 

 been straightened, and the place is being rapidly brought into a good 

 state of cultivation. Two concrete silos have been built and a feed 

 barn, of monolithic concrete, has been begun. One wing of the barn 

 will be built as an open cattle shed and the other will be the ordinary- 

 type of cow stable, thus giving an opportunity to compare the two 

 systems of housing dairy cattle. It is proposed to buy a small herd 

 of dairy cattle for experimental purposes. 



THE INSPECTION DIVISION. 



The work of the Inspection Division, in charge of Dr. R. P. Sted- 

 dom, chief, consists of the meat inspection and the control and 

 eradication of contagious diseases of animals. 



THE MEAT INSPECTION. 



The meat-inspection work of the year shows an increase over the 

 preceding year m the number of animals slaughtered, in the amount 

 of meat food products prepared, and in the amount of meat and meat 

 food products exportea. 



Inspection was conducted during the fiscal year at 936 establish- 

 m.ents located in 255 cities and towns, as compared with 919 estab- 

 lishments in 237 cities and towns during the fiscal year 1910. 



Inspection was inaugurated at 108 establishments and was with- 

 drawn from 78 establishments during the year, as compared with 105 

 and 91 establishments, respectively, during the fiscal year 1910. In 

 68 cases the cause of withdrawal was that the establishments dis- 

 continued slaughtering or interstate or regular business; in 6 cases 

 withdrawal was due to insanitary conditions, failure to meet require- 

 ments of the department, or to violation of the regulations; while in 

 4 cases the inspection was withdrawn by request. 



