42 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



preparation of meteorological reports and in the construction and 

 upkeep of meteorological instruments. 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 

 THE MEAT INSPECTION. 



« 



The meat inspection, which is carried on at slaughtering and pack- 

 ing establishments engaged in interstate or export trade, continues 

 to show an increase in volume and has about reached the limit of 

 the standing annual appropriation of $3,000,000 made by the law 

 of 190G. To provide for the future extension of this work, which 

 is necessary if it is to be applied to all products and establishments 

 coming within the law, an increase of $300,000 has been requested 

 in the estimates for appropriations for the coming fiscal year. 



During the fiscal year 1912 inspection was conducted at 940 estab- 

 lishments in 259 cities and towns. There were inspected at time of 

 slaughter 59,014,019 animals, consisting of 7,532,005 cattle, 2,242,929 

 calves, 34,900,378 hogs, 14,208,724 sheep, and 63,983 goats. This con- 

 stitutes an increase of over 6,000,000 in the total number of animals in- 

 spected as compared with the preceding year. The greatest increase 

 was in hogs, of which over 5,000,000 more were slaughtered in 1912 

 than in 1911. There was a slight decrease, however, in the number 

 of cattle. On account of disease or other unwholesome condition 

 203,778 entire carcasses and 463,859 parts of carcasses were con- 

 demned, making a total of 667,637 carcasses condemned wholly or 

 in part. The condemnations were as follows: Cattle, 50,363 car- 

 casses, 134,783 parts; calves, 8,927 carcasses, 1,212 parts; hogs, 

 129,002 carcasses, 323,992 parts; sheep, 15,402 carcasses, 3,871 parts; 

 goats, 84 carcasses, 1 part. Tuberculosis continued to be the cause 

 of a high proportion of condemnations of cattle and hogs. In addi- 

 tion to the foregoing condemnations at the time of slaughter there 

 were condemned on reinspection 18,096,587 pounds of meat and meat 

 food products that had become unwholesome or otherwise unfit for 

 food since the inspection at the time of slaughter. 



Inspection certificates issued for exports of meat and meat food, 

 products during the year covered 1,114,279,558 pounds. This was a 

 slight increase over the preceding year. Farmers and retail butchers 

 and dealers are exempted from inspection by the law, but supervision 

 is given to interstate shipments by such persons. During the past 

 fiscal year 116,536 shipments were made by retail butchers and 

 dealers holding certificates of exemption, the products so shipped 

 amounting to 20,493,837 pounds. 



During the year 26,889 samples of various products were examined 

 in the meat-inspection laboratory for the purpose of detecting pro- 

 hibited preservatives or coloring matter, adulterants, and unwhole- 



