166 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



cattle scabies was Imown to exist to the greatest extent were placed 

 under Federal quarantine. Tliis included an area covering about 

 452,G32 square miles in several Western States. 



As in the work of eradicating sheep scabies, Federal and State 

 cooperation was resorted to, with the result that since 1907 cattle 

 scabies has been successfully controlled and 218,572 square miles of 

 territory released from quarantine 



While the area released from quarantine seems to show that the 

 work is only half accomplished, this does not express the real prog- 

 ress made. As the extent to which disease exists in the territory 

 still remaining in quarantine has been so greatly reduced, it will 

 only be a short time until cattle scabies in the United States will be 

 a matter of history. 



BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS. 



In 1907 the Bureau of Animal Industry first undertook to cooper- 

 ate actively with individual herd owners and State and city officials 

 in the eradication of bovine tuberculosis from dairy herds. In the 

 first year 658 cattle were tested, of which 118, or 17.9 per cent, gave 

 reactions indicating the presence of tuberculosis. These tests were 

 applied only to cattle whose owners signed an agreement with the 

 bureau providing for the slaughter or efficient quarantine of reactors, 

 the tuberculin testing of animals added to the herd, the disinfection 

 of infected premises, and the observation of proper sanitary meas- 

 ures. This work has grown in popularity until in 1912 cattle tested 

 numbered 8,433, of which 769 were reactors or suspects. The per- 

 centage of tuberculosis now being found by annual retests in this 

 territory has thus been reduced to 2.30 per cent. During the period 

 covered 25,193 cattle have been tested. 



In the fall of 1909 special cooperation in the eradication of bovine 

 tuberculosis was given in the District of Coliunbia. In the first 

 complete testing of the District cattle a total of 1,701 cattle were 

 tested, of which 321, or 18.87 per cent, were tuberculous. A systematic 

 retesting has reduced the percentage to 1.29, and in the meantime the 

 testing of cattle entering from other States has prevented the intro- 

 duction of diseased animals. 



This cooperative work has been extended into various States Avhich 

 desired the assistance of the bureau in dealing with the bovine tuber- 

 culosis problem. The tuberculin test is also applied to cattle for 

 breeding or dairy purposes for interstate shipment. 



The effects of this work are well illustrated by the marked reduc- 

 tion in the prevalence of tuberculosis in the herds of cattle which are 

 being maintained under bureau supervision. These results have 

 been so satisfactory to the cattle owners that requests for cooperation 

 far in excess of what can be done with the present force are con- 



