100 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Roads and Rural Engineering. Models of milk houses, cow stables, 

 and equipment were constructed for use in the field. Plans for plant- 

 ing and grading were prepared for the grounds of the Grove City 

 Creamery, and considerable equipment was installed in the creamery 

 and its laboratories. A number of miscellaneous plans and specifica- 

 tions, covering pumps, electrical apparatus, cold storage, and incuba- 

 tor rooms, have been prepared. 



A survey of the live-stock farm at New Iberia, La., was made, and 

 plans were furnished for a group of dairy buildings, silage conveyer, 

 sterilizer, and water main, and preliminary sketches were made for 

 three cottages. Surveys and grades were furnished for a part of the 

 sewer system and for grading the roads. 



At the Beltsville farm a 30,000-gallon concrete water reservoir and 

 a pump house were constructed and a fire pump installed. This res- 

 ervoir furnishes fire protection and also supplies the condensing 

 water for the refrigerating plant, and in this way reduces the water 

 consumption from the mains by approximately 4,000 gallons a day. 

 Other work includes the superintendence of the installation of the 

 electrical equipment ; surveys and grades for sewers, water mains, and 

 grading; and remodeling a barn. 



Assistance was given in the installation of electrical and refrigerat- 

 ing apparatus in the Bureau of Plant Industry and at the Naval 

 Academy dairy farm. 



Experiments in pasteurizing and cooling milk in bottles have been 

 completed. A report of this work is in course of publication. 



MEAT INSPECTION DIVISION. < 



R. P. Steddom, Chief. 



The statistics of the Federal meat inspection for the fiscal year 

 1916 show continued increases in production. More animals were 

 slaughtered under inspection than in any previous year since inspec- 

 tion was begun. There was also a large increase in the amount of 

 meats and meat food products certified for export. The quantity of 

 meats and meat food products processed under bureau supervision 

 shows a very slight decrease because of the increase in that part of 

 the output shipped as fresh meat. The quantity of meats condemned 

 on reinspection was less than in any previous year since 1907. 



INSPECTION OF DOMESTIC MEATS. 



Inspection was conducted at 875 establishments in 244 cities and 

 towns, as compared with 896 establishments in 247 cities and towns 

 during the preceding fiscal year. 



Inspection was begun at 80 establishments and withdrawn from 76 

 during the year, as compared with 77 and 101, respectively, during 

 the fiscal year 1915. Inspection was withdrawn from 64 establish- 

 ments because of the discontinuance of slaughtering or of interstate 

 business, from 7 for failure to comply with the department's require- 

 ments, from 4 by request, and 1 establishment was consolidated with 

 another. 



The ante-mortem inspections, as given in the following table, show 

 a decrease in the number of sheep inspected and an increase for each 

 of the other species, the increase in the total inspections being 7 per 

 cent over the preceding year. 



