BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 107 



During the year 16,281,185 inspections were made of cattle for 

 ticks, as against 11,268,668 in the preceding year. There were in 

 operation 12,662 cattle dipping vats, where cattle were dipped under 

 Federal or State supervision to rid them of ticks. 



In addition to the large number of inspections made and dippings 

 supervised, a great deal of preliminary and demonstrational work 

 was conducted by bureau employees to teach cattle owners the desir- 

 ability and importance of eradicating the cattle ticks and to show 

 them the best methods to pursue. This work is done in cooperation 

 with State authorities and is being pushed forward as rapidly as 

 possible with the means at hand. Very effectual cooperation has 

 come from transportation companies, commercial clubs, bankers, and 

 other business men who are farsighted enough to realize that the 

 eradication of the cattle tick and the subsequent development of the 

 live-stock industry means an increase of business for all concerned. 



INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF LIVE STOCK. 



The number of cattle shipped from the area quarantined for sple- 

 netic or tick fever to market centers outside of the quarantined area 

 was 502,393, as compared with 845,059 during the fiscal year 1915. 

 This was a decrease of 40.54 per cent in the number of tick-infested 

 cattle shipped from the quarantined area for immediate slaughter. 

 There were reshipped from the quarantine pens at market centers to 

 points where southern cattle are permitted to be shipped for imme- 

 diate slaughter 113,085 head, being a decrease of 49.64 per cent from 

 the preceding year. 



The number of cattle of the quarantined area dipped and certified 

 for movement as noninfectious was 216,943, an increase of 74.53 per 

 cent. Of this number, 124,295 were dipped a second time, in order 

 that they might be disposed of for purposes other than immediate 

 slaughter. During the year 3,178 certificates were issued for ship- 

 ment to markets of free cattle and those dipped or otherwise treated 

 as provided for in the regulations. 



There were also dipped, on account of splenetic-fever ticks, 586 

 horses and mules, certificates for the interstate movement of which 

 were issued. 



There were inspected, at market centers and elsewhere, for scabies 

 and other contagious diseases, 14,451,291 cattle, of which 7,942 were 

 dipped under bureau supervision, in order that they might continue 

 in interstate transit. 



Sheep to the number of 20,538,977 were inspected at stockyard 

 centers for scabies and other contagious diseases, and 868,689 were 

 dipped under bureau supervision, in order that they might be dis- 

 posed of for purposes other than immediate- slaughter. 



ERADICATION OF SHEEP SCABIES. 



The number of inspections of sheep by bureau employees for the 

 eradication of sheep scabies in the area quarantined for that disease 

 was 19,555,969. Sheep to the number of 6,473,419 were clipped for 

 scabies in the quarantined area, in cooperation with the State officials. 



As a result of this work, sheep scabies is being fast eliminated from 

 the sheep of Western States. During the fiscal year 43,243 square 

 miles in the State of California were released from quarantine. 



72412°— agr 1916 8 



