Commissioner of Agriculture 127 



believe it is accurate. The same policies have been followed in 

 tuberculin testing as for some years past, namely, limiting offi- 

 cial tests almost entirely to herds in which evidence of disease is 

 indicated, due application being signed, sworn to, and filed in 

 this office. There are in addition an increasing number of pri- 

 vate tests being made by veterinarians where diseased animals are 

 found. When such reports are received, quarantine order is 

 issued to owners and diseased animals ordered segregated, the 

 milk to be used only after proper pasteurization as the law pro- 

 vides. This is for the protection of the public, the owner being 

 given the option of holding the reacting cattle under segregation 

 and is advised to do so, particularly if pure-bred stock ; of having 

 them slaughtered as his own property under inspection, by making 

 application to the State that they be taken in charge, condemned, 

 appraised, and destroyed, or selling them to others for a similar 

 purpose or for segregation. 



Because of the lack of funds promptly to indemnify owners of 

 animals, we have felt justified in recommending that owners kill 

 their own cattle when in good beef condition, being thereby en- 

 abled to secure more prompt and often nearly as satisfactory re- 

 turns as would be possible were the State to take charge, appraise, 

 and destroy. If this system of disposing of reacting animals 

 could be more generally applied, the expense to the State would 

 be reduced and in many instances owners would be able to realize 

 nearly as much from their animals as is possible by the appraisal 

 method. A serious obstacle to the practical application of this 

 plan, however, is the lack of any system of State meat inspection. 

 This prevents the utilization of carcasses of such animals for food 

 purposes in many places, due to the expense of securing proper 

 inspection and the difficulty in disposing of such meats at a reason- 

 able price. The prejudice against the product of a reacting ani- 

 mal, especially in rural districts, no matter how minute the diseased 

 area, usually prevents the unfortunate owner from obtaining its 

 proper value when sold locally. 



Some changes have been made in the Department policy with 

 respect to the Bang system. Unsatisfactory results have fre- 

 quently occurred when State-owned cattle were placed in the cus- 

 todv of individuals under this method. Tt has therefore been eon- 



