56 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



as inspectors, under the Seed Control Act, which provides a standard 

 quality of seeds in respect of purity and vitality. The agricultural 

 community is kept informed on all matters of importance by the 

 publication and spread of bulletins. 



III. LIVE STOCK BRANCH 



Live Stock, like Seed, was till 1905 included as a division of 

 the Branch of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Dairying. In 

 that year, however, it was made into a separate branch, and 

 is at present controlled by Dr J. G. Rutherford. It devotes its 

 time to the improvement of the live stock industry by various 

 means. For example, it supplies lecturers for Farmers' Institute 

 Meetings and Live Stock Judging Schools. The lecturers, wher- 

 ever possible, use living animals in place of charts and diagrams 

 for demonstration purposes. They explain the points of the 

 various stock, the best system of managing, housing, feeding, and 

 marketing them, the recognised rules for breeding and cross- 

 breeding, etc. At the Agricultural Shows, which are great 

 institutions in Canada, the Live Stock Branch supplies judges, who 

 often deliver addresses at the ring-side, giving reasons for the 

 placing of their awards. Some years ago the branch organised 

 auction sales of pure-bred stock for breeding purposes, with funds 

 provided by the Federal and Provincial Governments, in order to 

 secure the distribution of good breeds throughout the country, 

 a work which is now carried on by Provincial Associations. The 

 branch also sometime ago undertook to supervise the yearly testing 

 of pure-bred dairy stock. The Breed Associations co-operate in 

 this work, and publish as an appendix to their herd books the 

 records of cows which reach the standard of registration in the 

 Record of Performance. Through the instrumentality of the Live 

 Stock Commissioner, all the pedigree records in Canada for pure 

 bred live stock, with the exception of that for Holstein-Friesian 

 Cattle, have been consolidated into what is known as the National 

 Live Stock Records. While the registration of the several breeds 

 continues to be controlled by the respective Record Associations, 

 the work is carried on by a joint-committee elected by these asso- 

 ciations in an office provided by the government. The registration 

 certificates before being issued are submitted to an officer of the Live 

 Stock Branch, who approves them for the Minister of Agriculture 

 and affixes to each the seal of the Department. 



IV. HEALTH OF ANIMALS BRANCH 



Dr Rutherford is also at the head of the Health of Animals 

 Branch. The object of this branch is to prevent diseased animals 

 being brought into Canada or taken from place to place within the 

 Dominion ; and its efficiency is proved by the very small amount 

 of disease which is found to exist amongst animals considering the 

 extent of the country. Its work is divided into four sections : — 



