arrive in the laboratory, and has sometimes resulted in some of the samples 

 Ijeing spoiled before they could be tested. Since these samples are not con- 

 secutively numbered, each and every one must be checked off on the data 

 sheet before the samples can be tested. If, on the other hand, the bands arc 

 numbered consecutively, the samples can be set up in the testing racks, which 

 are numbered from 1 to 200, and checked from these racks instead of from 

 the data sheets. The samples can be checked off from the racks in ten or 

 fifteen minutes, whereas it sometimes takes two or three hours to check them 

 from the data sheets when bands without consecutive numbers are used. The 

 department, therefore, urges every poultryman to put the college leg bands 

 on his birds at the time the samples are taken. The expense involved is 

 slight, and any bands already on the birds do not have to be removed. If 

 college leg bands are always used, it will assure the poultryman better service 

 and fewer spoiled samples. 



There has been some misunderstanding during the past year about filling 

 out application blanks for the test. Some persons apparently did not under- 

 stand that applications for the work must be filled out each year and filed 

 witli the department. This is necessary because the department must know 

 Iiow many birds a man has for test each year and at approximately what 

 iime these birds, especially the pullets, will be ready for testing. However, 

 the application blanks which are to be sent out for the coming season's work 

 state that applications must be filed each year, and no more troulile is 

 expected from this source. 



There has also been some misunderstanding about retests. With the pres- 

 ent personnel and facilities of the department, it is practically impossible to 

 do any retesting until every man who has applied tor the test has had an 

 opportunity to have the work done once. This means that seldom can re- 

 testing be done until the latter part of the season, if at all, in the same 

 testing year. 



Still another factor affecting the testing work which seems to be misunder- 

 stood is the fact that the appropriation for tiiis work is limited, and conse- 

 quently the amount of testing that can be done during the breeding season 

 is limited. The work is, of course, of little or no value to poultrymen after 

 the breeding season is over. The routes of the field men are carefully planned 

 so that a maxinuun number of !>aniples may be obtained with a minimum 

 expenditure of time and money, and so that no more samples are sent in 

 each week than the laboratory force can handle. In planning tlie work with 

 these ends in view, it is sometimes necessary to give the preference to a man 

 who has had no previous testing done, ^'henever this happens it is not 

 through favoritism, but because it is necessary for the most econonaical 

 prosecution of the work. 



Summary. 



During the 1925-1926 season, fi7,919 birds were tested for bacillary white 

 diarrhoea, this being 1,416 more than during the same period last year. 

 One hundred and twenty-four bacillary white diarrhoea free flocks were 

 established, this being 45 more than last year. This is the most interesting 

 phase of the work of this year because it shows that the poultrymen are 

 cooperating fully with this department in its efforts to eradicate bacillary 

 white diarrhoea infection from the breeding flocks in Massachusetts. 



