No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 477 



G. H. E. has been trying to eradicate tuberculosis from 

 his herd for some time, and in the past he has had the assist- 

 ance of the commission. In 1898, the appropriation being 

 insufficient, he tested his cattle at his own expense, and 

 killed those that reacted to the tuberculin test. Of the 5 

 animals in his three herds which reacted this winter, only 2 

 were in the old herd, 1 at Weston and 1 at Concord. The 

 3 in the herd at New^ton which reacted were animals which 

 he had recently bought on certificates of tuberculin test at 

 Brighton of dealers ; it is a question whether these cows 

 were honestly tested before he bought them, or not. 



S. C. tested his herd at his own expense in December, 

 1898, and killed 7 animals. The commission tested the herd 

 for him in June, after receiving the appropriation, and found 

 no reacting animals ; it again tested the herd for him Dec. 

 20, 1899, and but 2 animals reacted. These were cows 

 which he had taken to board for the winter, which had been 

 tested with tuberculin, but some time ago, and had probably 

 acquired the disease after being tested and before S. C. intro- 

 duced them into his herd. 



Prior to May 25 the commission received the slaughter 

 house returns from the inspectors of animals ; but the act 

 passed at that time placed this work in the charge of the 

 local boards of health, and since then they have been ex- 

 pected to take care of the inspection of slaughter houses and 

 of animals killed for food at the time of slaughter. 



Inspected at Licensed Slaughter Houses at Time of Slaughter y for 

 Six Months ending May 31, 1S99. 



Cattle (including calves), 39,254 



Sheep, 122,581 



Swine, 737,049 



Total, 898,884 



Inspected at Time of Slaughter, under Section 21, Chapter 

 491, Acts of 1894, for Six Months ending May 31, 1899. 



Cattle (including calves) , 695 



Sheep, 24 



Swine, 2,122 



Total, 2,841 



Total •reported inspections at time of slaughter, . . . 901,725 



