No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 475 



The third division of (he work of eradicating tuberculosis 

 is testing entire herds, at the request of the owner. Very 

 little has been done in this direction during 1901, as the 

 Cattle Commission felt that no expense should be indulged 

 in that its appropriation did not warrant, and that its first 

 obligations after attending to glanders, rabies, and investi- 

 gating further symptomatic anthrax, were to owners of badly 

 diseased cattle quarantined by the local inspectors. Only 5 

 herds were tested, and these on the condition that the owner 

 accepted the hide and carcass of every reacting animal that 

 passed as fit for beef, the State paying only for the badly 

 diseased, and furnishing tuberculin and the agent to conduct 

 the test. The total number of animals in the 5 herds was 

 75, of which 23 were killed ; but only 7 had to be paid for 

 by the State, as the others were so slightly infected as to pass 

 as fit for beef. The expense of this work was not very great 

 to the commission. Quite a number of farmers who lose an 

 animal from time to time would like the State to assist them 

 in eradicating tuberculosis from their herds, but most of these 

 applications have to be denied, for lack of funds to meet any 

 such expenditures. A special appropriation of $25,000 has 

 been suggested for such work, as it would undoubtedly 

 greatly assist in diminishing the amount of tuberculosis among 

 cattle. It is possible for any farmer to test his cattle and find 

 out the condition of his herd ; but few r can afford the loss that 

 would be sustained under present farming conditions, unless 



the State assisted. 



Glanders. 



During the year 1901 glanders and farcy have continued 

 to prevail extensively, more cases of horses suspected of 

 having this disease having been reported to the Cattle Com- 

 mission than in any year in its history. Methods of obtain- 

 ing information have been perfected during the past two or 

 three years, so that probably nearly all the cases occurring 

 in this Commonwealth arc now reported ; but beside this 

 there must be a slight increase. The efforts of the commis- 

 sion in obtaining as full reports as possible have resulted in 

 its being able to present the true condition of affairs as it is. 

 The losses to the horse owners of Massachusetts from this 



