494 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



that the animals were tested under abnormal conditions, such 

 as those met by the commission in its former work at Brighton, 

 Watertown and Somerville. In the earlier part of this work 

 the commission found some certificates which were unsatis- 

 factory because the examiners had failed to make a sufficient 

 number of temperature readings after the tuberculin had been 

 injected ; and accordingly a further order was issued, reiterat- 

 ing, in part, General Order No. 9, that " the temperature must 

 be registered from the tenth hour after the injection every two 

 hours until the twentieth. Satisfactory test is impossible when 

 the initial temperature is higher than 102|." 



It will be seen that, under the system adopted by the com- 

 mission at the markets of Brighton, Watertown and Somerville, 

 since the eighth day of July, the cattle offered for sale in these 

 markets are of two classes : those coming from without the 

 State, accompanied by a certificate, approved by the Board, 

 that the animals have been tested with tuberculin and found 

 free from tuberculosis ; and those coming from points within 

 the State, which are sold in the market without restriction, and 

 which, therefore, have not been subjected to a tuberculin test. 

 The commission has had no means within its control to obtain 

 any records of the actual sales at these markets, for the purpose 

 of determinino- the relative selling value of these two classes of 

 animals ; it has, however, carefully observed the general condi- 

 tion at the markets, and, so far as it has been able to judge, 

 the tested cows have been sold more readily and at a higher 

 price than untested animals. 



There are a large number of buyers at these markets who 

 will not buy animals unless they have been tested with tuber- 

 culin and found free from disease ; it also appears that the 

 number of these buyers is constantly increasing. There are 

 others who state that they ate as ready to buy untested cattle 

 as tested ; but, so far as the observation of the commission has 

 gone, these buyers purchase large numbers of tested cattle, at 

 higher prices than the untested, and as a rule the untested 

 cattle are the last to be sold. 



In the case of animals coming into the State and arriving at 

 points other than the regular stations of Brighton, Watertown 

 and Somerville, upon special permits, from June 5 to Novem- 

 ber 25 permits for 7,(377 animals have been issued. Of these, 



