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BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Opinions of Peksons throughout the Commonwealth who 

 have had Animals tested with Tuberculin by this 

 Board. 



Desiring to ascertain as fully as possible the experience and 

 opinions of those whose animals had been subjected to the tu- 

 berculin test, the Board issued the following circular letter, a 

 copy of which was sent to the address of every person whose 

 animals had been tested prior to that date. 



The total number of replies coming from this circular has 

 been two hundred and forty-three, of which forty-five only are 

 unfavorable to the test. All are given herewith. The name 

 and address of the writer is given in every case in which it has 

 been received. 



Some of the replies have been given as directly answering 

 the numbered questions, and others in letter form, without re- 

 gard to the numbers of the inquiries. To save repetition here, 

 the answers received are given following the number of the 

 question which is answered. The letters are given together, 

 and will be found following the more direct replies. 



The unfavorable replies have been separated from the others, 

 and are given first. It is a notable fact that, of the thirty-four 

 classified unfavorable opinions, all but six are from persons 

 whose animals showed no tuberculosis upon application of the 

 test, and who, therefore, it is to be presumed, have had no op- 

 portunity of witnessing the great precision with which the test- 

 does its work. It is also to be noticed that almost all of the 

 more usual calamities attending the keeping of milch cows have 



* It will be noticed that these figures show a sum which is larger by some $4,000 than 

 the sum of the amounts returned in this report as having been paid to the farmers for 

 cattle destroyed. This is due to the fact that a number of the warrants for animals 

 already condemned and destroyed, amounting to about $4,000, had not been sent to the 

 auditor at the time when the latter figures were made up. 



