No. 4.] 



CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 



515 



who have been known as engaged in testing cattle for impor- 

 tation into this State : — 



Dear Doctor: — As you know, our regulations require all cat- 

 tle coining into Massachusetts to be tested with tuberculin before 

 entering, or upon arrival. Knowing you have done some of the 

 testing, and wishing to ascertain the value of the work and also 

 to determine whether the number of animals rejected as diseased 

 will warrant the expense of keeping up the quarantine, I take the 

 liberty of sending you the enclosed blank, and ask you to kindly 

 fill it out and return to me. 



First, I wisli to ask your opinion as to whether the buyers exer- 

 cise their best judgment in purchasing only healthy animals. 



How many cattle have you tested for Massachusetts? 



How many of this number have reacted? 



What disposition was made of those that reacted ? 



In your opinion, what is the per cent, of disease in your State, 

 taking all herds together? 



Yours truly, C. A. Dennen. 



In response to this letter, reports have been received which 

 show the following facts : — 



It is not supposed that this is a complete report ; but it is 

 apparent that, if these 2,225 animals thus rejected had been 

 imported into the State without inspection, and found dis- 

 eased at a later period, it would have cost the State, at the 

 rate heretofore paid for condemned cattle, about $33.50 per 

 head, the sum of $74,537.50. 



These figures also suggest the amount of selection exer- 

 cised by the drovers of the different States in securing ani- 

 mals for this market, and that the State making the best 

 showing in the above table may have still within its borders 



