ANNUAL REPORT, 1937 91 



Miscellaneous Work. (F. A. McLaughlin and Jessie L. Anderson.) The Seed 

 Laboratory received 1115.4 pounds of unclean onion seed from Connecticut 

 Valley Farmers, which were returned as 671.3 pounds of clean seed. 



Eightv-three samples of corn, oats, barley, and wheat, purchased by various 

 state institutions, were examined for conformity to grade purchased; and twenty- 

 four samples of ground cattle and poultry feed collected by inspectors or sent in 

 by dealers and farmers were examined microscopically. 



DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY SCIENCE 

 J. B. Lentz in Charge 



Poultry Disease Control Service. (H. Van Roekel, K. L. Bullis, O. S. Flint, 

 and M. K. Clarke.) 



1. Pulloriim Disease Eradication. During the 1936-37 testing season, a total 

 of 311 flocks (including four flocks of poultry other than chickens) representing 

 463,095 samples (including 1,333 from fowl other than chickens) was tested. 

 Among the samples submitted from fowl other than chickens 488 were tested with 

 a paratyphoid antigen. Blood samples were submitted from chicken flocks in 11 

 counties. Norfolk, Worcester, and Middlesex Counties led in the number of 

 tests. The testing results showed increases in tested flocks (55), tested birds 

 (118,860), tests (117,681), and non-reacting flocks (51) over the previous season. 

 The average percentage of positive tests among the total samples tested was 0.37. 

 In onl)' two counties the percentage of positive tests exceeded 0.5 of 1 percent. 

 Pullorum infection was detected in six flocks which were negative to the macro- 

 scopic tube agglutination test the previous year or 3'ears. In four of these flocks no 

 explanation for the origin for the infection was obtained. 



The results show that Massachusetts poultrymen are making progress in pul- 

 lorum disease eradication and in maintaining their flocks free from the disease. 

 The results show that a total of 281 non-reacting flocks, representing 424,431 

 birds, were detected. The number of birds in the non-reacting flocks represented 

 94.6 percent of the total birds tested. The number of birds in the 100 percent 

 tested flocks was 378,563, which represented 84.4 percent of all birds tested. 

 A total of 162 flocks tested for three or more consecutive years, representing 

 326,435 birds, revealed less than 0.1 of 1 percent infection. 



During the past year a turkey flock infected with pullorum disease was sub- 

 jected to agglutination tests at four-week intervals. Four tests were applied and 

 significant reactors were detected only on the first test. S. pullorum was isolated 

 from reactors detected on the first test. No evidence of pullorum infection has 

 been obtained in progeny raised from the tested breeders. 



The pullorum disease testing results show that Massachusetts flock owners 

 have available within this State known pullorum clean stock from which re- 

 placements can be purchased to establish additional pullorum clean flocks. 



2. Diagnostic Service. The laboratory received 472 consignments of specimens 

 for examination. Personal delivery of specimens was made 288 times. The classi- 

 fication of 2,264 specimens examined is as follows: 1,944 chickens, 184 turkeys, 

 72 pheasants, 16 fecal samples, 10 rufifed grouse, 7 bovine, 6 ducks, 5 rabbits, 

 4 foxes, 4 quail, 4 sheep, 3 deer, and 1 each of canine, hog, horse, mink, and 

 pigeon. Tumors, infectious bronchitis, pullorum disease, fowl paralysis, and coccid- 

 iosis were the diseases encountered most frequently. Fowl cholera and fowl 



