242 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



unfit for human food ; if, on the other hand, he orders them 

 examined, and killed if found to be diseased, he is criticised 

 for exceeding the appropriation made for the use of his 

 department. 



The past autumn and early winter it was decided to take 

 all the tuberculous animals quarantined by the local in- 

 spectors prior to completing the general inspection ; but 

 after an inspector had completed his examinations and sent 

 in his report, cattle quarantined by him subsequent thereto 

 were " released for lack of funds," as it seemed that he ought 

 to have found all the bad cases in his town during his annual 

 tour of inspection. 



Only 44 were released for lack of funds previous to Jan. 1 , 

 1906, and most of these have been attended to since that 

 date, as the law allows a department to expend one-twelfth 

 of the amount of the previous year's appropriation each 

 January, in anticipation that the Legislature will appropriate 

 an equal amount one year to that of the preceding, in carry- 

 ing out a given policy. 



There have been 1,364 cattle killed and paid for out of 

 the appropriation of 1005 ; the remaining 2()1 were paid for 

 out of the deficiency appropriation made for 1904. 



There are at present 580 cattle claims outstanding, which, 

 at an average of $21 per head, will create a considerable 

 deficiency. 



The portion of the work of the Cattle Bureau involving 

 the greatest outlay of money is connected with tuberculosis 

 in cattle, therefore it will be, as usual, the disease first con- 

 sidered in this report, after submitting results of the annual 

 examination of herds and premises made by inspectors of 

 animals ; but other diseases are quite as important, such as 

 olandcrs and rabies. The chief feature of an unusual char- 

 acter occurring during 1905 has been the appearance of 

 rabies, a detaih'd account of which is given under the proper 

 heading. It has caused a great deal of extra Avork and 

 expense, and lias ))cen the most serious outbreak that has 

 occurred in this Conmionwealth in many years, and possibly 

 as bad as any in its history. 



There seems to have been a distinct miin in cormection 

 with glanders, a full report of which appears further on. 



