No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 401 



In 181)6 there were 501 cattle tested at the stations, of 

 which number 18 were condemned, killed and found to be 

 diseased, — 3| per cent. 



There has been a steady decrease in the per cent, of cattle 

 condemned each year, from 3| in 1896 to 1 percent, in 1900, 

 which is due largely, we think, to the care and good judg- 

 ment the drovers exercise in selecting their stock, as they 

 report that there are certain sections of some States in which 

 thoy do not care to buy cattle for this market, owing to the 

 prevalence of tuberculosis. 



We believe that if the present quarantine restrictions were 

 removed there would not bo such care taken on the part of 

 the drovers, and many diseased animals would be found in 

 Brighton market and also all through the Commonwealth 

 from those districts ; therefore we believe the quarantine 

 should be made more stringent along the border lines, and 

 great care taken to protect the citizens and herds of the State 

 from this disease. 



It will be seen that, out of a total of 192,257 head of neat 

 stock, 17,669 were released as free from disease ; these were 

 nearly all milch cows for the local market ; the remaining 

 174,588 were for slaughter or export. 



In addition to the above, there were 636 permits issued 

 and 4,765 dairy cattle were brought into the State, also 16 

 calves. Of these, 3,120 were tested before shipment and 

 1,614 after arrival in this State. Some cattle were returned 

 from pasture during the year, and a good many beef cattle 

 were brought in for slaughter, the exact number not being 

 recorded. Of these 1,614 cattle tested after arrival, 22 re- 

 acted to the test and were disposed of as follows : 6 were 

 returned to the State from which they came ; 15 were killed 

 and found tul)erculous ; and 1 was killed and paid for, be- 

 cause no lesions were found. 



The following extract from a paper, read by the chairman 

 of the Board of Cattle Commissioners at the annual meeting 

 of the American Veterinary Association, at Detroit, last 

 September, will give an idea of the difficulties the commission 

 has met with in enforcing its regulations : — 



