924 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVII. No. 441. 



The first great task was to establish 

 what is known as the Texas-fever line, 

 which now extends from ocean to ocean and 

 serves to divide the section of the country 

 in which the disease originates from that 

 in which its ravages are usually seen. This 

 line needs constant rigid supervision to 

 prevent the spread of the infection. It 

 involved last year the inspection of 1,545,- 

 000 cattle and the cleaning and disinfec- 

 tion of 46,736 railroad cars. 



The wisdom of establishing the bureau 

 is attested by the successful eradication of 

 the contagious pleuro-pneumonia of cattle 

 from this country, at a comparatively small 

 expense; by the development of a single 

 vaccine for blackleg, which has been used 

 upon millions of cattle and has reduced 

 the losses in infected herds of cattle to 

 less than one per cent., thus saving many 

 millions of dollars to the cattle industry; 

 by the development of a federal meat-in- 

 spection service which last year inspected 

 at the time of slaughter 38,829,439 car- 

 casses, insuring healthy meat to domestic 

 consumers and enabling the government to 

 certify to the wholesomeness of that which 

 is exported ; by its successful control over 

 the exportation of live animals, a trade em- 

 bracing 300,000 to 400,000 cattle and 200,- 

 000 sheep a year, and which has done away 

 with all unnecessary suffering aboard ship 

 and reduced the losses to 0.13 per cent, 

 with cattle and 0.89 per cent, with sheep ; 

 by the successful investigation of many dis- 

 eases and the dissemination of a vast 

 amount of information relative to the 

 breeding and management of domesticated 

 animals in health and disease. 



These are only the principal lines of 

 work undertaken. Every outbreak of dis- 

 ease which is supposed to be contagious is 

 promptly investigated, and in case any are 

 found dangerous to the animal industry of 

 the country the proper measures are ap- 



plied. Scientific researches are constantly 

 conducted and are throwing new light on 

 the nature of diseases and the means ap- 

 plicable for their control. The objections 

 raised in other countries to our animals or 

 animal products are carefully watched, and 

 the causes removed when Avell founded, or 

 explained when they are brought with a 

 misunderstanding of the facts. 



Ecoiwmic Work of tlie Bureau of Plant In- 

 dustry: Professor B. T. Galloway, chief 

 of bureau. 



The organization of the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry was first described. It was 

 pointed out that the general policy of the 

 bureau is to give the broadest opportunities 

 to its individual workers, recognizing the 

 fact that the best results can be accom- 

 plished by giving to each individual such 

 responsibilities as will lead to the strong- 

 est development of both the man and the 

 work. The bureau's work is handled by 

 problems rather than by groups of subjects. 

 It was pointed out that while the object 

 of the bureau's work is practical in all 

 things, the policy is to encourage scientific 

 research in every way, it being: recognized 

 that scientific investigation is the basis for 

 all applied work. The work of the more 

 important branches of the bureau were 

 then briefly reviewed. Examples of the 

 methods of handling plant diseases were 

 given, ■ showing the relation of laboratory 

 research to the securing of practical results 

 in the field. Various methods of handling 

 diseases of crops were described. Treat- 

 ments by direct remedial measures were 

 discussed; treatments, or preventions, by 

 the securing or creation of immune sorts, 

 were described, and the other methods fol- 

 lowed in this line of work were brought 

 out. The work in physiology was de- 

 scribed, especial attention being given to 

 the results obtained in the laboratory in- 

 vestigations on nitrifying organisms. The 



