STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 65 



fourteen million three hundred and seventy-four thousand nine hundred 

 and sixty-four pounds would have been worth three million one hundred 

 and sixt3"-two thousand four hundred and ninety-six dollars, while the 

 actual receipts for the eight millions produced, at nineteen cents, was one 

 million five hundred and twenty thousand dollars, which being deducted 

 from thi-ee million one hundred and sixty-two thousand four linndred 

 and ninety-six dollars, gives us the handsome sum of one million six hun- 

 dred and forty-two thousand four hundred and ninety-six dollars as the 

 increased annual receipts which our farmers may obtain for their wool 

 by improving the quality of their sheep to the standard above named, 

 without adding anj'thing to their number, and without increasing the 

 expense of keeping them. It is hardly necessary to remark that it costs 

 no more to keep good sheep than poor ones. 



Viewed in the light of these figures and considerations, the remark of 

 a writer in the report of the Commissioners of Agriculture for eighteen 

 hundred and sixty-two, that "in this utilitarian age, dogs, which cannot 

 be rendered useful, and are not worth the trouble of controlling, should 

 not be tolerated for ornamental purposes," has a peculiar and ought to 

 have a telling significance, and we commend it to the consideration of 

 the Lei-islature. 



THE RINDEEPEST, OE CATTLE PLAGUE. 



A very destructive and contagious disease, called by the Germans the 

 Einderpest, is at this time raging among the cattle of many of the coun- 

 tries of the continent of Europe, and in England. It is supposed to have 

 had its origin, and to be a natural or normal disease among the cattle on 

 the vast plains of Eussia. Erom that countr}^, by the importation of cat- 

 tle, it was some ten j-ears since introduced into Austria and other German 

 States. At that time the Eoyal Agricultural Societies of England, Ire- 

 land, and Scotland united together and sent Mr. Simonds, an eminent 

 scientific gentleman, and Professor of Cattle Pathology in the Eoyal Vet- 

 erinary College of England, to the localities in the German States where 

 it existed, to investigate the disease and report as to the j)robability of 

 its reaching Great Britain. 



That report, which contains much information upon the nature of the 

 disease, will be found in our volume of transactions of this year. But 

 Mr. Simonds came to the conclusion that England need not fear that the 

 disease would reach that country-, from the fact of the great distance ife. 

 would have to travel overland through the German States, who were- 

 exercising such great vigilance to arrest and prevent it; and also from 

 the fact that at that time no cattle were brought directly from Eussia to 

 England. This threw England ofi^ her guard with reference to the mat- 

 ter, until within the last two years the Eussian cattle have found a mar- 

 ket in Eno;land, and the disease has followed them, and accordino- to our 

 Consul, Mr. Lord, at Manchester, is not only now raging and destroying 

 the cattle at a very rapid rate, and bids fair to spread over all the agri- 

 cultural districts of that country, but it has lately broken out among the 

 flocks of sheep with virulence, and threatens them also. While the Gen- 

 eral Government has taken the proper steps to prevent its reaching our 

 country, by stopping the importation of sheep and cattle from the infected 

 countries, yet notwithstanding these precautions, it may very natu- 



