56 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



in one camp, but this is an exceptional experience and probably will not 

 be repeated again in many years. Public opinion is wholly favorable to 

 the vigorous methods of stamping-out process. 



The loss from this disease is insignificant as compared with that from 

 some others. Appraised at full value, the loss will hardly aggi'egate more 

 than from two to five thousand dollars annually. At the lowest estimate 

 the losses from tuberculosis among cattle is ten times this amount, and is 

 bound to increase annually. Would any of the live stock associations that 

 meet this week approve of inspection of herds, and quarantining until 

 ridded of affected animals? Some of the States require a certificate of 

 freedom from this disease when our cattle go to them, but we do not 

 exact one in returnL There can be no doubt but that the extent to which 

 the disease prevails and the dangers of spreading from animal to animal 

 and from animal to man have been greatly exaggerated many times, but 

 it is a malady of so much importance that we can not afford to let it gain 

 more foot-hold through default of action. The State is prepared to render 

 assistance in its detection wherever there is reason to believe it may be 

 present in a herd. 



During the same period that three cases of glanders occuri'ed among 

 horses we were I'equested to give attention to more than two hundred 

 cases of contagious abortion in herds numbering about seven hundred 

 cows. Here was a loss at least twenty times as great as that among the 

 horses; but how many Hereford, Shorthorn, or Jersey cattle breeders 

 would approve of a rigid quarantine of such breeding stock for one year? 

 You can depend upon every man approving such action as long as it hits 

 the other fellow's herd, but no longer. Who can say what course of pro- 

 cedure should be taken with this disease? May the disease be communi- 

 cated by the male? Should the quarantine extend to all the cattle for the 

 same period, the aborting and the nonaborting alike? And if a quarantine 

 be the desired method of cohtrol, what should be the period? I predict 

 that more trouble will be experienced from this disease than from many 

 others, as we are dependent wholly upon the honor and honesty of the 

 owner for its confinement to a given herd. 



Among sheep we have a parasitic disease known as the twisted stom- 

 ach worm, causing far more loss than that produced by scabes. This latter 

 disease is considered of sufficient importance to be specifically mentioned 

 in the acts of the Legislature, and vigorous measures are provided for 

 stamping it out. Would sheepmen approve of the quarantining of a flock 

 of sheep known to be badly infested with the stomach worm, or insist 

 upon their treatment before being distributed to other flocks? The two 

 diseases are not exactly parallel, but I believe that sheepmen will agree 

 that a quarantine until a course of treatment might be followed would 

 not be prejudicial to the industry. 



Texas fever among cattle is often cited to spring terror in the minds 

 of cattlemen. As a matter of fact we have little or nothing to fear from 



