No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 161 



to the Univemity of Pennsylvania and was examined by Prof. John 

 W. Harshberger, who reported that the numerous black sjiecks, re- 

 sembling black seeds, growing among the seeds of the grass, were 

 the spurs of ergot. 



I'orage Poimning. — Forage poisoning of horses flias not prevailed 

 during the past year to the very serious extent that has characterized 

 its prevalence in some previous years. The chief difficulty with this 

 disease has been in the following counties: Berks, Bucks, Chester, 

 Ad'aras, Allegheny, Franklin, T^^high, Montgomery and Philadelphia. 

 This disease has been proven to be due to damaged food or contam- 

 inated water. The precise source or nature of the contamination 

 has not been discovered, but it has been possible in an experiment 

 to reproduce the disease bj' feeding to horses mouldy silage. In 

 an outbreak in a large stable in Philadelphia, during which about 

 thirty-five horses died, a careful pathological study of specimens 

 from some of these horses was made by Dr. D. J. McCarthy and will 

 be reported upon later by him. The bacteriological examinations 

 that were made during this outbreak, as those made previously, hav<; 

 resulted negatively. So much is known, liowever, that there is am- 

 ple reason for recommending that no damaged food should be fed to 

 horses. Hay, fodder, straw, silage, gTain or mill feed that is mouldy, 

 heated or sour cannot be fed to horses safelv. Contaminated wells 

 may furnish water poisonous to horses and instances have been 

 found wherein it has been possible to definitely trace this disease 

 to a well receiving drainage from a stable or leakage from a barn 

 yard. 



Glandem. — Glanders has occurred in the following counties: Alle- 

 gheny, Bucks, Bradford, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Cumberland, 

 Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Luzerne, McKean, Philadelphia and 

 Wyoming. Seventeen, or practically one-half of the thirty-five cases 

 that occurred during the year, were among mules of one mining 

 company in Luzerne county. These mules are believed to have been 

 infected through the purchase of some infected mules in the stock 

 yards at East St. Louis. The infection reached the mules that were 

 in four mines, and in order to check the outbreak it was necessary to 

 keep a careful oversight for a period of about six montlis and to 

 test many animals with mallein. Because the outbreak was re- 

 ported so soon after it started there was not the opportunity for 

 the distribution of the disease that would otherwise liave occurred. 

 On this account it was not necessary to test with mallein all of the 

 mules in the various mines belonging to this comapny. The plan 

 that was adopted consisted in making a very careful physical ex- 

 amination of all the mules and in removing from the mines to test 

 ^dth mallein every animal that showed symptoms in the least degree 



11—6—1902 



