REPORT OF THE CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 233 



positive benefit, while there has been no loss, but rather an 

 increase of the winter stores of forage. 



The great and prevailing error in laying down land has been 

 insufficient seeding, or rather seeding with too limited a num- 

 ber of varieties of grass-seed. The result is a poor, thin turf, 

 and of course a light crop of grass. It takes too much time to 

 wait for other gi-asses to come in and occupy the spaces left 

 vacant by too light seeding with one or two varieties of 

 grass, and if the suggestions already made upon this point by 

 INIr. Lewis and others, should lead to an improvement of our 

 practice in this respect, we shall soon see larger crops and an 

 improved system of farming. 



The Board then adjourned. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS ON CONTA- 

 GIOUS DISEASES AMONG CATTLE. 



To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the 

 Commomuealth of Massachusetts. 



The Commissioners on Contagious Diseases among Cattle, 

 in presenting to you their annual report, feel that they have 

 occasion for congratulation, that while in some portions of the 

 country, and abroad, disease has committed most fearful rav- 

 ages, yet in our State, during the year past, cattle have been 

 almost entirel}'' exempt from prevailing sickness, and no con- 

 tagious disease has visited them. In the month of March last, 

 the attention of the Commissioners was called to what the 

 citizens conjectured to be an alarming case of contagious 

 pleuro-pueumonia in a herd in the town of Lenox, Berkshire 

 County. 



On Tuesday, the 2d of April, an examination was made. 

 The barn, built of stone and situated on a hill, had been 

 occupied for nine years, during which time no unusual sick- 

 ness had occurred. About the 1st of March, the owner first 

 noticed that some of his cattle were sick ; he sent for a veter- 

 inary surgeon, who pronounced the animals affected with 

 pleuro-pneumonia, and treated them accordingly. 



On examination of several sick animals which were selected 

 for the purpose by the owner, it was evident that disease of 

 the lungs existed. 



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