104 



• 



by the hand of man, even in the Rocky Mountain valleys, there is no 

 certainty of such exemiition from suffering and death, either in the Ter- 

 ritories, in Texas, or in Louisiana. In the latter, an almost tropical 

 region, the return for Washington Parish says : " The severity of the 

 vrinter caused considerable disease in stock, and the survivors, depend- 

 ing on the woods, barely lived, as a general thing." 

 ' Losses of the past year. — The actual mortality from exposure and disease 

 was probably not half as great in 1870 as in 18G9. A majority of the 

 counties return a very favorable comparison with the report of last 

 spring; some estimate one-half as much loss, others one-fourth, and 

 several correspondents assert that they have heard of no losses whatever. 

 This is the case in no less than eight counties in Indiana. In Hills- 

 borough, New Hampshire, there has been "less than for five years." 

 The correspondent in Fraukin, Pennsylvania, says he "never heard of 

 so little." 



A few counties report an increase of mortality ; among them, McDuf- 

 fie, in Georgia; Fayette, (oO per cent, greater from cold rains and 

 scanty pasturage,) Bell, (less in sheep, more in cattle,) Milam, (50 per 

 cent, lost from destruction of grass and drowning,) Galveston, and Leon, 

 in Texas; Benton, Arkansas; Upshur, West Virginia; Marshall, (25 

 per cent. gTcater than last year,) Illinois ; Barry, (owing to smutty corn,) 

 Michigan ; Meeker, Minnesota ; Lake, California, (three times as great ;) 

 Alameda, (scarcity of food,) Stanislaus, (severity of the winter,) Tuo- 

 lumne, San Joaquin, in the same State. 



DISEASES or CATTLE. 



Splenic fever. — The "Texas cattle disease" has had few opportuni- 

 ties to display its malignity since the isolation and winter pasturage of 

 droves in Western Kansas. It has been found unprofitable and imprac- 

 ticable to introduce them by boats via Kew Orleans and the Mississippi 

 Eiver, and the trade has quietly accommodated itself to what was a ne- 

 cessity and at the same time a convenience and economy' to itself. 



A few facts illustrate the capabilities for mischief of the splenic in- 

 fection, and show how easily havoc might be spread again among the 

 herds of the West. The following statement is from — 



Lincoln County, Kcntucl-y. There was a car-load of cattle brought here from Memphis, 

 Tennessee, about the 1st of July, and after being here a few days seven of them died. 

 The cattle in the pasture were taken out and nothing more was heard of the disease 

 until the middle of October, when it again broke out auioug the aiative cattle that had 

 been pastured on the same grass, and some sixteen others died, and it again entirely 

 ceased about Christmas. It was supposed that the cattle were partly Texas cattle, 

 and that the disease was Texas fever. 



The report from Madison County, Illinois, asserts that a drove of 

 Texas cattle lost about ten head by what was supposed to be Spanish 

 fever. The disease extended to native cattle and to hogs, which are 

 supposed to have eaten of the carcasses of the Texas beeves. This 

 statement is at variance with common experience as to the effects of 

 the diseased meat upon swine. It is not sufiflciently explicit. 



The correspondent in Floyd County, Indiana, says: "No Spanish 

 fever has prevailed. Notwithstanding all that has been said on the 

 subject, our jieople believe that the disease was brought here by Texas 

 cattle; for it prevailed terribly year before last, when hundreds of 

 southern cattle grazed in the county. This year we have not had a 

 case." 



In Uvalde County, Texas, a loss of 12 per cent, from " Spanish fever" 

 is returned. It is stated that cattle became much diseased in 18CS, and 



