540 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



Pleasant Hill, Mo., 33 Hereford yearling bulls, and put tlieiu on a ranch on the 

 Brazos River in Parker County. Within the first six months they Tveve all sick, pre- 

 sumably with acclimatization fever, and 14 of them died; the remainder are doing 

 well. J. J. Hittsou brought the same number from the same place at the same time 

 and put them in Palo Pinto County. He lost 18 or 20 from same apparent cause. 

 ■ Eastern Texas cattle are brought into this section every year, and I do not know of 

 any disease occurring among them or among uative cattle. 



^rr. James P. McFarJatid, Aledo. — In answer to your questions to the cattlemen of 

 Texas, I would state that I shipped 24 head of Shorthorns (Durham cattle) to Parker 

 Ciiuuty, Texas, from near the line of Kentucky and Tennessee, which is parallel to 

 Uic .south line of Kansas, in November, lSe3. Out of that number IG died of acclima- 

 tization fever, leaving 8 alive. All had the fever. The cattle were all fat and in good 

 condition when they sickened and died. All when taken sick refused to eat, and ap- 

 peared stupid and sluggish. A post mortem examination revealed the following facts, 

 viz., lungs in a normal condition, liver highly engorged, and the gall bladder full to 

 repletion, with dark inspissated bile, and presented the apiiearance as though it had 

 been dif>ped in saffron. The mucous membranes of the first stomach normal. The 

 second stomach, in every case, was filled with dry, hard food, that required force to' 

 pull it asunder. In fact it presented the appearance of an India rubber ball. The 

 kidneys were injected and nodulated; no urine in the bladder. All had, more or less, 

 diarrhea from the time of attack. None of my native cattle on the ranch were affected, 

 though the Shorthorns mixed with them in the same pastures and ranges. 



I have no auswer to your second question, but I do not thhik disease is communi- 

 cated to our cattle from those coming from the West. 



PECOS COUXTT. 



Mr, W. TV. Sivi07id8, Thurst. — In reply to your first question, I will say I know of 

 one bunch of graded bulls coming into our county from Missouri, and about one-half 

 of them died ii-om disease called acclimation fever. 



In answer to your second question, I know of no case where cattle have either been 

 eick or have died from any fever of any kind. 



REEVES COUXTY. 



Mr. A. W. HilUard, Pecos. — In reply to your circular of April 25, 1 have this to state: 

 There are several ranches in this vicinity in which young thoroughbreds (Shorthorns) 

 have been imported from Missouri during the last two years. FiTty were o\^'^ed by 

 J. B. Wilson & Co. Only 3 or 4 died out of this lot by acclimatization fever. Loca- 

 tion on Pecos River near New Mexico line. 



With an experience of twelve years I have but in one instance known cattle alTected 

 by those driven into any of the above-named counties, and that was during the sum- 

 mer of 1878, when a herd of Shorthorns from Colorado were put on the same range 

 with Southern Texas cattle. This was in July of that year. 



East Texas cattle have never infected my Shorthorns, and I have handled many in 

 the last ten years. 



SHACKELFORD COUXTY. 



Mr. JV. D. Peynolds, A Ihamj. — I have known quite a number of cases where bulls from 

 Northern States brought here have suffered from acclimation fever, and in cases where 

 they have been turned out to get their own living and be their own doctor the loss 

 has been heavy. When they are cared for and attended to until they i)as>i through 

 the change of fever (which occurs sometimes soon after arrival, and at others six or 

 eight mouths afterwards) the loss is light, and the cattle seem no more subject to dis- 

 ease than those bred and raised here. S. M. Swenson & Son, of New York, who h.ave 

 a ranch in Jones County, shipped here from Iowa, I think, or some Western State, 

 about 150 head, and I hardly think their losses exceeded 10 per cent. I have known 

 of other cases about like theirs, when the stock has been well cared for. Jly experi- 

 ence and observation is that all stock from a northern latitude brought south are af- 

 fected by the change, and even persons claim that they feel the diilerence. All cattle 

 get sick first or last. Horses for use plainly show that they are not themselves the 

 lirst year they are brought here. I don't know of a case where cattle were sick and 

 properly cared for in time that it failed to cure them. 



Our cattle are graded Hereford and Durham. Some of the malesuow on our rnncli 

 were brought here nine years ago from Illiuois, some from Colorado and Kansas. Wo 

 have several head of cows and bulls raised by T. L. Miller, of Beechei- 111., which 

 have been here now nine years. We lose quite a number every stinmier during the 

 heated term, generally good grades, from what is called dry murrain, or Texas fever. 

 The "maw" cloga with dry grasaes, the bowels refaae to act, producing fever, from 



