BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 541 



wliich they die^ If found in time and attended to we seldom fail to cure tLem. We 

 live and ranch on the Forts Griffin and Dodge trail, but can't say whether the cattle 

 which pass from all parts of the State cause the disease or not, hut it seems to he the 

 general idea that such is the cause, especially from cattle a good way south and cant 

 of here, which, owing to distance, pass during the latter part of June, July, and 

 August^ We are seldom troubled with it during the spring. I have lived here fur 

 thirteen or fourteen years, and before cattle from South and East were driven hore 

 and through here we were never troubled with any kind of disease. Cattle olf tlio 

 route, and which do not come in contact with Eastern and Southern cattle, .seem to 

 bo unaffected. I believe cattle from north of here brought in and isolated woiihl liiivo 

 to pass through an acclimation within twelve months. Generally the lirst three 

 months is the time most of them are affected. 



TAKRANT COUNTY. 



Mr. S. W. Lomax, Fort TForf/i.— Replying to your inquiry of the 25th ultimo, I beg 

 to answer that this comi)any ranches in the counties of Kent, Dickens, Garza, and 

 Crosby. We have for two seasons past bought Shorthorn and Hereford grade bulls, 

 which were dropped in Kansas, and driven to otir ranch in April and May, aged year- 

 lings and twos. We have lost but very few of them, aud those that have died (uut 

 over 2 per cent.) have died from nothing of the nature of Texas fever. We bought 

 in the lirst year '200, and afterwards 500, and cannot state that any died of acclimati- 

 zation fever. The few that died seemed affected by ordinary causes. 



1 do know of deaths being caused to our cattle on the range from contact with South- 

 ern Texas cattle which had been driven through, and I also know of our cattle dying 

 from what is called Texas fever from being ex])Osed to the trail of cattle from South- 

 ern Texas. Our cattle so dying would be affected noticeably after about nine days 

 from exposure ; they would gaiint up, show signs of high fever, heads down, eyes 

 glassy, and in some mstauces become very wild and inclined to fight. 



On being cut open after death I have found the bowels dry and the intestines 

 shriveled and hard, and the contents very hard and congested. 



Your efforts to have a true fever line determined should meet the hearty co-opera- 

 tion of every Northwest cattle owner, since wo suffer greatly under a quarantine de- 

 signed to prevent what we could not communicate, and of which wo are just as much 

 afraid as any cattleman in Kansas or Colorado. 



Mr. W. JI. Somerville, Fort Worth. — Ecferring to your circular addressed to Texas 

 cattlemen, we have pleasure in replying as follows : 



In 1883, and again in 1884, this company (the Matador Laud and Cattle Company) 

 purchased in Kansas between 300 and 400 head each year of bulls — Durham and Here- 

 ford — from three-fourths grade to pui-e blood, pedigree stock. In both cases these 

 Avere driven from Kansas through the Pan-handle during the month of May, and were 

 turned out on the company's range (embracing portions of Motley, Cottle, Dickens, 

 and Floyd Counties) between the Ist and 15th of Juno. We have naturally watched 

 their progress carefully, and have never yet knovm one to be sick or diseased ; indeed, 

 to the best of our knowledge all, -with the exception of three that were killed by ac- 

 cidents, are now alive and in good condition. Wo are repeating the same practice 

 this year with 350 head, being 8atisfi.ed of its safety. 



We are unable to give any information on the subject of your second inquiry. 



THROCKMORTON COUNTY. 



Mr. B. F. Ecijno'lds.—l drove 200 head of improved cattle from Colorado to this 

 country. They commenced to die at the Canadian River, which is about the thirty- 

 fifth parallel, and they continued to get sick and die for eighteen months after leav- 

 ing Colorado. I lost about 50 or GO head. I also lost some of the calves that were 

 dropped in the country. Some of them had the bloody and others the dry murrain. 

 When cut open the stomachs of some would be full of blood, while others would 

 be ilry and hard as a p'ug of tobacco. I have known of many others being shipped to 

 this country, and tho,^ all, to the last motherless calf, have some disease, and a great 

 many of them die. 13ut the disease is not contagious, as it does not atfect the nativ*.s 

 of this country or the cattle from south of here. Neither do cattle from this country 

 affect the cattle of Colorado, as I have seen herd after herd of Texas cattle tuniLd 

 loDso among the line Durhams of that country, and I uever heard of such a thing as 

 Texas fever or any other disease except poverty in the five years that I lived there 

 i'i left there in 1875). But that Southern cattle do not affect cattle along the south 

 lino of Kansas in that largo grass country I am not prepared to say, but I drove Texas 

 cattle through there one ye.ar, aud I heard no complaint. My opinion is that at cer- 

 tain seasons "of the year cattle will die more or less along in Southern Kansas and the 

 iiortlicrn jiart of tho Indian Territory, as th.at seems to bo the worst place for the 

 disease, iu regard to tho disease that affects cattle brought from the North hero, it 



