106 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



from much exposure and short feed during the cohl winter." A disease 

 ■was reported under the same name, and perhaps induced by similar 

 causes, in Catoosa also, and in one county each in South Carolina, Texns, 

 Tennessee, West Virginia, and Kentucky; two in North Carolina, Ala- 

 bama, Louisiana, Missouri, and ISTebraska ; three in Virginia, and five in 

 Arkansas. 



A disease designated as " black-tongue," or " sore-tongue," has been 

 reported from a few localities in Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, Ken- 

 tucky, Tennessee, and Illinois. The return from Johnson, Illinois, 

 reports that the disease is new to that section, and gives the following 

 particulars : It first appeared in the autumn of 1876 in several localities 

 about the same time. Its approach was indicated by apparent inability 

 to take food into the mouth. This was soon followed by swelling of the 

 throat, stiffness of the jaws and limbs, tenderness in the feet, and rapid 

 emaciation. A disease, not named and described as new, fatal in its 

 results, showed like symptoms in Georgetown, South Carolina, and 

 Lewis, Kentucky. On the Pacific coast, the same or a similar disease, 

 " not understood," appeared and excited considerable alarm. The report 

 from Wasco, Oregon, described it as first manifesting itself by a slight 

 swelling on the lower jaws, close up to the head. This extends over the 

 entire head, which becomes enormously large. The affected pine away ; 

 and if the disease is left to run its course, it terminates fatally. Most 

 of the attacked had been shot, through fear that the infection might 

 prove contagious. The disease seemed to prefer for its victims cattle 

 on the range in good condition. 



Cases of charbon were reported in two parishes in Louisiana. 



In Etowah, Alabama, evidently from semi- starvation, diseases of farm- 

 animals were prevalent. Besides heavy losses from " bloody murrain," 

 " hollow-horn," "hollow-tail," &c., very many milch-cows died from some 

 mysterious diificulty in calving. " They are in great agony for from two 

 to six days before they are rid of the calf. Afterward they recuperate, 

 eat, give no milk, and, within five or Bii days, die." There was also 

 unusual fatality among milch-cows in Shelby, ascribed by the farmers to 

 " hollow-horn" or " hollow-tail ;" but our reporter surmises that hollow- 

 stomacb, with want of due protection from cold and storms, was the true 

 source of the fatality. 



The return from Caldwell, Texas, tells that, as a cossequence of ex- 

 posure and starvation, aU cattle recently imported from the North, and 

 about 10 per cent, of the native stock, including " nearly all cows that 

 were pregnant," died. 



An unknown disease, often resulting fatally, prevailed in the autumn 

 in Benton and Montgomery, Iowa ; Nemaha, Kansas, and four counties 

 in Nebraska. In all these localities it is attributed to feeding on smutty 

 corn or dr^^ eorn-fodder, or the excrement of grasshoppers on the fodder. 

 Our correspondent in Cass, Nebraska, thinks it is caused by the too 

 sudden change from the juicy prairie-grass to the dry corn-fodder, and 

 especially for the reason that the disease does not occur in cases where 

 rye sown among the corn is suflicieutly grown to be nipped when the 

 cattle are turned in. A like opinion is expressed in the report from 

 Madison. 



Losses. — As a rule, cattle properly protected and fed have wintered 

 with gain rather than loss. Among those left to provide their own 

 shelter and food the loss by death, while relatively less than in more 

 changeable and severe winters, has been absolutely great, and iu the 

 surviving the loss of everything except life itself has been enormous. 



Sheep. — Sheep are in medium condition, having suffered less than usual 

 even in regions where they are not properly fed and sheltered. In por- 



