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“BUREAU. OR ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 6) 4 ATO 
CO-OPERATION TO PREVENT LOSSES FROM SOUTHERN FEVER. > 
: The losses from Southern fever, or so-called Texas fever, became 
so heavy in the Western States and Territories that most stringent 
~ _ local quarantines were adopted, which, since 1885, have threatened 
to entirely destroy the trade in cattle that had previously found an 
outlet in this direction. The prosperity of the Southwest, and par- 
ticularly of Texas, is so Gaon. under existing conditions, upon 
an outlet for cattle as unrestricted as is consistent with the safety of 
stock in other States, that particular attention has been given to this 
... subject. 
& ae investigation was first made as to the parts of Texas from which 
. demonstrated that there is a large section in that State from which 
-- cattle may be taken without danger, as they are incapable of dissem- 
inating this malady. There should consequently be no restrictions 
‘ placed upon cattle from that district. 
_* Two agents of the Bureau of Animal Industry have been em- 
ployed to co-operate both with the shippers and drivers of cattle in 
-Texas and with the authorities of those States and Territories to 
-. which these animals were taken as store cattle, in order to facilitate 
this traffic and prevent losses from it. No quarantine regulations’ 
have been made by the Department in connection with this disease, 
» but the aim has been to furnish full information to both parties and 
to endeavor to maintain harmonious relations between them. The 
agents of the Bureau were able to show that certain herds of cattle 
came from parts of Texas where no infection existed, and these 
were consequently admitted to their destination without quarantine, 
; Other herds from the infected district were shown to have been out- 
3 side of that district for more than ninety days, and as this is about 
_~ the limit of time the infection can be carried, these also could be sold 
~ without restriction. 
On the other hand, full information was furnished to shippers in 
Texas of the quarantine restrictions in other parts of the country,, 
and they were advised as to what cattle could be safely shipped and 
_~ 
which ones should be held, In this way both the losses from dis- | 
ease and from unexpected quarantine were reduced to a minimum. 
This enormous interstate commerce in-cattle from Texas is still in 
a precarious condition, and should have the careful supervision of 
the National Government to protect it from unjust local restrictions, 
- and to so regulate it that other States will be protected as far as pos-. 
sible from loss by disease. Bey 
The losses which have occurred from Southern fever during the 
past year have been mostly caused by Southern cattle shipped for im- 
mediate slaughter—a class of cattle which are allowed by the animal 
animals were capable of carrying the virus of this disease, and it was: 
es4 
industry law to be shipped for this purpose without other restrictions . 
than that they shall only be unloaded in transit for food and water. 
Such animals are transported in the same cars and placed in the 
same pens in stock-yards that are used for Northern cattle, and the 
result is that many of the latter are infected and die. This loss occurs 
among cattle which-are sold at the stock-yards for feeding purposes, 
and has become so serious that farmers can no longer purchase with 
safety such feeders at the large stock-yards during the sammer and 
early fall months. - 
The transportation and stock-yards companies should set apart 
certain cars and certain lanes and pens to be used exclusively by 
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