88 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



with or after the southern cattle. It is proved that the animals may simply pass leisurely 

 over a road or prairie, feeding as they move along, and, without remaining for any length 

 of time on any portion of the ground they traverse, leave behind them sufficient poison 

 to destroy all or nearly all the cattle which continue to feed upon it. In such cases the 

 disease usually takes more than a month to attain its full development. There are 

 instances on record which seem to indicate that the incubative stage may be shorter, and 

 we have met with others where it was reported that the disease appeared in a week from 

 the date of importation of Texan stock; but, as a rule in such reports, the whole facts 

 are not before us, and it is not safe to draw any conclusions from exceptional cases. 

 For instance, in the Monthly Report of the Department of Agriculture for April, 1867, it 

 is reported from Osage County, Kansas, that about the 1st of August, 1866, the disease 

 made its appearance at Burlingame: 



The first case that occurred was that of an ox which belonged to a logging team of Hcven yoke. This ox, on account 

 of his breachy propensities, was kept at night in a stable and watered from a well of pure water. When not at work 

 in the day time he was staked out to grass, with a long rope. About two weeks before he was attacked with the 

 disease a herd of Texas cattle came along, and were stopped and fed around him for an hour or more. Soon after, the 

 rest of this team were attacked, and all died but one, which escaped the disease. 



The reporter from Bates County, Missouri, says: &quot;The disease is never seen until ten 

 days to two weeks after the Texas cattle have passed through the country.&quot; 



Txan cattle began to arrive at Cairo on the 23d of April, 1868, and the first case 

 concerning which we could get reliable reports occurred on the 1st of June. At Tolono 

 the largest body of Texan cattle arrived toward the end of May, and the disease broke 

 out on the 27th of July. One gentleman of Tolono gave accommodations one night to 

 three hundred Texan steers, on the 25th of June, and the disease appeared among his 

 stock on the 28th of July. At Farina two hundred and fifty Texan cattle were placed 

 with fifty Illinois steers on the 10th of May, and the disease appeared among the latter 

 on or about the 15th of July. Near Sodorus, a farmer had his cattle grazing on the 

 prairie over which Texan cattle passed on the 1st of June, and his stock commenced 

 dying on the 28th of July. In Champaign County, Texan cattle were placed on the prairie 

 on the 15th of June, and the indigenous stock began to die on the 3d of August, twenty 

 out of thirty-eight head dying in four days, that is to say, by August 7th, the date of my 

 inspection. 



Our experience agrees with the cases recorded, where dates are given with some 

 care. Thus, in the Agricultural Report for 1867, the reporter from Oldham County. 

 Kentucky, says: 



The 24th day of June, 1800, there were driven on my farm, to stay one night, about fifty head of Texas cattle. 

 Some forty days after they left, about the Itith of August, the disease broke out among my milch cows and heifers 

 and work cattle. 



Tims we see that thirty to forty days usually elapse between the placing of Texan stock 

 on a pasture and the manifestation of disease to the stock owners of the neighborhood. 



The first indication which attracts special attention is usually the death of a cow or 

 steer. It is evident that this very imperfectly defines the length of the incubative stage, 

 as in all probability the native stock is not instantly poisoned, and then the disease is active 

 some days before symptoms, such as an ordinary farmer may detect, or deaths occur. 

 It is probable, however, that eighteen to twenty-five days are usually required for the poi 

 son to exert any marked influence on an animal s health, and then the second stage occurs. 



