HIE LUNG TLAGUE OF CATTLE. 75 



CAUSES OF LOSSES IN EXPORT CATTLE. 



The chief causes of loss on export cattle may be briefly summed up 

 in these: 1st. The bulk and nnwieldiness of the beef cattle. 2d. The 

 insubstantiality of the stalls, which, giving way during a storm, allow 

 the cattle to be jammed together, thrown clown, and helplessly maimed 

 until they have to be thrown overboard because of their injuries, or to 

 allow the vessel to right herself. 3d. The crowding of too many cattle 

 in one stall. 4th. The shipping of cattle on the upper deck. 5th. Theim- 

 perfect means of ventilation. Gth. The danger of infection from contam- 

 inated ship or cargo. 



1. THE BULK AND UNWIELDINESS OF THE BEEF CATTLE. 



To every one who has looked into the subject it is notorious that the 

 losses on the fat cattle exported to Europe are greater than upon the 

 breeding cattle imported into the United States. Much of the discrep- 

 ancy depends on the youth and activity of the stock imported for breed- 

 ing purposes. Even in the case of older stock the necessity for main- 

 taining their fertility demands that they should be kept in but fair or 

 moderate condition. These cattle can therefore better maintain their 

 equilibrium under the motions of the ship, and can regain their feet 

 with less difficulty when thrown down. The fat ox, on the other hand, 

 with ponderous body and weak fatty muscles, can maintain his feet with 

 difficulty under the pitching of the ship, and once thrown down, finds 

 it almost impossible to regain them. Then there soon comes to him that 

 obstinate disposition which makes him refuse to try, and he thencefor- 

 ward tosses at the mercy of the storm. Jammed against the limbs of 

 his fellows, he quickly brings them to the deck as well^and^gopn 

 broken limbs, bruises and injuries innumerable, 

 pitiable spectacle. 



2. THE INSUBSTANTIALITY OF 



The dangers above described are enhanced, iii proportion to 

 ber of animals that may be thrown together into 

 cattle are safely fenced oft from each other by stalls of sufficient strength 

 [his danger will be to a great extent obviated. The Cattle Lloyds stipu- 

 late that no more than four head shall be placed together in any one 

 stall, and so far as we have seen, this is now generally adopted, being 

 demanded by the underwriters generally, as a condition of insurance. 

 A still better method, and one which could be adopted with no very 

 great increase of expense, would be to furnish each animal with his own 

 separate stall. If then he were thrown down he could injure no one 

 but himself, and the risk of even this would be incomparably reduced. 



The dame reason that would demand the restriction of a single stall 

 to one or four animals, would demand that these stalls be made so sub- 

 stantial that there would be no risk of their being broken down. With 

 the selection of proper material and employment of competent workmen, 

 there is no difficulty in making the wooden partitions sufficiently strong 

 and safe. 



A method adopted on the steamer Othello of the Wilson Line, es- 

 pecially commended itself to ns. At a point corresponding to each 

 of the four corners of the stall, a wrought-iron post is fixed by a strong 

 hinge to the upper deck, so that its whole length may be fixed up to 

 that deck when it is needful to use the space for another kind of freight. 



