CONDITION OF THE CATTLE INTERESTS WEST OF THE MISSIS- 

 SIPPI RIVER. 



Hon. NORMAN J. COLMAN, 



Commissioner of Agriculture: 



SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith my report as one of the 

 agents of the U. S. Bureau of Animal Industry for the year ending 

 June 30, 1888. In doing so I would respectfully state that I have 

 been traveling almost constantly during the entire period in the in- 

 terest of the work in which I have been engaged under your instruc- 

 tions. It has been my constant endeavor to do all that was in my 

 power, not only to co-operate with live-stock sanitary authorities to 

 protect Western cattle and other live-stock interests from the intro- 

 duction of contagious diseases, but to assist the officers of live-stock 

 associations in their efforts to secure improved transportation fa- 

 cilities, better prices for beeves, and other matters affecting the ma- 

 terial welfare of the industry. 



It affords me pleasure to state that I have had every assistance 

 furnished me that I could reasonably expect by the officers of the 

 sanitary boards and associations referred to, and while our efforts 

 have not achieved that success in all respects that could have been 

 desired, at the same time the country is to be congratulated upon the 

 fact that the entire West has been kept free from contagious bovine 

 diseases, and there is a prospect that measures will shortly be inaug- 

 urated which will insure cattle-raisers prices for their products based 

 upon the laws of supply and demand. When this is accomplished 

 the business of beef production will again become profitable, and the 

 large investments in this industry will bring satisfactory returns 

 without in any way increasing prices to consumers of meat. 



A report which would embrace in detail all the facts of which I 

 have acquired knowledge would necessarily be too voluminous to in- 

 terest the general public. I have therefore confined my report briefly ; 

 to topics of general interest. 



SPLENIC FEVER. 



A line was established by Dr. D. E. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau 

 of Animal Industry, as marked red on the map facing page 274 of 

 the Report of the Bureau for the year 1885, commencing at the north- 

 east corner of Crittenden County, Ark., and running in a north- 

 westerly course to the northwest corner of that State, extending in 

 the same course in the Indian Territory to a few miles west of the 

 Osage Agency, from which point the line takes a southwest course 

 to the northeastern corner of Wilbarger County, Tex. ; thence ex- 

 tending south along the eastern line of Wilbarger and Baylor Coun- 

 ties; thence west along the south line of Baylor County to the north- 

 east corner of Haskell County; thence south along the east line of 



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