KEPOET OF THE BUEEAU OF ANIMAL ESTDUSTKY. 307 



Haskell and Jones Counties; thence west along the south line of 

 Jones, Fisher, and Scurry Counties to the northeast line of Howard 

 County, to the southeastern corner of said county; thence in a south- 

 western course to the Kio Grande Kiver at the southeast corner of 

 Presidio County. This line is conceded by all well-informed cattle- 

 raisers to be an absolutely safe one, as indicating that the territory 

 west and north of it is absolutely free from infection. At the same 

 time cattlemen of experience allege that a considerable portion of 

 the territory south and east of said line is as free from infection as 

 the territory west of the line. 



Owing to the large extent of territory embraced in what might be 

 termed the doubtful district, and the meager railway facilities 

 throughout this district, I have been unable to make such thorough 

 investigation of the facts bearing upon the establishment of an ab- 

 solutely correct line as to justify me in giving an opinion as to where 

 the line should finally be established to separate the non-infected 

 from the infected district. I would, however, respectfully submit 

 the following statements from Texas cattlemen bearing on this sub- 

 ject, given to me in response to the following circular issued by you 

 on the subject: 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE, 



BUREAU OP ANIMAL INDUSTRY, 

 Washington, D. C., February 13, 1888. 

 To the owners of Texas cattle : 



My attention has been directed to the fact that the recent settlement of a large 

 portion of .the country over which Texas cattle were formerly driven to northern 

 markets has placed such obstacles in the way of this movement as to cause the 

 larger portion of such cattle to be shipped by rail. The authorities of the various 

 States and Territories having prohibited the unrestricted introduction of cattle 

 shipped wholly or in part by rail on account of the alleged danger from splenic fever, 

 it is important to determine the part of Texas from which cattle can be safely 

 shipped to northern ranges. In order to secure complete and reliable information 

 as to the limits of this district, I hereby request the cattlemen of the following- 

 named counties to send answers to the questions hereto appended, directed to the 

 Agent of the Bureau of Animal Industry, Fort Worth, Tex. : 



Counties of Archer, Bandera, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brown, Burnett, Callahan, 

 Clay, Coleman, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Coryell, Crockett, Diminit, Eastland, 

 Edwards, Erath, Frio, Gillespie, Hamilton, Hays, Hood, Jack, Kendall, Kerr, Kim- 

 ble, Kinney, Lampasas, La Salle, Llano, McCulloch, Mason, Maverick, Medina, Me- 

 nard, Mitchell, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Parker, Runnels, San Saba, Shackelford, Som- 

 mervell, Stevens, Taylor, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde, Wichita, 

 Williamson, Young, Zavalla. 



1. Have you purchased any bulls or other cattle, or do you know of any that 

 have been brought from north of the south line of Kansas, to your vicinity, or to 

 any part of the counties named above ? If so, state the number, the location as 

 near as possible to which they were taken, and the number, if any, which died of 

 acclimation fever. 



2. Do you know of any cases in which cattle from the eastern counties of Texas 

 have been taken to the counties named above in the spring or summer months 

 and allowed to pasture on the same ranges with the cattle native to those counties ? 

 If so, state whether any disease occurred among the native cattle, and give symptoms 

 and number affected, as far as possible. 



If the cattlemen of the counties mentioned unite in securing this information at 

 once, it is hoped that it will be the means of securing such modifications of present 

 restrictions on the movement of cattle that have been transported by rail as will 

 promote commerce in Texas cattle without endangering the health of the native 

 cattle of the North. 



I would ask parties who have heretofore furnished the Bureau with informa- 

 tion on this subject to give such additional statements of facts as may be in their 

 possession. 



Very respectfully, 



NORMAN J. COLMAN, 

 Commissioner of Agriculture. 



