348 CONTAGIOUS DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 



Lampasis. — Sheep in this county have suffered severely with scab. Fully fifty per 

 ceut. of these animals have died from the ravages of this disease and of starvation. 

 Horses and cattle seem to have suffered from scab also, which was communicated to 

 tliom by grazing on the same pastures with the diseased sheep. 



McMullcn. — No o])ideniic has jirevuiled here, either among animals or fowls. Dur- 

 ing the winter of 188-i-'83 about 20 per cent, of the sheep died from exposure to in- 

 clement weather, which was unusually severe for this latitude. Horses and cattle 

 are now health}' and in good condition for the coming winter. 



MacUfion. — Some cattle have died of the disease known as murrain. More hogs have 

 died from eating cotton seeds than from actual disease. The greatest loss both to 

 she«^p and cattle has been the Lick of proper shelter. 



Marion. — No wide-spread or epidemic disease has prevailed among any ciass of do- 

 mestic animals in this county the past year. 



Matagorda. — No contagious disease has appeared among our farm animals this year. 

 Flies and the screw-worm have caused the death of a great many sheep. 



Menard. — Horses have been affected with a disease known here as loin distemper. 

 Scab is prevalent among sheep, and has caused some losses. Cattle and hogs are 

 healthy. 



Morris. — The only fatal disease to which our horses are subject is blind or sleepy 

 staggers. But few animals recover from this disease. A few cases of cholera have 

 been reported among hogs. A similar disease is often very destructive to fowls. 



Parker. — Stock of all kinds was never in better condition than at present. The loss 

 on all range stock last winter was estimated at 2 per ceut. 



Folk. — No losses of any consequence among any class of domestic animals in this 

 county. 



Eunnels. — There is no prevailing disease among our farm animals, and the losses are 

 principally caused by starvation. The losses for all classes will not exceed 10 jier 

 cent. 



Busk. — Hog cholera is now prevailing on many farms, and some farmers have lost 

 a large per ceut. of their fattening hogs. They die very suddenly, only refusing to 

 eat a day or so before death occurs. No remedies seem to have any effect. A change 

 of range has been found beneficial. Other farm animals have continued healthy 

 One of my neighbors, having good Bermuda grass pastures, imported from Ohio in 

 the month of October thirty head of high grade Jersej' cattle. The first half of Oc- 

 tober was hotter weather than we had in August. The thermometer ranged from 

 Jiinety to ninety-five degrees daily on the north side of the house. In about a week 

 after the arrival of the cattle some of them began to droop and refuse to eat. They 

 were costive, and it was difficult to get an operation from the bowels with salts and 

 other drenches. One very sick one was drenched with a quart of melted hog's lard, 

 which operated, and the cow recovered and is now doing (luite well. Of the thirty 

 head, eleven died within about a period of twelve days. The remainder are now do- 

 ing well. We attribute the cause of the sickness to the extreme hot weather and the 

 sudden change of climate. Cholera is prevailing among fowls on many farms. 



San Augustine. — No fatal disease has j)rcvailed among any class of our domestic ani- 

 mals during the year. 



Shelby. — We have had no epidemic among our farm animals this year. Some chol- 

 era has prevailed among hogs, and a few deaths have occurred, but the aggregate 

 loss has been light. Chicken cholera has also prevailed. 



Stephens. — No disease exists among farm stock in this county except scab in sheep, 

 and as that disease rarely kills, the loss has not been very heavy. The "norther" 

 struck our sheep just after being ''dipped," and caused the death of a great many. 



Throckmorton. — Heavy losses occurred among sheep in this county in 1882, caused 

 by the animals eating a weed which grows on tlie ranges. Sheep feeding upon it 

 Avould die in a few hours. I myself lost 400 head of high-grade Merinos, worth $5 per 

 head. Three hundred of this number died in two days. Similar losses extended over 



