12 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



disease encysted or covered over for a time. In August Mr. 

 Eaton sold eight cows to Mr. John Holbrook, of Randolph, two 

 of them at the low price of five dollars each. Finding it diffi- 

 ciilt to get these two home Mr. H. bargained with an Irishman 

 to take two weary cattle oy the road for the sum of ten dollars. 

 The cash not being on hand, the verbal promise to pay was 

 taken, but as one cow was nearly dead when the purchaser 

 found her and as the other died shortly after the purchase, 

 only fifty cents were realized out of this shrewd bargain. The 

 other six cows, after remaining a few days in a field with a 

 cow and calf previously belonging to Mr. Holbrook, were sold 

 to Mr. Loring Tirrell, of Weymouth, for a sum less than that 

 paid Eaton by Holbrook for them. Before reaching home Mr. 

 Tirrell found that two of the cows were sick, and on his arrival 

 he tied the two up in a barn with a cow he had kept for about 

 a year to supply his family with milk. The three were after- 

 wards turned out to pasture together where they all died. 

 Three of the remainder were killed for beef and the remaining 

 one was sold. The latter was traced out, bought and killed 

 and found not diseased. This ended, — through the mere 

 circumstance that this cow sold had not become infected, — the 

 progress of the disease in that direction. 



The cow which Mr. Holbrook had at the time the six before 

 mentioned were in his pasture and which was never suspected 

 imtil killed of being diseased, was sold to 0. C. Barnes, of 

 Squantum, who at that time had a milk herd of thirteen cows. 

 Three of these were soon after sold for beef. In November 

 one of his cows was taken sick and died. About the first of 

 December another was taken away by Philbrook, the butcher, 

 who saw the lungs of the one that died. Mr. Philbrook had at 

 that time in his barn thirty or more milch cows. Tlie cow 

 from Barnes', while on its way to the slaughter-house, accident- 

 ally went into the barn among these cows. When killed the 

 lungs of this cow were found so diseased that the carcass was 

 sent to Ward's factory. In a short time thereafter several of 

 Mr. Philbrook's cows became sick. He killed nearly all of them 

 and such as were healthy went for beef. Eight, however, of 

 the carcasses could not be used and were sent to Ward's. 

 Seven of 0. C. Barnes' herd ])roved to be diseased. From this 

 point the disease was carried in the various directions indi- 



