460 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



whence it spread to New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, 

 the District of Columbia and parts of Virginia. At length 

 in 1884 contagious pleuro-pneumonia crossed the Allegha- 

 nies to Ohio, was taken thence to Illinois, and from there to 

 one or two places in Missouri and to Cynthiana, Ky. It 

 was stamped out in these places, but appeared in 1886 in the 

 great distillery stables in Chicago, where it wrought great 

 havoc. Finally, in about 1884 or 1885, Congress appropri- 

 ated $500,000 for its eradication, and passed a bill allowing 

 federal to co-operate with State authorities for its extinc- 

 tion. It was finallv eradicated from the United States, it is 

 hoped never again to obtain a foothold here, but not until 

 the United States government assisted other States to do 

 what Massachusetts was able and willing to do for herself 

 in 1860 to 1866, when the country was also engaged in the 

 great civil war, and the resources of the State were severely 

 taxed to assist in carrying it on. 



In February, 1862, an act was passed providing for the 

 appointment of a new Cattle Commission ; and Dr. E. F. 

 Thayer of Newton, H. L. Sabin of Williamstown and James 

 Ritchie of Roxbury were appointed on the Board. Even in 

 1862 we find in the annual report the statement that, if New 

 York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania would follow the ex- 

 ample of Massachusetts, it would be an effective mode of 

 securing the whole community against this disease, — con- 

 tagious pleuro-pneumonia. 



In 1868 the appearance of Texas fever in Brighton mar- 

 ket, whence it was carried to other points, called forth the 

 efforts of the Cattle Commission again. This year we find 

 still a member, Dr. E. F. Thayer of Newton, who continued 

 on the Board until 1885, and Hon. Levi Stockbridge of 

 Amherst, who served until 1894, and was then reappointed 

 for three years more. Mr. Stockbridge, if he had chosen, 

 might have served continuously for thirty years, but re- 

 signed immediately after his last appointment. 



In 1869 an outbreak of what appears to have been anthrax, 

 in the Avestcrn part of the State, occupied the attention of 

 the Board for a portion of the time. 



In 1870 sporadic pneumonia, anthrax and foot and mouth 



