12 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Skct. 2. The commissioners shall cause all cattle, in the aforesaid 

 herds, not appearing to be affected by the disease, to be appraised before 

 being killed, at what would have been their fair market value if the 

 disease had not existed ; and the value of the cattle thus appraised shall 

 be allowed and paid out of the treasury of the Commonwealth to the 

 owner or owners thereof. 



Skct. 3. Any person who shall knowingly disregard any lawful 

 order or direction of said commissioners, or who shall sell or otherwise 

 dispose of an animal which he knows, or has good reason to suspect has 

 been exposed to the aforesaid disease, shall forfeit a sum not exceeding 

 five hundred dollars. 



Sect. 4. The commissioners shall make a full report to the secretary 

 of the board of agriculture, of their proceedings, and of the result of 

 their observations and inquiries relative to the nature and character of 

 the disease. 



Sect. 5. The commissioners shall duly certify all allo^vances made 

 under the second section of this act, and other expenses incurred by 

 them, or under their direction, in the execution of their service, to the 

 governor and council ; and the governor is hereby authorized to draw 

 his warrant therefor upon the treasury. 



Sect. G. This act shall take effect from its passage, and continue in 

 force for the terra of one year thereafter, and no longer. — \^App7-0ved 

 April 4, 1860. 



From the foregoing statements, it will appear that from the 

 first presentation of the subject to the legislature, to the final 

 passage of the law, was an interval of thirty-five days. This 

 delay, and consequent loss of time, was most unfortunate, and 

 cost the Commonwealth a great part of the entire amount 

 expended under this commission. Had the law, as was hoped, 

 been enacted, within one week after the petitions were pre- 

 sented, the whole work of extirpation might have been fully 

 accomplished, while the herds were in winter quarters. 



On the 6th of April, Paoli Lathrop, of South Hadley ; Rich- 

 ard S. Fay, of Lynn ; and Amasa Walker, of North Brookfield, 

 were appointed Commissioners to carry out the provisions of 

 the law, and entered upon their duties five days after. The 

 circumstances which induced the different towns to move for 

 the enactment of the foregoing law were essentially as follows. 



On the 29th of June, 1859, Mr. Curtis Stoddard, of North 

 Brookfield, bought of Mr. Winthrop W. Chenery, of Belmont, 



