4 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



veterinary meetings and learn what might be learned regard- 

 ing the condition of contagious diseases in the country. 

 This year no such special request was made ; but being con- 

 nected with the Cattle Commission, and feeling that it was a 

 more important matter this year than last, we took what 

 means we could to learn the condition of pleuro-pneumonia 

 as it exists at the West, and Dr. Peters spent several days 

 specially investigating the matter. He has prepared a re- 

 port ; but I will not take your time here in reading it, unless 

 it is desired. I would state instead that there is no doubt 

 now in the minds of the delegates that contagious pleuro- 

 pneumonia, the same disease that Massachusetts had experi- 

 ence with some twenty or more years ago, exists in the 

 vicinity of Chicago. Four large distillery stables in the 

 suburbs, where from 2,500 to 3,000 cattle are kept, have 

 the disease badly, and up to within a short time the stock- 

 yards' interest, which means the cattle-trading interest of 

 Chicago, — the name "stock yards" corresponding with 

 Brighton market here in Massachusetts, — up to within a very 

 short time, I say, the people there interested in the business 

 have denied the existence of any contagious disease, have 

 scouted the idea ; and during the past year they have blocked 

 congressional action in the direction of getting a stronger 

 law for the suppression of the disease ; but one of the lead- 

 ing men in the Cattle Growers' meeting read a paper in 

 which he acknowledged that the time had gone by for deny- 

 ing the existence of the disease. He did not say, "We no 

 longer dispute it," but he said, "We do not propose to 

 place our judgment against the combined veterinary skill of 

 the country," and then went on to recommend what should 

 be done to stamp it out. Among other things he recom- 

 mended the abolishment of the Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 and the institution of a Cattle Commission instead, like the 

 Massachusetts Cattle Commission. His paper was not re- 

 ceived with the cordiality that it would have been if he had 

 left that part out relating to the Bureau of Animal Industry. 

 That Bureau has the sympathy of the cattle growers of the 

 country, unquestionably ; but they want a stronger law, and 

 they want the United States to do what the State alone can- 

 not do. 



