EEPORT OF CATTLE COM:\nSSIONERS. 395 



ANJN^UAL REPORT 



OF THE 



CATTLE COMMISSIONERS 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of 

 Massachusetts. 



The undersigned Cattle Commissioners submit their an- 

 nual report. 



Neat Stock. 

 Though contagious pleuro-pneumonia has caused serious 

 loss to the cattle interests of several of our sister States, it 

 has not made its appearance in any of our herds. In the 

 early fall, no little alarm was created by rumors of an out- 

 break of the disease near Chicago, and great fear expressed 

 lest cattle in transportation to Eastern markets should be- 

 come infected and bring it here. To ascertain the condition 

 of affairs there and our real danger, if any existed, corre- 

 spondence was had with the United States Commissioner of 

 Agriculture and the officers at the West who had charge of 

 the diseased and infected cattle. We learned that all in- 

 fected herds were securely quarantined miles away from the 

 lines and marts of traffic, and that though for want of legal 

 authority and pecuniary means it was next to impossible to 

 " stamp out" the disease at once, yet they were confident it 

 would be controlled, and there was no reason to fear that 

 we should be injured thereby. It has been our endeavor to 

 keep informed in relation to the condition of affairs in that 

 section, so that if our safety required it, we could quarantine 

 all Western cattle as soon as they crossed our State lines. 

 We shall always be in more or less danger so long as this 

 disease exists in any of our border States or along the great 

 lines of cattle transport, however remote, and our interests 



