326 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Bureau of Animal Industry Order, No. 116. 



Special Order, Opening Port of Boston to ^Exportation of 



Animals. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 

 Office of the Secretary, 



Washington, D. C, July 20, 1903. 



It is ordered, That the order of ISov. 27, 1902 (Bureau of Ani- 

 mal iDclustry Order, No. 100), prohibiting the exportation of 

 cattle, sheep and other ruminants and swine from the port of 

 Boston, on account of the existence of foot and mouth disease in 

 the State of Massachusetts, be, and the same is hereby, revoked, 

 and said animals may be allowed exportation from said port from 

 and after this date. 



Any other prior order or part of order inconsistent with this is 



modified in accordance herewith. 



James Wilson, 



Secretary. 



It was not, however, until nearly the end of September 

 that the British government would allow any shipments of 

 cattle or sheep to be landed in England. While a few ship- 

 ments were made to Antwerp previous to this time, the port 

 of Boston was practically closed to shipments of live animals 

 to foreign ports for about ten months. As this business is 

 worth at least $25,000 per week to the railroad companies 

 having terminals in Boston, and as much more to the steam- 

 ship companies which own vessels sailing from this port, it 

 can readily be seen that the outbreak of foot and mouth dis- 

 ease cost the commerce of Boston about $2,000,000, — by far 

 the largest individual item of the whole outbreak.* 



While the stamping-out method is a very radical one in 

 dealing with such a disorder as foot and mouth disease, yet 

 under the circumstances it seems to have been the best, and 

 the results obtained fully justify the means. 



The last and only outbi"eak of foot and mouth disease in 

 Massachusetts, previous to the one of 1902 and 1903, oc- 

 curred in the fall and Avinter of 1870 and 1871. It was much 



* The estimate given in the report of the Chief of the Cattle Bureau, that 

 the loss of husiness cost the port of Boston S100,(X)0 per day, upon careful inquiry- 

 proves to have been a great exaggeration ; a loss of $2,000,000, however, is a 

 sufficiently large sum to show the gravity of the situation. 



