27(5 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



On August 2 Dr. Bickell of Haverhill reported a herd of 

 cattle that the owner feared was infected with mange, but 

 upon investigation the trouble was found to be a bad form 

 of ringAvorm. 



Last April two outbrealis of dysentery -were reported in 

 herds of cattle in Sudbury and in Warren, but investigation 

 showed that these could hardly be looked upon as contagious 

 disease, but due to some local condition in each instance. 



On October 9 a large cattle owner in Lincoln reported 

 finding eleven cows dead that morning in one of his barns ; 

 he feared that either some contagious disease had broken 

 out, or that they had been poisoned by some malicious per- 

 son. An investigation by the Chief of the Cattle Bureau 

 and Dr. Howard P. Rogers was made at once. It was found 

 that the deaths occurred on the side of the barn where the 

 dry cows were kept. There were forty cows on each side 

 of a wide feeding floor. The eleven that died were on one 

 side of the barn, and were scattered about at random, and 

 did not all stand next to each other. These cows were all 

 forward springers, and were among the best in the barn. 

 It was thought that death resulted from acute indigestion, 

 resulting from being fed on millet that Avas frost-bitten and 

 wilted. The fact that the best cows died is accounted for by 

 the fact that the heaviest milkers are as a rule the heaviest 

 feeders. The cows on the other side of the barn were milk- 

 ers, and did not receive any of this millet, and on that side 

 of the aisle there was no trouble. 



The last of July and early in August a number of young 

 cattle died in a pasture in Ludlow, lielonging to different 

 owners, of a disease resembling hsemorrhagic septicfemia. 

 Autopsies were made by the Chief of Cattle Bureau and Dr. 

 B. D. Pierce. 



There has not been any disease among sheep reported the 

 past year. There seem to be in Massachusetts three great 

 obstacles to successful sheep husbandry : one is dogs, another 

 is poor fences, and the third is intestinal parasites. Stricter 

 legislation will remedy the dog evil, more capital invested 

 in sheep farming will obviate poor fences and a l^etter knowl- 

 edge of sheep and their diseases will result in more intelli- 

 gent care and management. 



