LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, 



Washington, D. C., May 14, 1892. 



SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith a report upon the diseases 

 of cattle, to which has been added a section upon cattle-feeding, the 

 whole forming the second volume of the series of reports upon the dis- 

 eases of the domesticated animals. The large demand for and the great 

 popularity of the report on the diseases of the horse has been an addi- 

 tional reason for adhering as closely as possible to the plan adopted in 

 the preparation of that volume. In preparing the illustrations for the 

 report on diseases of cattle an effort has been made to supplement, as 

 far as possible, the illustrations which appeared in the report on the 

 diseases of the horse, so that the two series would together cover the 

 lit- Id of veterinary surgery, which it is important to present to the 

 n-ailer in a graphic manner. On account of the importance of the ali- 

 nifiit.it ion as a factor in the maintenance of health and cure of disease, 

 as well as in the profitable management of cattle, a section has been 

 added on cattle-feeding, which has been written both from a practical 

 ;ui(l scientific point of view. This may justly be regarded as the clear- 

 <--t and most succinct presentation of this subject which has ever been 

 published, while it is probably the only article of the kind in which the 

 results of the latest scientific researches have been incorporated. 1 



The writer has seen no reason to change his views, presented in the 

 N-tter of transmittal accompanying the report on the diseases of the 

 horse, as to the value of such publications to the farmers of the coun- 

 try. On the contrary, many letters have been received testifying that 

 the writers had saved valuable animals by following the advice given 

 in that report. In most of these cases it has been stated that no vet- 

 erinarian was accessible, and that except for the report the animals 

 would have been without intelligent treatment. In so large a country 

 as ours there must for years to come be many sections in which no 

 skilled veterinarian is located, and, consequently, there must continue 

 to be many demands from stock-owners for information of this kind. 



It is well, however, to remind the reader who has not made a special 

 study of this subject that it would bo absurd for him to conclude that 

 even with the best of books he can treat his animals as well as they 



