1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



321 



THE CATTLE DISEASE. 



No person who nas bestowed any consideration 

 upon this subject Avill wonder at the prominence 

 ■which we have given it in our paper, or think the 

 space unprofitably occupied in which Ave have en- 

 deavored to arouse the community to a sense of 

 the imminent danger that is threatening one of 

 the most important interests of the Common- 

 wealth. In this State, in the year 1855, the num- 

 ber of milch cows (we copy from the Advertise); 

 not having the documents at hand) was 148,569, 

 and of heifers 35,441; valued together at ($4,892,- 

 291) a little short of five millions of dollars. Of 

 oxen there Avere 50,225, and of steers 27,286, val- 

 ued together at (.$0,246,341) more than three mil- 

 lions of dollars ; an aggregate exceeding eight 

 millions altogether. Of these 33,917 milch cows, 

 9444 heifers and 18,561 oxen and steers valued 

 together at $2,022,921, or more than one-quar- 

 ter of the Avhole, wore returned from Worcester 

 County, in the very heart of which is raging a di- 

 ease affecting those animals, as novel in this 

 State, as it is dangerous and destructive. Nor is 

 this all ; 8,116,009 pounds of butter, valued at 

 $1,678,557, and 5,762,776 pounds of cheese, val- 

 ued at $434,250, are returned as the annual pro- 

 duct derivable directly from the useful animals 

 tliat are now threatened Avith extermination by a 

 disease more destructive than any thing that has 

 ever affected neat stock in this country. 



Could the disease be confined to this State alone, 

 it would be bad enough, but it threatens to spread 

 over the whole country. Cases are reported in 

 New Hampshire and Connecticut, Avhich can be 

 traced to exposure from the infected districts, and 

 the proper jn'ccautions arc being taken, avc trust, 

 .in time, to prevent its spread. 



We often hear of its ravages in Europe, but Ave 

 doubt Avhether a tithe of our readers are aAvare of 

 the extent to which it has prevailed there, and 

 tlie enormous expense A\-hich it has entailed upon 

 the Government of Great Britain alone. We copy 

 the folloAving article from the Ncav York Tribune, 

 giving an account of the ravages of the pleuro- 

 pneumonia in England, in 1744, and in Holland, 

 in 1857 : 



"In 1744, a farmer residing at Poplar, in England, 

 imported two calves from Holland, xnidcr circumstan- 

 ces exactly similar to those attending Mr. Clicnery's 

 importation. Starting from this point, sloAvly at tivHt, 

 but more rapidly as more means for its propagation 

 were cffercd, it !^prcad over the length and I'rcadih of 

 the land, destroying hundreds of thou.sands of cattle, 

 and continuing its devastating effects AviJx almost un- 

 mitigated severity doAvn to 17-51-5. Notwithstanding 

 the deep and painful interest Avhich this disease excit- 

 ed, and the efforts made hy the government to stay its 

 ravages, it AA'as ascertained by one of the Commi.^sion- 

 ers appointed to iuA'estigale the matter, that in Not- 

 tinghamshire alone 40,000 head of cattle perished in 

 six months, and in Cheshire npAvard of 10,000 in the 

 same space of time. 

 By a special act of Parliament orders were given : 

 1st, For the kilUug of all the infected animals, and 



burying them entire Avith the skins on, 'slashed from 

 head to tail,' that they might not be used for the pur- 

 poses of the manufacturer. 



2d, For the ))nrning of all the hay and straw used 

 ahout the animals. 



3d, For the cleansing and fumigating of the sheds, 

 etc., and for no sound cattle to be put in them for two 

 months after the removal of the diseased. 



4ih, For no recovered animal to be allowed to go 

 near others for a month after its convalescence. 



5th, For no diseased cattle to be driven to fairs or 

 markets, nor for the llcsh to be used for dogs, etc. 



Cth, For no healthy cattle to be removed from a 

 farm Avhere the disease had prevailed in less than a 

 month af;er its disappearance. 



And, lastly, orders Avere given for the notice of an 

 outbreak to'be immediately sent l>y the farmers to the 

 proper authorities. 



In one year, the third of the existence of the disease, 

 £135,000 Avere paid out of the public treasury as a re- 

 compense for the cattle killed according to the pre- 

 scribed orders. During the year 80,000 head of cattle 

 were killed because more or less infected, and nearly 

 double that numlicr died of the disease. The prompt 

 action of the Government, although it did not eratli- 

 catc the disease, yet much diminished its ravages, and 

 undoubtedly shortened the period of its sojourn iu 

 England. 



In 1857 over 14,000 head of cattle were slaughtered 

 or died, in only forty-three villages in Holland, caus- 

 ing a distress among the peasantry of a lamcntaljlc na- 

 ture. What distress an C(]ual mortality among the 

 neat stock of American farmers, most of them not over 

 rich, Avould occasion, may be imagined. Let pleuro- 

 pneumonia once get to the prairie ciwntry of the West, 

 and SAveep aAvay 20 per cent, of the cattle from w-hich 

 thi^ city is supplied, and Avhat Avould be the effect 

 upon the railroads and cities, that even under existing 

 circumstances can barely hold their own ? We there- 

 fore think it highly necessary that Ohio, Indiana, Illi- 

 nois, and, coming EastAvard, Pennsylvania, New York 

 and NcAv Jersey should take their precautions before 

 they are invaded liy the disease. A competent com- 

 missioner should be chosen by each of these States to 

 go to Massachusetts, iuA'cstigate the disease, and report 

 to their several Legislatures the means of prevention 

 found effectual, that the necessary legislation might at 

 once be taken. 



Once let the malady pass the boundaries of the State, 

 and an irrcti-ievaljlc injury may have been done. It is 

 almost unsafe to purchase a head of stock from Mas- 

 sachusetts, for, hovv'CYcr remote from the infected dis- 

 tinct, they may Iuia'c been diseased by reason of con- 

 tact Avitli some animal exported thence. AVhen the 

 State Commissioners are prepared to announce to the 

 public Avhich towns are and Avhicli are not infected, 

 the butchers in this city, and stock-growers and far- 

 mers throughout the country, Avill at least be able to 

 purchase understandingly. 



As it is noAv, infected cattle from the Connecticut 

 Valley, or other parts of Massachusetts, may be sent 

 to this market, or to Allxuty, there sold to farmers for 

 the yoke, and thus Avhole districts be ravaged by the 

 disease. Not a single hoof should cross the borders ot 

 Connecticut except after being inspected, under the 

 heaviest penahies ; and the sooner this stringent regu- 

 lation is adopted, the better it Avill be for us all." 



At the meeting of the Governor and Council, 

 on Thursday, May 24, it Avas decided that the 

 peculiar circumstances of the prevailing cattle dis- 

 ease Avere such as to render the calling of an ex- 

 tra session of the Legislature expedient. Gov. 

 Banks accordingly issued his proclamation, calling 

 upon the Legislature to assemble at the State 

 House, on Wednesday, May 30, at noon. 



We have noticed fewer cases reported, the past 

 week, but they have generally come from new 

 quarters. Among the neAV cases is one at Pepper- 

 ell, Avhere the coav of Mr. Andrew Wood, Avhich 

 had been purchased in Brookfield, in April last, 



