122 



THE ILLINOIS F_A.IIM:ER. 



abundant, and the call for labor is the 

 most urgent, how grateful these things 

 would be, and how around such a home 

 would cluster the aflfections. Shall_,we 

 be wise, and now under the glowing 

 heats of August; resolve that when the 

 proper season arrives that we will lay the 

 foundation of home comforts broad and 

 deep, and that when the banners of sum- 

 mer again wave to the Southwest wind, 

 the small fruits, the leafy shade and the 

 flowers shall dance attendance. 



The Cattle Disease. 



Meeting of the Executive Board ot the 

 State Agricultural Society. 



The Board met at the NicoU's House 

 in Bloomington, on Wednesday, at 9 

 o'clock, A. M. 



Present — Messrs. L. Ellsworth, W. 

 Kile, Wm. H. Yan Epps, C. B Denio, 

 S. B. Chandler, A. Dunlap of Peoria, 

 John Cook, J. W. Bunn, and the Cor- 

 responding Secretary, J. P. Reynolds. 



The President, Mr. Ellsworth, stated 

 the object of the meeting to be to de- 

 vise measures to prevent the introduc- 

 tion and spread of the cattle disease 

 (pleuro pneumonia) among us. He re- 

 garded such an event as the greatest 

 calamity that could be introduced 

 amongst us, and recommended that a 

 commissioner be appointed to go east 

 and examine into the nature of the di- 

 sease and its remedies. 



Mr. Reynolds, the Secretary, read 

 several communications from various ag- 

 ricultural societies, expressive of their 

 desire that active measures be taken in 

 the premises. He had conferred also 

 with Mr. Tilton, President of the Great 

 Western Railroad, who expressed his 

 willingness to put so high a tariff on 

 western bound cattle as to amount to an 

 absolute prohibition. Gov. Wood has 

 expressed his desire to adopt any mea- 

 sures the State Agricultural Board may 

 advise, consistent with his duty. 



Dr. McFarland of Jacksonville, Prin- 

 cipal of the Institute for the Insane, is 

 now east investigating the disease, and 

 was expected to report on the subject at 

 this time, but had not returned. 



Dr. Xile moved that no cattle be^ad- 

 mitted into the State east of Ohio and 

 Michigan. 



Capt. Brown agreed with gentlemen 

 in the importance jj of preventing its 

 spread. Referred to the fear that was 

 entertained of it in England when he was 

 there purchasing stock for the Illinois 

 Importing Association. So severe and 

 rigid were the police regulations then 

 througliout the British Isles that it was I 

 impossiblc^^to bring an animal from the ' 



Continent of Europe, and that when a 

 breeding animal was transported by rail 

 or steamer, that animal was placed in a 

 close box provided expressly for the 

 purpose, and that when the box was va- 

 cated it was thoroughly cleansed. He 

 understood that a fine Devon herd had 

 lately been brought from Massachusetts 

 to Southern Illinois, and did not know 

 but the disease might already be among 

 us. He felt that the State was only se- 

 cure through the adoption of the most 

 rigid sanitary measures. 



Col. B. moved that all stock that had 

 within the past twelve months been East 

 or North of Michigan or Ohio be ex- 

 cluded from the ensuing State Fair; and 

 that each county Society be recommen- 

 ded to adopt similar measures. Other 

 members of the Board participated in 

 the discussion expressing similar views. 



Mr. Chase stated that he had within 

 a few days been in the region of the in- 

 fected district; that the disease was as 

 infectious as the small pox, and infinite- 

 ly more diflScult to manage. In fact it 

 appeared there was no certain cure. — 

 He hoped the Board would deem it ex- 

 pedient to recommend the Governor to 

 adopt stringent measures to prevent the 

 introduction of cattle into the State 

 from the East, and a committee was ap- 

 pointed to draft resolutions expressive 

 of the sense of the Board, those chosen 

 being Messrs. Brown, Kile, Reynolds, 

 Yan Epps, Denio, Dunlap, and Chan- 

 dler. 



In the evening the committee made 

 their report which was passed as follows : 



Whereas, The Executive Committee, 

 after careful examination of the facts, 

 and all accessible evidence, are assured 

 that the disease now prevailing among 

 cattle in the Eastern portion of the 

 United States and Canada, known as 

 pleuro-pneumonia is highly contagious 

 as well as fatal in its character : 



And Wheheas, We are futher satis- 

 fied that the most prompt, decisive, and 

 stringent measures are required to pre- 

 vent the introduction of said disease in- 

 to herds of this State and the West; 

 therefore. 



Hesolvedj That no cattle which have 

 been East or Korth of this State and 

 Kentucky since the 1st day of April, 

 1859, be admitted under any pretext to 

 our Fair Grounds during our next State 

 Fair to be held at Jacksonville. 



Eesolved, That all the County Agri- 

 cultural Societies of this State be stren- 

 uously urged to adopt for their coming 

 exhibitions a rule similar to the above, 

 and take such other action as they may 

 deem required to protect the herds in 

 their respective communities from any 

 danger of infection. 



liesolved. That we recommend to the 

 management of the various railroads, 

 and the proprietors of canal and steam- 



boats of the West, to prohibit, in such 

 manner as they may think best calcu- 

 lated to efi'ect the object, the transpor- 

 tation from east to west, of all cattle 

 from east and north of Indiana. Such 

 regulations to continue until the disap- 

 pearance of the disease from the Eastern 

 States. 



Resolved, That we cordially approve 

 the course of Gov. Wood in promptly 

 issuing his recent proclamation, and th«t 

 we further feel assured of the active and 

 hearty co-operation of the Governor and 

 other State authorities of this State, 

 should an emergency arise requiring 

 further Legislative or Executive action. 



Resolved, That the Corresponding 

 Secretary be directed to forward copies 

 of these proceedings to the Secretaries 

 of the County Agricultural Societies of 

 this State, to the Secretaries ot all the 

 Agricultural Societies in the Union, to 

 the Secretaries of State of the Western 

 State, and to the management of the 

 various Railroad Companies and other 

 lines of transportation throughout the 

 West. And that especially on the Rail- 

 road lines there be an entire change of 

 cars transporting cattle from West to 

 East at and return from certain fixed 

 points on their respective routes, to- 

 gether with such other sanitary measures 

 as may seem proper. 



Resolved, j?hat Lewis Ellsworth, Pre- 

 sident of this Society, be desired to act 

 as a Committee to cftrespond and con- 

 fer with the management of the various 

 railroads and other lines of transporta- 

 tion throughout the West, and urge upon 

 them the importance of carrying into 

 effect the recommendations of the fore- 

 going resolutions. 



Resolved, That James N. Brown be 

 appointed a Commissioner, with full dis- 

 cretion to take such steps as he may 

 deem necessary to investigate the char- 

 acter of the disease known as pleuro- 

 pneumonia, prevailing among cattle in 

 various portions of the Eastern States 

 and Canada; that he be requested to ob- 

 serve with great vigilance the progress 

 of the disease, and that he recommend 

 from time to time to this Committee, 

 through the Corresponding Secretary, 

 such action as in his judgment may be 

 required. 



President Ellsworth will proceed at 

 once to consult with the several railroads 

 running East, and we doubt not they 

 will most heartily concur in the absolute 

 necessity, to refuse to bring any cattle 

 AVest, and that in all cases the change 

 of cars at some points in Ohio, or at 

 Detroit, will be attended to at once. — 

 We think nothing will be left undone 

 that a proper precaution could suggest 

 to carry out the views of Gov. Wood 

 and the State Society. A blow at our 



.U*i(tiSi-'«.. 





/viC.- 



