204 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



ties — then agreed to arrange for a meeting representing not only the largo breeders, 

 but all the cattle owners of the State, to devise ways and means of stamping out the 

 disease and protecting their immense interests from its dread ravages, They ask the 

 press of the State to please take notice of this intention on their part, affecting as it 

 does the price and wholesomeness of beef, and consequently the interest of every in- 

 dividual in the State. A day and place of mooting will be designated later." 

 And also the following editorial : 



"And so it seems, after all denials, that the fearful cattle scourge, pleuro-pneu- 

 monia, has broken out in at least one point in Kentucky — in a herd of Jerseys in the 

 neighborhood of Cynthiana, Harrison County. Speedy measures should be adopted 

 to stamp out the scourge, for otherwise it is impossible to form any idea of the ruin 

 that awaits'one of the largest and most important interests of the State. The peril 

 of the situation is increased by the fact that Kentucky is without a law efficacious in 

 the case. Already the leading breeders are moving in the matter, and no doubt 

 something to the purpose will be accomplished." 



Aud to find that articles of like tenor were in the Lexington papers. Thus, through 

 the whole State, was disseminated the information upon authority of Dr. Trurnbower 

 that our herd was affected with the dread disease, pleuro-pneumonia, creating fear 

 aud consternation everywhere, and jeopardizing the values of all the cattle interests 

 of the State. Immediately we telegraphed Dr. D. E. Salmon, inquiring of him what 

 Dr. Trurnbower had reported as to our herd, and thus learned, for the first time 

 from a Government official that it was reported our herd was infected with pleuro- 

 pneumonia. We cannot conceive what changed Dr. Trumbower's views after leaving 

 here as to our herd having the disease. Wo do not understand why, after his change 

 of view, we were not notified of it, being the parties most deeply interested; why 

 we were not notified by Dr. Salmon that ho had so reported ; why some official an- 

 nouncement of the fact was not made to us and the public, instead of seeking an 

 indirect and, to us, unknown channel to reach the public through the press. We 

 feel that we have been unfairly dealt with and may be wrongfully subjected to very 

 great loss. 



Thanking you for calling our attention to the law, we would say we have hereto- 

 fore been law"-respecting and abiding, and propose to continue so. 



You will readily perceive from our statement as to Dr. Trurnbower that we would 

 be compelled to have more reliable evidence than any statement he could make to 

 believe our herd was diseased. We do not believe that any of our herd is affected 

 with pleuro-pneumonia ; so believing, of course we will not destroy any of them. 

 Very respectfully, your obedient servants, 



FRISBIE & LAKE. 



Hon. E. A. Carman, 



Acting Commissioner of Agriculture. 



The following is the published card alluded to by Messrs. Frisbie & 

 Lake in the foregoing letter: 



NO CATTLE PLAGUE AT CYNTHIANA. 



Editor Farmer's Home Journal: 



A publication having appeared in the Breeder's Gazette and other papers that a 

 certain lot of Jersey cattle had been shipped from M. G. Clarke, Geneva, 111., to Cyn- 

 thiana, Ky., we desire to say that about July 1 we purchased of Mr. Clarke seven reg- 

 istered Jerseys— three cows, one yearling, one last winter's, and two small calves ; and 

 about one month afterward received a letter from him stating that he would like to 

 sell us another lot. The first purchase giving the satisfaction they did, we visited 

 Mr. Clarke and made the second purchase of seven head, making in all fourteen head 

 of registered Jerseys, Mr. Clarke putting in a grade heifer to pay freight from Gen- 

 eva to Chicago, 111. We received the first purchase with Nutrina of Tunlaw (9946), 

 about the 1st of July, and the second about the 10th of August. Not having any in- 

 timation in the least that this stock had been exposed to any contagious disease, and 

 they all being in fine condition, we, of course, turned them in with the balance of onr 

 herd, except the four calves, which were turned in a lot with a few other calves. We 

 can state positively that not a single one of our entire herd of nearly eighty head 

 has ever been sick since the Clarke stock was turned in with them, and we can now 

 say, without fear of contradiction, that no herd of Jerseys in the world are healthier 

 or freer from disease than ours. We had one calf that fell into the pond the day after 

 arrival, and, we think, took cold, and has not done as well as the balance, but with 

 this exception have had no sickness whatever, and can say to the world that our herd 

 is entirely free from any contagious disease whatever, aud stand prepared with our 

 herd, to substantiate this assertion. 



Now for the investigation made by the United States Government on August 30 and 

 September 1. Dr. M. 11. Trurnbower, United States Veterinary Inspector, was or- 

 dered to our place to inspect our herd by Dr. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau of Animal 



