BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



247 



on bis fine meadows, on Petty 's Island, made by banking out the Delaware; to bo 



occasionally effected with a black spear, about one-fourth or ball* an inch in Length, 

 somewhat resembling the ergot in tyo, and that cattle eating such bay became affected 

 with a disease iu t heir boot's, causing them sometimes to drop off. lie ascribed tbe 

 morbid production iu tbe grass to neglect in supplying it with water from the river, 

 by means of sluices, during the dry season. Upon my mentioning tbe tacts soon tffter 

 to the late William Bosh, of Philadelphia, an extensive grazier, be confirmed them 

 from bis own observations at Blooming Grove, near Gray's Court, in tbe State of New- 

 York, in tbe winter succeeding tbe very dry summer of tbe year 1796. Tbe bay was 

 tin; produce of a bog meadow ; it is presumed, therefore, that it was made from the 

 same natural grass that grew in the meadows of Joseph Cooper. 



Some years after, Mr. W. T. Woodman, of Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, 

 Pennsylvania, communicated to me an account, in the following letter, of a similar 

 disease, and from a like cause, among bis father's cattle: 



" Having observed the remark in the Port Folio for May, 1615, in the review of the 

 third volume of the Memoirs of tbe Philadelphia Agricultural Society, that, * as yet, 

 in America we have never heard of any human person falling a victim to tbe ergot , 

 nor indeed is it satisfactorily ascertained that it has ever been injurious to our ani- 

 mals, I tbiuk proper to communicate to you an account of a disease which in 1802 

 or 1803 prevailed in this neighborhood among milk cows particularly, but which 

 also affected other cattle and horses. You will perceive that it was analogous to tbe 

 one supposed to be occasioned by ergot. 



" For my part I am entirely ignorant of the cause, but still I am unwilling to as- 

 cribe it to ergot (witb which rye in tbis neighborhood is more or Jess affec.ted every 

 year), for this reason, that milk cows, which are never fed witb rye by our farmers 

 or butter-makers, exhibited more violent symptoms than oxen or horses. 



"The farmers attributed the disease to a peculiar mildew, which sometimes affects 

 the grass on the bottom meadows of a small stream, the basin of which is very exten- 

 sive, and very luxuriant, and entirely appropriated to meadow land, and suffered to 

 lie under natural grass. No timothy or other grass seeds have ever been sown on it, 

 to my knowledge. 



"The cattle affected did not appear to lose their appetite, and while they ate heart- 

 ily of bay and other food became daily more and more lean, manifesting great un- 

 easiness, occasioned most probably by violent itching. Their hair in many places fell 

 off, or was rubbed off by tbe animal in striving to scratch itself. After these Symp- 

 toms had continued for some time, one or both hind feet became sore and the hoofs 

 loose, at which period the animals began to grow better. Others lost their hoofs and 

 part of their legs. Three of my father's cows lost both of their hind feet, and some 

 others in the neighborhood were equally as bad. The legs began by drying and grow- 

 ing smaller from the hoof to half way between the fetlock and the bock, at which 

 point it appeared as if a string of twine were tied very tight round tbe leg. Above 

 this part the flesh was to all appearance in perfect health ; the lower part was bard, 

 black, and offensive. When the lower part became quite dry, and little else than 

 bone, it separated and fell off, after which the animals lived and ate heartily, hob- 

 bling along on tbe remaining stumps. They even began to grow fat. Their health 

 seemed perfect. They would, no doubt, have lived long in this state, and were killed 

 only from motives of compassion. 



"One cow belonging to my father, which had lost only one of her hind feet, and that 

 at the first joint above the foot, bore a very strong, vigorous calf, which lived and 

 did well. The cow also afforded as much milk after as before her misfortune, and was 

 pastured on the same grass to which her disease was attributed when in a state of 

 hay. 



"I think the disease was never known but one season. The first symptom of it was 

 observable in February, and it reached its crisis about the middle of May. Should 

 tbis communication lead to any further observations on the nature and cause of the 

 disease I shall be much pleased, and they may be of great service to the agriculturist. 

 Should tbe disease ever again make its appearance I shall be more particular in my 

 observations. 



"I remaiu, very respectfully, 



"WM. T. WOODMAN. 



" P. S. — It should be observed, that though we have every year more or less of the 

 ergot, the quantity of it is never considerable. I think there is seldom more than one 

 pint to a hundred bushels of rye. 



" Different remedies were tried, but none of them afforded any relief." 



"Being desirious to acertain whether the disease of the grass to which Mr. W. re- 

 ferred had grown in meadows that had been deprived of their usual supply of water, 

 I addressed a letter to him in reference to this point, and received the following an- 

 swer, under date of June 10, 1815 : 



"Your favor of the 30th ultimo came to hand the 4th instant. Since the receipt of it I 

 have made numerous inquiries, for the purpose of obtaining additional information 



