254 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



of bulls being brought from North or West and continuing to thrive in 

 their new home. According to all the information attainable, then, 

 there is no permanent infection north of the Rappahannock River. 



Coming south of .this river, we hud that cattle brought from Glouces- 

 ter and Matthews Counties to sections of the State farther north and 

 west infect pastures and thus destroy native animals. The facts ob- 

 tained indicate that Middlesex County has become entirely infected, 

 but we were unable to obtain evidence of any permanent infection in 

 Essex County. In King and Queen County the infection has reached 

 the pastures in the vicinity of King and Queen Court House within the 

 last four or five years, and it now survives there through the winter. 

 Ten miles north of this cattle are susceptible to the disease and suffer 

 when on the same pastures with others from south or east of that lo- 

 cality. While therefore the southeastern part of this county is cer- 

 tainly infected the greater part is still free. The same phenomena in 

 regard to the extension of the disease that has been noticed in other 

 parts of the South were also apparent here. The effects of the disease 

 had been apparent for twenty years south and east of the court- 

 house, but the pastures here had not become infected until about five 

 years ago, and since then cattle have been frequently lost. In Caroline 

 County there was an outbreak of disease in 1881 caused by cattle from 

 Gloucester County. 



In King William County we find the infection permanently located 

 on the Pamunkey Eiver 8 or 10 miles above the ISTew Kent County line, 

 where it seems to have been for the past twenty years. 



In Hanover County the permanent infection has been at Hanover 

 Court House and Ashland for a considerable uum ber of years. It is well 

 known to the inhabitants that cattle brought from north or west of 

 these places are nearly certain to die either the first or second summer 

 after their arrival. The infection has extended but little beyond these 

 two points. 



Henrico appears to be entirely overrun with the infection. All the 

 cattle sold from this and the surrounding counties go to Richmond either 

 to be killed for beef or to be shipped by boat to other markets, and con- 

 sequently there is little opportunity to collect instances of disease caused 

 by cattle carried from here to uninfected localities. On the other hand it 

 is admitted pretty generally by those who handle cattle that it is very 

 dangerous if not absolutely fatal to bring these from the elevated sec- 

 tions of the State to any part of this county. 



In Goochland County there have been very few cases of disease for a 

 longtime, but the southeastern extremity of the county is recognized 

 to be dangerous to northern cattle. Farms on the James Eiver three 

 or four miles above Goochland Court House lose a few animals from 

 year to year with southern fever. There is, however, little opportunity 

 for the disease to occur, since the traffic in cattle is not extensive. Ani- 

 mals are not brought from north or west because of their liability to be- 

 come affected, and they are not brought from the South because this is 

 believed to be dangerous to the natives. 



Powhatan County is undoubtedly infected, and has been in this con- 

 dition for many years. It is reported by all the farmers along the James 

 River to bb absolutely fatal to cattle to be brought from north of the 

 river to the south side. They suffer to the same extent when simply 

 carried from the north to the south bank as when the distance is greater. 

 Cattle from this county have long been considered dangerous to the 

 native stock with which they came in contact when being driven to lo- 

 calities farther north. The introduction of this disease is not remem- 



