BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



255 



bered by the oldest inhabitants, but so far back as the memory of man 

 pies the present conditions have prevailed. 



Cumberland County does not appear quite so thoroughly infected. 

 At Trenton Mills and McRea's there is no doubt of the permanent infec- 

 tion, but the southern extremity of the county still seems to be free from 

 it. In the counties along the river it is very plain that the sections 

 immediately adjacent to the river have been longer infected and that 

 the disease here is more generally diffused and more virulent than in 

 the same counties at a greater distance from the water. And accord- 

 ingly as we attempt to investigate the condition of other sections we 

 encounter the difficulty of finding a smaller number of cases and a greater 

 uncertainty in the minds of the inhabitants as to whether the native 

 pastures really hold the infection from year to year, or whether each out- 

 break is the result of a fresh importation. 



In Buckingham County our reports confirm the statements that were 

 made last year. The infection extends up the south bank of the James 

 River to a point slightly beyond the confluence of the James and Slate 

 Rivers. From here the boundary line of the iufected district passes up 

 along the west bank of the Slate to Diana Mills; then the direction is a 

 southeastern one to the vicinity of Gravel Hill, and to McRea's, in Cum- 

 berland County. 



In Amelia and Nottoway Counties it has been impossible to trace any 

 line or even to demonstrate the complete infection of the territory. It 

 is generally admitted that twenty years ago and longer there was a 

 complete infection of this district, but of late years there has been much 

 less disease and it has become possible to bring in cattle from north and 

 west with safety. In these counties there are no fences, and each man 

 must necessarily keep his cattle upon his own pastures ; as a conse- 

 quence there is none of the indiscriminate mixing of cattle which used 

 to occur, and the chances of contagion are greatly lessened. 



While there have been considerable losses in Prince Edward County 

 there is little evidence of permanent infection, except, perhaps, in the 

 extreme eastern part. Most of the cases seem to have been the result 

 of pasturing on commons that had been frequented by animals from 

 Lunenburg County. 



In Lunenburg there is no doubt of permanent infection. It is dan- 

 gerous to bring cattle from west or north into this county, and, on tho 

 other hand, cattle from this county have frequently -spread disease when 

 driven toward the west or north. 



In Charlotte County the boundary of infection becomes plainer and 

 follows very nearly the line of the Richmond and Danville Railroad in 

 its whole course across the county. 



From the point where this railroad crosses the Staunton River to the 

 North Carolina boundary, the line of infection was definitely located in 

 my last years report. The accompanying map delineates the portion 

 of Virginia permanently infected with southern cattle fever as correctly 

 as this could possibly be done. Parts of the line have been retraced 

 three and four times in order to have it satisfactorily located. 



NORTH CAROLINA. 



The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are now looked upon 

 by the people of this State as the practical boundary line of the district 

 permanently infected with southern fever. At some points, as in 

 Wilkes County, the infection has not quite reached the mountains, and 

 at one other point it has crossed the ridge and invaded Henderson 



