The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-05-30

An drJcle puDuSneQ IN the W asElngtOn
Republican invites special attention to the
great beef interests the country. Figures
derived from official sources showing the
condition, present and prospective, OF the
beef interest of the United States, are as
follows:
Totai number Of oxen and other cattle,
including mich COWS, in the United
Totai Sggregate value s659 iS9
cit viii be SEEM" says the Republican,
Shy the foregoing figures that this interest is
accumulating at a rate that warrants the
opinion that it will soon, with proper public
attention assume proportions that will over
shadow any single interest Of commercial
nature in the world. The annual loss
accruing from diseases among cattle OF all
kinds is above 10 per cent, without referring
to the accidents oil storms such as have re-
Gently produced disastrous results in the
cattle sections of the Southwest. However
careful breeders may be in the care of their
stock, carefully compiled statistics show that
the losses for the past five years (inoluding
the year 1892 have aggregated the sum of
$50, 100000 annually. The ratio of the in
creasing importance of the cattle interest is
perhaps as well demonstrated by the increase
in the number OF dealers in meat stock as by
any means at hand except statistics showing
the amount of production and consumption.
As collateral evidence it may be stated that
the number of dealers has increased from
7,723 in the year 1870 to II, 76S for the year
1882, all of whom devote their entire time to
the business of stock dealing, employing a
large amount of capital, which from the ma
ture Of the traffic must necessarily consist of
ready cash" The purpose of the Agricul-
taral Department is to devise means whereby
the loss of cattle by disease may be reduced
to the lowest possible point, and in view of
the magnitude of the interests at stake it
well becomes the Agricultural Department
of the Government to give the subject
larger share OF attention than is bestowed
upon any other matter within its jurisdic-
ton. The article in the Republican from
which we have quoted says:
DR.. Loring, being scientist and practical agri-
culturist at once saw the importance of protect
ing this great American interest, and accordingly
organized Board OF skilled medical gentlemen in
veterinary medicine to investigate and find out, if
possible, the cause OF these epidemic diseases
which prevail so slarmingly among the cattle Of
the United seates, and recommend such means as
wiz eradicate this tsrriole plague of the bovine
race.
The Board has been at work for several months
past making Investigations Of this class Of diseases
and their labors have been fraught with scientific
success.
There is to be permanently established in Wash
fngton under the direction of the Agricultural De-
Partnent hospital to experiment on the epidemic
diseases OF domesticated animals, which win add
greatly to the interest and efficiency OF this scien
ti6e branch of the Agricultural Bureau.
Hitherto it has been common for the
press of the country to treat the Agricul-
tural Bureau at Washington as a thing of
little consequence, if not deserving of gen.
eraI contempt. But the people are begin
ning to understand that agriculture is of
more importance than the Army or the
Navy, each of which is dignifed as Depart
ment, with Secretary, who has q seat at
the Council Board of the President. Chan
dler's old mud scows and Sherman's Army,
costing from $50 0O0, 900 to SEC, 600, 900 year,
with schools turning out officers by the
score and hundred, most of whom are
drones, purely ornamental, luxuries which
the people are taxed to support, will not
always, it is cheering to believe, be per-
mitted to obscure the great agricultural in.
terests of the country or obtain so much
money from the Treasury as to leave moth
ing, or nearly nothing. for agriculture-an
interest of more importance than all others
ro,absuod