Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-03-04
pLnoRo.pxnUnroNrA.
The Disease Breaks Out ON a Sussex
County Farm-The Assessment OF
Value of Dead Cattle.

NafVc OH Dchu Ottthhts
The attention of State Veterinarian
Ward b. Rowland has been demanded
down the State for about three weeks
past. II was for the purpose of checking
what promised to become another cpl
demic of pleuro.pneumonia The disease
appeared about the LIST of February in
Sussex county, two miles from Harring-
ton. IL was on the farm of John Booth,
ST.. On the 10th Of February DIR. Row.
land was called to the farm and found
four dead cattle lying in the woods and
three more Of Mr.. Booths herd sick.
Remedial and preventive measures were
at once taken, the result Of which is that
the three sick cattle are now convalescent,
while the remainder of the herd have
been saved from taking the di-
sense. DIR. Rowland has made three
or four trips down to Sussex
since the appearance of the disease and
has prevented any further outbreak. The
Booth herd has been placed in strict quar-
antine, so that there is no danger of other
cattle in the neighborhood taking the dis
ease from them. The quarantine will not
be raised before next July. There are 10
head of cattle on the place. The source
of the disease is very uncertain, but it is
supposed to have come from some Mary
land cattle. Mr.. Booths farm is near the
Maryland border.
All the herds about here, or in New
Castle county, which were attacked by
the disease about year ago, with the ex-
ception Of one, have been released from
quarantine. Eleven have been released,
altogether. 1t is pretty safe to say that
the disease is almost entirely eradicated
from the State, although we are constantly
menaced by cattle from Baltimore and
Pennsylvania. II is understood that
in the latter state, however, cattle have
been strictly watched, and nearly all the
diseased ones exterminated.
The law providing for the assessment
of the value of cattle after death is com
planned against by many farmers and
dairymen in this county. Previous to
the last session of the Legislature the
matter was left to the discretion of the
governor, who limited the extent to which
an assessment could go TO 800. At the
last session the limit was reduced to $50.
Under the former rule no complaints
were made from any quarter, but under
the present law many protests are heard
in this county.
A gentleman familiar with the cattle
interest of the state has stated the situa-
ton as follows The farmers and dairy
men of this county have as a rule fine
grade of cattle, rendered the more desir-
able by their proximity to the markets.
In Kent and Sussex the general run of
cattle is of the most common breeds.
The value of the two kinds of live stock
differs greatly. The average of the
relative value of cattle in this county
compared with that of the lower counties
would be greater than two to one.
But when it comes to assessing the
value of dead COW or steer, the New
Castle dairymau or farmer can get, per-
haps, two-thirds the amount of his loss,
while the Kent or Sussex farmer can get
full value, and very frequently more
than the animal was worth. Thus you
see that the law operates to give fair
price for an average COW that dies in
Kent and Sussex, while it gives not more
than two-thirds ola fair price for ouraver-
age dairy cows in this county. The law
therefore works an injustice to the owners
of high grade cattle, and it would seem
but right that the limit should be re-
turned 10 the old point where high-grade
cattle are concerned