Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1891-01-08
LIVE STOCK INDUSTRY.
Points From the State Veterinary Surgeons
Annual Report
Black Leg, Big Jaw, Loco and Chambers
Cause Some Losses Among Cattle
and Horses.
Helena Independent

ecutlve once yesterday, state Neter-
mary Surgeon Holloway gives some
Interesting information concerning the
live stock interests of Montana. Since
his last report a proclamation was
issued by the governor removing the
quarantine against all eastern states
except New York and New Jersey, and
Mr.. Holloway recommends that it be
removed from the last mentioned
states, there being no grounds upon
which to maintain it longer.
The inspection of southern cattle
was this year made at Cheyenne, Wyo.,
which did not meet with the approval
c. some shippers. On this subject Mr..
Holloway explains some facts which
he Gays do not appear to be properly
understood. Personally, he says, he
was not in favor of making Cheyenne
an inspecting station, but thegovernor
of Wyoming had issued a proclama-
ton ordering all southern cattle eenter-
ing Wyoming to unload at Cheyenne
for inspection. Cattle destined 70.
Montana would be shipped at Wen
dover and driven thence to the Mon
tana line, and would not be subject to
the sanitary regulations of Wyoming
rs long as they were in that state.
Under these circumstances, and as a
satisfactory inspection could not be
made at the Montana line, Mr.. Hollo-
way put an inspector at Cheyenne
with the consent of the Wyoming au-
thorities.
At the meeting of the state veteri-
nary surgeons lately held in Helena, it
was decided to inspect all southern
cattle en- route to Colorado, Wyoming
or Montana the coming season at the
point of unloading. In carrying this
out the Union Pacific Railroad COM
pany has promised it's hearty coop
Grafton as fat as it can be made prac-
ticable.
Compared with 1850 there has been
a considerable falling off in the enumber
of southern cattle brought into the
state the past year. Sixty-three thou
sand and thirty-seven head of south
ern cattle were brought to Montana.
Mr.. Holloway states with much
pleasure that there has not been even
suspicion of splenic fever during the
year. notwithstanding the removal
southern states there has been a great
falling off in the cattle brought from
the east as compared with last year.
The inspection OF eastern cattle was
this year made at Minnesota Trans
for, -shercby the Montana inspector
could look after shipments coming
over the Northern Pacific and Great
Northern railroads. This arrange
ment was appreciated both by the
shippers and the railroads, and was
entirely satisfactory. The deputy
veterinary surgeon stationed at that
point during the shipping season in
spected 3, 4SO head, which were all in
small shipments and largely of the
emigrant class, divided as follows:
For Montana points, 2,1S5 head OF
cattle, $50 head OF horses, 212 mules;
for points west of Montana, 300 head
of cattle, 3S1 head of horses and 63
mules.
The extreme shortness of feed caused
the stock-growers to ship very closely
this season. One hundred and eight
thousand head of beef cattle were
shipped east, which is the largest
number shipped for some years, if not
the largest number that has ever been
shipped in any one year.
The general health OF cattle is excel
lent. During the year Mr.. Holloway
has not seen, with the exception of a
few cases of big jaw, q single bovine
suffering from contagious disease.
He has heard of two or three out
breaks of blackleg, and the losses
under these circumstances were very
slight, in fact scarcely worth mention.
| In Choteau county he found a number
of cattle dead and dying from a form
of indigestion commonly known as
"dry murrain." This was due entirely
to the quality of the hay upon which
they were fed, being made OF old
grasses.
Pursuant to instructions to destroy
cattle suffering from big jaw, Mr.. Hol-
loway says his efforts have not met
with success for two reasons. In the
4 pldCG Dik Jaw 10 uOt iOOhCu uPOD
with any particular degree of fear, and
people are slow to report cases. Sec
ondly, and what 10 much more I'M
portant reason, there is always some
local butcher ready to buy the animal
if it is in fair condition. On this sub
ject he says: 81 am fully convinced
that meat totally unfit for human
consumption is being sold daily in the
state. 1t is an absurd proposition
that in q state which produces sc
much good best, consumers should be
in danger of buying portions of al
J animal which, if shipped to eastern
markets, would be Immediately con
signed to the rendering tank" Hs
calls the attention of the variou:
boards of health throughout the state
to this practice.
Horses during the year have beer
particularly healthy, the greatest
losses having been from loco, and Mr.
Holloway is of the opinion that suci
will be the case for many years. Th'
weed appears to be spreading rapidly
, and in the absence OF grass it is no
! clear how the horses are to be pre-
vented from eating the wrong. Keep
ing horses away from the weed ant
a liberal diet of grain in suggested, will
, be all that is necessary in the earl,
stages of the habit.
: One hundred and twenty-nine CLAN
9 dered horses have been killed in tn
state during the year, an increase @
forty-two over the number killed il
1889.
There was in the stock indemnit
fund on December 81, 1889, So, 1885
and the receipts for 1890 were 81
: 1s9.4O. The payment of salaries an