MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 287 



could take if they were disposed. The luixtuve which was prepared was as 

 follows: ^0 lbs. finely sifted coal ashes; 4 lbs. common salt; 1 lb. superphos- 

 phate lime. A trough containing this mixture was put into the pen at the 

 cominencemeiit of the second fortnight, and the pigs soon began to lick it 

 with evident relish. From this time the swellings or tumors, as well as the 

 difficulty in breathing, which probably arose from pressure of the former, be- 

 gan to diminish rapidly. Indeed, at the end of the second fortnight the swel- 

 lings were very much reduced, and at the end of the third they had disap- 

 peared entirely." Another caution: The care of the dam when raising her 

 young. Few people have any idea, I venture to say, of the great drain that is 

 made upon the dam at this time. Let us take an example. I weighed a litter 

 of eight pigs at birth ; they weighed 19 lbs., a little short of 2^- lbs. per pig; 

 at the end of the first week they weighed 45 lbs., a gain of 3 lbs per pig ; at 

 the end of the second week they weighed 68 lbs. ; at the end of the fourth 

 week they weiglied 120 lbs. In the four weeks the pigs had gained 100 lbs., 

 all of which had to be drawn from the dam. Now it is evident that at that 

 time she should have the best of care, else she becomes emaciated ; and yet 

 some of our swine raisers often wonder why they have such poor luck with 

 their young pigs. Twenty-five lbs. per week from one animal cannot be ta- 

 ken, except to the detriment of that animal, when it plows an acre of ground 

 for its food and quenches its thirst at some mud-hole. 



But let me say here that during the first six to ten days the animal should 

 be very lightly fed, giving the pigs a chance of becoming capable of using it 

 before a larger flow of milk sets in, otherwise bad results are apt to follow — 

 inflammation, etc. 



In the light of what has just been said, I think that nothing need be said 

 about the deplorable practice of breeding from young, immature stock. It is 

 plainly to be seen that the result must be a loss in constitution and size of the 

 animals of the herd. It also, when followed, fits a herd to be easily victims to 

 the first epidemic that visits the neighborhood. While the c;^re of the female 

 is thus found to be an important thing in profitable swine jaising, the selection 

 of the male I think is fully as important, for on him depends the qualities of 

 the whole future herd — size, growth, constitution and good feeding qualities 

 in a great measure. On this one subject I would like to speak at length ; of 

 the influence of one male on the health, the make up and the profit of the herd. 



DISEASES OF THE HOG. 



That such an animal as the hog should ever become diseased strikes us at 

 once as peculiar. For the hog is endowed by nature with a splendid physical 

 constitution, rugged and hardy, strong lungs, powerful stomach and digestive 

 organs by which to convert his food into fat; strong heads and strong jaws, 

 and strong teeth to aid them in procuring their food. There is nothing in 

 their physical organization by which we can look for an explanation of the 

 prevalence of disease among swine. Yet it is stated that Iowa alone suffers an 

 annual loss of §2,000,000 by disease of swine; and I understand that a few 

 of the hospitable farmers of Climax had less live hogs to take to market than 

 they wished they had. When disease manifests itself in human beings, means 

 are taken at once to find the cause, and if possible remove it. No pains are 

 spared to find out what natural laws of health have been violated ; for nature, 

 in her econumy, has done all things well; she has established laws of health 

 for both man and beast; to follow them insures health, while a violation 



