77C liOAKI) (»!•■ ACJincUI/rUKK. 



taken as conlinnatory evidpiice of the bad Influence of a corn diet. In 

 181)7 the statistics showed that the losses were just the reverse from 

 those in lS!»(i, that tiie pigs fed upon corn sulTcred least. This .disproved 

 the conclusion of the previous year. As farmers feed in essentially the 

 same way each year, it would be but rational to expect that the losses 

 would be about the same if the feed was a causative factor. Neither is 

 the sudden cliansjinf? of feed a causative factor, as we have not yet had 

 a single report of an outbreak of cholera at any experiment station as a 

 result of a sudden and radical change of feed. The feeding of green coru 

 or all corn can not be considered a wise health measure. When green 

 corn is ted it should be with the same precautions as in the feeding of 

 cattle— Iteginning gradually with old corn and increasing the quantity 

 as the pig is able to stand it.- This will avoid the diarrhoea and intes- 

 tinal irritation which prepares the way for the cholera germ. Any in- 

 judicious management in any kind of feeding will have the same effect. 

 The Iiog needs a variety of food for strength and health, and those best 

 prepared to furnish it will probably fare best. 



The hog needs shelter; it need not l)e elal)<)rate, something to bri'ak 

 the scor( liing sun or beating storm, to have dry (luarters in which to sleep 

 and a clean floor from which to eat. The strawstack is the poorest shelter 

 that (Mil be jirovided. as it furnishes a place in which to pile u]) and be 

 buried, overheated when lying down and makes a fit victim for cold. The 

 hog does not need much bedding. A tight wooden tloor upon which to 

 feed is rapidly growiiig in favor from economical considerations, and will 

 become equally popular from the health standpoint when its value be- 

 comes better understood. 



Tlu> breed of the hog makes no difference to the cholera germ. The 

 objection made by the farmer that pure-bred hogs are less resistive to 

 disease is not well founded in fact. The razor-back, with digestive 

 pow( rs ('(pial to any task that may be imposed upon them will succumb 

 to the diseases the same as the tinely bred Berkshire or Poland-China. 

 No breed of hogs is immune to the disease, and the advice to cross our 

 better bred swine with the southern hog is ill founded. All the advantage 

 which tliey possess is in the fact that they are not so fat and all the 

 vigor that Avill prevail against the disease can be obtained by using 

 care in tlie handling of the improved breeds. 



Among the agencies wliicli may carry the germs are streams, wind, 

 birds, d )gs. iieople passing from one farm to another, buying liogs from 

 infected herds, shipping hogs in unclean cars, exhibiting at fairs, etc. 

 Some of these means are not within our control, but many of them are, 

 and a proper understanding of them should lead us to prevent thousands 

 of cases. 



Undoubtedly a very important agency in the distribution of the disease 

 are the streams and the surface water supplies. The relationship of the 

 Avater supply to the disease was made the object of investigation for a 



