No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 603 



up my mind that I know as little regarding this disease as when I 

 commenced and have tried all the sure cures without any success. 

 We have found the very best thing to do when disease breaks out is 

 to separate the well ones and remove them to fresh pasture wher,? 

 they cannot come in contact with any that are ailing, and take off 

 the feed. The less sick or exposed pigs are fed the better. We havi? 

 had three outbreaks during our years of breeding, and the last time 

 we had trouble we had heard so much regarding Dr. De Vaux and 

 his antitoxin that we at once wired him on the very first signs of 

 trouble to send a "vet" and antitoxin enough for our herd, and he 

 did so. W^hen the "vet" arrived he looked over the entire herd and 

 said to us that there was no cause for alarm, as but seven showed 

 any symptoms, and these were far from the rest of the herd. We said 

 go ahead, and turned him loose with a good man to help him, and 

 he commenced by inoculating the well ones each day for five days, 

 assuring us all the time that this would certainly immunize them. 

 Well, on the fifth day they all commenced to die, and died like flies 

 before a freeze, and the "vet" remained till 151 of them had died, 

 and then he had business somewhere else. The balance that were 

 not immune from former outbreaks also died along during the win- 

 ter. A few always pull through and these are worth their weight in 

 gold, as they will never take it a second time. We have learned 

 some things regarding this trouble, and one is that a sow that is 

 carrying a litter when the disease breaks out, if she lives through 

 and does not lose her litter, it will surely be immune from future 

 attacks. We try and make it a point to keep all sows that pull 

 through, as well as what breeding boars we have. In this way one 

 is never entirely wiped out of business. I have a friend who was 

 prevailed upon to purchase some sure cure, and finally did so, but 

 it was to be shipped to him at a station that was eight miles from 

 the farm. After a time the agent called upon my friend again and 

 wanted a testimonial regarding his cure, and my friend said he was 

 ready to give him one, and did so, saying: "I have not had any dis- 

 ease in my herd since purchasing your remedy, as it is at the station 

 where it was shipped, eight miles from the farm." 



I will bring my paper to a close by saying that there is something 

 about the breeding of pure-bred hogs that to me is very interesting. 

 The study of making certain matings and noting the results is decid- 

 edly interesting. Animals are like clay in the hand of a moulder; 

 if one likes the study he can almost mold the living form of animals 

 to his notion if he keeps at it, and in a series of years he can have a 

 herd of hogs that will be a model, if he has the right model in his 

 mind at the start. The breeding of swine, whether for the market 

 or for breeding purposes, if earnestly followed for a series of years, 

 will prove the most profitable for the amount invested that one can 

 go into. The old saying that for big money, breed horses, for sure 

 money, breed cattle, and for quick money, hogs, is still true, and in 

 my opinion the breeding of hogs comes near combining all three. 



