210 EEPOET OF THE BUBEAtT OF ATSTIMAL INDtJSTBY. 



past year. I can say there has been no unusual epidemic among any class of ani- 

 mals during the past year. 



ALEXANDER. I don't think there is as much hog cholera here as people claim. 

 It is claimed that about every hog that dies dies of cholera. The disease prevailed 

 to some extent last summer. Nothing is ever done for either hogs or cattle when 

 they are attacked by disease. Distemper is the only disease that ever affects horses. 

 Cattle have suffered to some extent by a disease resembling Texas fever. 



BOND. Hog cholera made its appearance here some twenty-five or thirty years 

 ago, and has been in the county ever since. Since we have had a stock law and 

 farmers have kept up their hogs, we have less cholera and a better quality of hogs. 

 When hogs are well fed and have a dry place to sleep and plenty of water to drink, 

 there is not much danger of their contracting disease. 



CASS. Hog cholera has been less prevalent this year than usual, and also less fa- 

 tal. The disease is always preceded by lice on the hogs, a constipated condition of 

 the bowels, and attacks of worms on the intestines. Where these conditions can be 

 prevented no hog cholera or other hog disease will appear. 



CLAY. The disease known as hog cholera made its first appearance in this county 

 in a virulent and epidemic form in about the year 1851. Since that time there has 

 been periods of healthfulness with isolated cases of the disease, and again, there 

 has been years when it appeared to be epidemic. But I think on the whole the dis- 

 ease is growing gradually weaker and less virulent in form, and at the present time 

 there is no cholera in this county. My opinion is that there is no cure for this dis- 

 ease in its worst form; also, that it is contagious. I could verify these statements 

 with facts, although I am aware they are disputed by some. The hogs in Clay 

 County were never in better health than at present. I can give two good reasons 

 for this (in my own opinion): First, the hogs are kept in smaller lots than formerly; 

 second, corn is very scarce and they are not overfed and over heated with this kind 

 of food. Four horses affected with glanders have been killed by order of the State 

 officers. 



CARROLL. With the exception of hogs stock has generally been healthy. There 

 is some cholera in the central and northeastern part of the county. On farms that 

 have never before had it it has made nearly a clean sweep this year and without 

 any traceable cause. There is a rendering establishment in Savannah Township, at 

 which hogs that have died of disease and other animals are taken and the refuse given 

 to the hogs, and yet the owner recently published in one of our county papers that 

 he had never had a case of cholera among his hogs. I don't remember what year 

 the cholera first appeared, but the years 1877-'78 were the most fatal. No remedy 

 has yet been discovered to cure or stay the disease, but I believe that could hogs hie 

 confined to soft or rain water there would be little or no cholera. It has been ob- 

 served that there is less cholera in a wet than in a dry season, probably from the fact 

 that they get more rain water. A disease called the quinsy used to afflict hogs be- 

 fore the advent of cholera. 



CLINTON. I can not state as to the year of the first appearance of hog cholera in 

 our county. One of my assistants says that in 1872 was the first time he noticed it. 

 I have had the disease on my place but once in thirty years. On that occasion it 

 was brought here by what appeared to be a healthy young sow I bought from a 

 trader, and found out when too late that she was the only survivor of a lot that had 

 died with cholera. Many farms remain entirely exempt from hog cholera for 

 years. There is little or no loss by the disease to small lots raised and fattened on 

 the same farm. It is where large lots are indifferently picked up by feeders and fed 

 exclusively on corn where the most damage is done, and that happens only when 

 corn is plenty. This year hogs were fed on soaked wheat, chopped oats, and very 

 little corn, and all inquiry fails to show any appreciable loss by cholera during the 

 year. Experience (not theory) teaches that corn in large quantities is not good feed 

 for hogs or horses, and should also be ground and mixed with other grain when fed 

 to cattle or sheep. Wood ashes mixed with salt scattered on the feeding lot once a 

 week, charcoal, slops of any description, clover pasture or roots of any kind seem 

 to be preventive but not a cure for cholera. 



COOK. There have been no reports of losses from hog cholera this season. 

 While the disease prevails throughout the country there are always more or less 

 cases of incipient disease at the stock-yards in Chicago, and farmers and stockmen 

 near by have learned by dear-bought experience that it is not safe to buy pigs or 

 shoats at the stock-yards for feeding purposes. The malady has heretofore been 

 brought into many neighborhoods by animals from these yards, but it has not 

 established itself permanently in any part of the county. The disease is highly in- 

 fectious, and has been carried considerable distances by prevailing winds; also by 

 persons who had handled diseased animals. 



CUMBERLAND. I have not the necessary information in regard to the introduc- 

 tion of hog cholera into this county, It existed in the county before I became a 



