240 KEPOET OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



duce the disease known as hog cholera. We do not hear as much of it as a few 

 years ago, because farmers are guarding against it, and do not keep them in as large 

 droves as formerly, as large lots of any kind of stock do better in small droves. No 

 unusual disease prevails among horses, cattle, or sheep. 



SCOTT. I can not give the date of the first appearance of hog cholera in this 

 county, but would say that it has existed here for twenty-five years or more. Some 

 years it is quite general and very fatal, while in other years it is limited and causes 

 but indifferent losses. But very little of the disease has prevailed this year. 



TRIMBLE. Hog cholera made its appearance in our county twenty-five or thirty 

 years ago, but is only an epidemic at intervals, never prevailing to the extent that 

 it does in other localities. Our county is broken, and as a rule the stock have an 

 abundance of pure water, which appears to be favorable for their health. Where 

 cholera does make its appearance our farmers use copperas in some cases; others 

 recommend the use of wood ashes as a remedy. 



TODD. Hog cholera has not prevailed in this county to any great extent for the 

 past four years. 



UNION. I have been a hog raiser and feeder for thirty years; have fed on an 

 average 150 ho^s in a year. The first appearance of what is called cholera, in a mild 

 form, was in the year 1862 or 1863. It gradually spread all over the county to an 

 alarming extent. I have never found a remedy (have tried many). When the fever 

 gets among the hogs it will go through the herd, affecting some more than others. 

 About one-half, on an average, will pull through, but are not very profitable after- 

 wards. Scattering the hogs and changing their bedding places seems to check the 

 disease with me. I never have the cholera among hogs when I have tender grass 

 for them to run to and pure water to drink. There is some little pink-eye among 

 the cattle and distemper among the young horses, but not to an alarming extent. 



WARREN. We have no serious diseases among horses, cattle, or sheep, and hog 

 cholera appears to be dying out. From information and recollection, hog cholera 

 showed itself here about 1854-' 55, and for the first few years was most violent and 

 fatal. Pine and coal tar, soap, copperas, ashes, charred corn, and turpentine have 

 all been used as remedies. Turpentine has been found the most efficient as a pre- 

 ventive, given in the feed once a month, say a pint to 25 hogs. No reliable remedy 

 has ever been found for the disease. 



WEBSTER. Hog cholera appeared in this county in 1858, about the same date 

 that red clover was introduced. Some farmers thought that clover caused the dis- 

 ease. Prior to that time hogs were generally healthy. I don't know how the disease 

 was introduced, but it was very fatal, affecting ail grades of hogs, regardless of 

 condition. Since then I have noticed that it follows a heavy bitter mast. It will 

 sometimes break out during the period that hogs are feeding upon the mast, and 

 again will not prove fatal until late in the spring, even after the hogs are put upon 

 green clover. Now, I believe that the bitter mast first imparts the germ by acting as 

 a powerful astringent, causing intestinal ulceration, after which the hog becomes 

 wormy and begins to fall off in flesh. It is evident, however, that we are sure to 

 have cholera after a bitter mast. 



WOODFORD. Hog cholera appeared in this county about forty years ago, and 

 has prevailed more or less ever since. I never heard of any epidemic or contagious 

 disease among hogs prior to that time. Occasionally they would die from neglect 

 or exposure, one or more at a time, without affecting the balance of the drove. At 

 that time the hogs raised were a long-nosed, razor-backed breed, which were kept 

 until they were two years old or more before they were fattened. They were gen- 

 erally left to shift for themselves, and it was root or die. They slept in the woods 

 in beds of leaves, sheltered from the wind behind some fallen tree, and subsisted by 

 rooting for acorns or anything else they could find, Since that time better breeds 

 have been introduced, which make more than double the weight in less than half 

 of the time. The manner of raising and treating hogs has also been very much 

 changed. They are now fed grain more or less from pigs up. They generally sleep 

 around old straw-stacks or in dusty stables. Whether this change of treatment 

 makes the hog more tender and liable to disease I am unable to say. The best pre- 

 ventive I know is to have a place for hogs to sleep clear of dust, where they will not 

 get overheated and go out in the sudden cold; give them plenty of wood ashes, 

 coal-dust, and sulphur, and if they get lousy pour over them a little coal-oil, 



LOUISIANA. 



CARROLL. I have no remarks to make on hog cholera, No one seems to know 

 when it first appeared here. The hogs die and no notice is taken of them. No pre- 

 ventive remedies used, or care or attention given. Nearly every one owns a hog or 

 two, but no one that I hear of is raising to sell. 



