250 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



attributed to the small numbers on each farm (preventing crowding), and plenty of 

 water and range. Only a few horses are raised in this county; those used are gen- 

 erally obtained from the West. Cattle receive little attention. The planters keep 

 cows for milk, and the increase is usually sold at two years of age, hence the small 

 number. It is a rare case to find one dead from disdkse. The only trouble with 

 sheep is dogs; no disease prevails. Hogs are healthy. 



JEFFERSON. Hog cholera appeared in our county in the summer of 1885, and 

 ravaged the whole county. It disappeared last whiter, and since then we have been 

 free of it. Whence it came is not known, but its ravages were fearful. Nearly 85 

 per cent, of our hogs died of the scourge. Hogs generally were healthy before it 

 made its appearance. But few animals attacked by the cholera ever get well. 



JONES. As to the history of hog cholera, the first I ever saw in my county was 

 in 1867. Since that time it has been visiting the county every two or three years, 

 doing great damage to hogs. However, during the past year hogs have been very 

 healthy, and an abundance of them have been raised. All classes of farm animals 

 have been exceedingly healthy the past year. 



LAWRENCE. One correspondent reports 1878 as the time of the first appearance 

 of hog cholera, though I think it appeared earlier. It has remained in the county 

 since, making its appearance in different places at times, and then spreading some- 

 times north or south, but generally west. I would say here that whenever hogs 

 are sick the disease is called cholera. Various remedies have been tried, the most 

 successful (and that more as a preventive) is feed boiled in poke-root (Phytolacca 

 radix), with a little coal-oil, spirits of turpentine, and soda added after boiling. 

 Another is saltpeter, copperas, pine rosin from the tree, used by dissolving in slops. 



LEAKE. Hogs have been exceptionally healthy for the last year. There has been 

 a disease among them which I consider pneumonia from what I have read concern- 

 ing its diagnosis. The limbs of the hog become denuded of hair and very red; they 

 also suffer with a cough and dwindle away. These cases have been few, and, as 

 first remarked, aside from this they have been generally healthy. 



LEE. The opinion prevails, among older persons, that hog cholera was intro- 

 duced in this county from States immediately north of us. A great many hogs, 

 both for breeding and for pork, were driven here from Kentucky and Tennessee. 

 Its first appearance here was about thirty years ago, since which time our losses 

 in hogs has been very large; but I have doubts as to there ever having been a well- 

 developed case of what is known as hog cholera. When we have a heavy bitter mast 

 the summer following we have so-called hog cholera. Our hogs all running at Jarge 

 in a heavily timbered country, they eat of this mast and almost always die. My 

 opinion is that when the farmer is forced to keep his hogs up that then he will give 

 them proper care in the way of food and shelter, when cholera will become a thing 

 that we read of. For twelve months past I have not heard of the loss of a hog. 

 They seem now to be healthy, and as there is an abundance of corn and no mast, I 

 have no fears of disease. I have been here quite a long time, and have never known 

 as little complaint among stock. Horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs are in most excel- 

 lent condition, and but few have died, and these from old age or other natural 

 causes and accidents. 



LINCOLN. About 20 per cent, of the hogs (mostly pigs) in this county have died 

 with what is called cholera . The majority that have died have had access to cotton 

 seeds, which have a deleterious effect upon them, especially the improved breeds. 

 The lint seems to lodge in their throats. Everything that affects a hog is called 

 cholera. 



LOWNDES. From the best information I can obtain I am of the opinion that hog 

 choldra has only been known in this county for the past six or seven years. Since its 

 introduction it has been very destructive to hogs. Farm animals generally have 

 been very healthy this year. * No disease whatever has prevailed, and the only losses 

 that have occurred have been occasioned by starvation and old age. 



MARSHALL. In many portions of this county the cholera has been very destruc- 

 tive to swine. While we do not raise hogs except for our own supply, yet the efforts 

 to increase the quantity does not materially gain favor owing to this dreaded dis- 

 ease, and for which no remedy has been found. As to the advent of cholera here I 

 could not give specific dates, but for twenty-five years I have seen and heard of it 

 in the county. Before the war we often lost large numbers from quinsy and cotton 

 seeds. Some persons have inclined to the opinion that the introduction of improved 

 breeds, such as Chesters, Essex. Berkshires, Graziers, Poland Chinas, Suffolk and 

 Jersey Reds, produced cholera. Some of these kinds may have done so, but one 

 kind the Essex which I have reared successfully from 1857 to the present time, 

 has always been free of any disease like cholera. Some six years ago I bought a 

 pair of Jersey Reds from near Salem, N. J. Two years ago I lost heavily, they 

 being mostly mixed Jersey and Essex. The same year the disease was very general 



