REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 255 



any pestilence, it floats in the air, is carried by streams of water, and is also spread 

 by animals roaming around as they used to do before we had a stock law. We 

 have heard of no complaint with regard to the healthf ulness of hogs that antedates 

 1874 or 1875 in this county. 



MACON. There has been no epidemic disease in our county during the past year, 

 and very few losses by diseases. All kinds of stock started into winter in reason- 

 able good condition. Hog cholera made its appearance in our county about 1860, as 

 near as I can find put; some say a little earlier, others say a few years later. How 

 it was introduced in the county I can not tell. Hogs were healthy before cholera 

 made its appearance. It is the opinion of some who seem to know that hog and 

 chicken cholera follow a warm, wet, foggy, muddy winter. My observation is that 

 hogs that are kept up in pastures and well cared for are not liable to have the 

 cholera. 



MARIES. Hog cholera has raged in this county at various times since 1864. It 

 has somewhat abated in its severity in late years. Nearly half of those afflicted get 

 well, whereas it used to kill all or nearly all that took it. One year ago in this lo- 

 cality the cholera followed the water-courses, killing or afflicting nearly all of the 

 siiine, while on the upland farms there were but few losses. 



MCDONALD. Hogs have been more or less subject to cholera in southwestern 

 Missouri for many years, though the disease has not been so severe in other locali- 

 ties. Farmers use to a good advantage pulverized sulphur and coal-oil mixed in the 

 swill. They eat it readily. They also pour a little coal-oil along on their backs. 

 Thej use it about twice a week. They do this when the hogs are well and it keeps 

 off the disease to some extent. One farmer told me he used 3'0 pounds of sulphur 

 last year on cattle, horses, and hogs. Hog cholera prevailed only in certain locali- 

 ties in the past year. 



MILLER. Hog cholera has existed in this county for twenty years past. The dis- 

 ease prevails here at the present writing. 



MONROE. I do not remember when hog cholera first made its appearance in this 

 county. It played havoc with the hog crops of 1S85- ; 8G, many farmers not having 

 enough left for their meat. Our county has been comparatively free from the dis- 

 ease during the last twelve months; but pork at 4 cents per pound and corn at 40 

 cents per bushel amounts to a very little in the end. Any disease that kills the hogs 

 is called cholera. It does not matter what the symptoms may be, if the hogs die it 

 is called cholera. All cures or sure remedies have failed, and there is not a stock- 

 man in the county who is not afraid to handle hogs extensively on account of this 

 dread disease. "Were they healthy before cholera was known?" Yes. Some 

 attribute the disease to ringing and high breeding. 



MONTGOMERY. Hog cholera has not prevailed here this year. It appeared here 

 in 1862. In that year there was stationed along the railroad a regiment of Ohio 

 troops. The infected pork used by this regiment caused the cholera to spread from 

 every camp. Since then it comes around every two or three years. Before that 

 time hogs were perfectly healthy. 



MONITEAU. Hog cholera first appeared in a virulent form in this county ten years 

 ago, and the loss in the year 1877 and for several succeeding years was very large and 

 generally distributed. Before 1877 there were occasional reports of cholera being 

 destructive to hogs in a few localities. Where it came from no one can tell, and 

 the causes are just as mysterious. I think up to fifteen years ago we had no ac- 

 count of any malady among the hogs which caused great loss; hogs were univers- 

 ally healthy if well treated and managed. No effective remedy or preventive has 

 been used here. Our farmers try to get a plentiful supply of pure water, scatter 

 ashes on the feeding places, and administer copperas either in the water or feed, 

 and it is believed hogs thus cared for are less liable to take the disease. There is a 

 leas amount of disease than common this year. Horses, cattle, and sheep have 

 been so universally healthy during the year that the loss from disease is not worth 

 noting. 



NEWTON. Hog cholera, as far as I can trace it, came into this county in the 

 form of an epidemic some time during 1875, and seems to have been imported 

 from Illinois. Its ravages were especially great in 1878, when thousands of hogs 

 died of it. Hogs generally are healthy, unless cholera is brought in from some other 

 place. 



NOD A WAY. Hog cholera first appeared in this county in 1868. Some years we 

 have lost as high as $40,000 worth of hogs by it. This year the loss is very close to 

 6,000 head, mostly young hogs. We have lost six horses from glanders, brought by 

 animals from Illinois. Distemper has prevailed as an epidemic. Probably one- 

 fourth of our horses have been affected, although but few deaths have occurred. 

 Our sheep have run down from 31,000 in 1880 to 7,000 in 1887. 



OSAGE, Hog cholera appeared in this county in 1866, We have had it to some 



