REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 279 



there had been a coal kiln. It was eating old coal with avidity. I thought this 

 was the remedy; sol sent ray wagon and hauled a four-horse load of light wood, 

 put up two small kilns, burned them down, and watered them out before dark. The 

 next morning when I went to feed all the hogs were eating charcoal. They ate it 

 in preference to corn. They fed on it for about ten days, when they commenced 

 to recover. I lost but the one. I give my fattening hogs charcoal, which they will 

 quit their corn to eat. 



GEORGETOWN. The disease of hog cholera has been known in this section since 

 1874-'75. Has been usually very fatal, especially among young hogs; fat animals 

 are not exempt. Within the past ten years it has invaded every township in this 

 county, along the swamps as well as pine barrens, and around cultivated farms. In 

 April, 1887, one of my associate correspondents, Col. R. Nesbit, a large rice planter, 

 suffered after the disease had subsided in three adjoining townships. Out of 150 

 head of hogs he had 75 sick and lost 70. among them two valuable stock hogs 

 (selected Berkshire). No treatment availed in checking or curing the distemper. 

 Loss estimated at $350. I have not been able to locate the disease in 1887 in any 

 other section of this county, except sporadically, where it had existed two years 

 before. 



LAURENS. We have a disease among hogs called cholera. Most of those at- 

 tacked die. I can not tell when the disease made its appearance here. The first 

 talk of cholera was about 1850 or 1860. More horses are lost from eating peas and 

 from starvation and ill-treatment by negroes than from any other cause. Epizooty 

 prevails sometimes. 



LEXINGTON. When a small boy, over fifty years ago, there were similar epidem- 

 ics among hogs to that now known as cholera. It is possible that the closer con- 

 finement which has followed the stock law, with the stuffing process in feeding, 

 may have aggravated the diseases which have always attended the raising of hogs; 

 for I am satisfied that this scavenger is more or less diseased on account of its hog- 

 gish habits and the foul food upon which it subsists. There has been a terrible 

 visitation of the cholera, so-called, among the fattening hogs of this locality during 

 the past month, and many have died. It was confined not only to fattening hogs, 

 but attacked, on the same premises, those which had not been penned up for that 



Surpose. The loss has been heavy, and I have no doubt the disease will continue 

 ;s ravages until our people give up the idea of selecting stock hogs for their fat- 

 tening proclivities. 



MARION. Hog cholera, or any epidemic of a serious nature among hogs, was 

 unknown before the late war, and must have been introduced afterwards with im- 

 proved breeds brought from the North and Northwest. There has been no epidemic 

 this year, and very few have died; so few, indeed, that it will not be proper to report 

 as much as 1 per cent. 



ORANGEBURGH. We knew nothing of hog cholera in this county previous to 

 1859. Do not know where it came from. Since it first made its appearance it can 

 always be heard of in some part of the county. Previous to its appearance there 

 was no disease among hogs, and great numbers were raised here. This industry 

 is again on the increase. Ten years ago but very few hogs were raised in the 

 county. 



SUMTER. We have no disease among either horses, mules, or cattle in this 

 county. The few that have died are not worth mentioning, and have generally 

 died from colic, occasioned by indiscret feeding. Our horses and mules are gen- 

 erally kept in well-ventiluted stables, with plenty of pine-straw bedding. Our 

 cattle are rarely ever stabled, and are comparatively very badly cared for. Hog 

 cholera has been known in our county for a great number of years. It is said to 

 have been unknown among our old-time " razor-backs; " is said to have originated 

 with the introduction of the better breecls of hogs, but no doubt it is occasioned by 

 the different treatment, as our hogs are now more confined than in former years. 

 I lost last year in two days 60 head of full-blood Berkshire hogs. They were con- 

 fined in a 5-aere pasture and fed on corn, ripe amber sugar-cane stalks and tops, 

 and on acorns. I turned some forty head that were left into the river swamp to 

 run at large, and did not lose another one. 



WILLIAMSBURGH. As my memory serves me, hog cholera first appeared in this , 

 county about the year 1857. Previous to that time the disease did not prevail. It 

 is fearfully destructive when a herd is attacked, and the impression prevails that it 

 is wise to give salt and soda, and sometimes turpentine or petroleum oil, as a j>re- 

 ventive. The past year I thought at one time I had reliable symptoms of the disease 

 among my hogs, I immediately began the free use of salt, soda, and kerosene oil. 

 I lost no new cases, and the disease was arrested. Whether it was cholera or not I 

 don't know. 



