EEPOET OF THE BUBEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 287 



WASHINGTON. Hog cholera first made its appearance in this county about twen- 

 ty-six years ago, or in the year 1862 or 1863. I do not know how it originated or was 

 brought into the county some say by importing hogs from other States. I have 

 noticed that we have cholera the summer following a heavy mast year, almost in- 

 variably. Hogs were generally healthy prior to the year 1863. Most people call 

 every fatal hog disease cholera. 



WAYNE. Hog cholera made its appearance in this county about July, 1857. My 

 father owned 200 head of hogs at that time. They were very healthy previous to that 

 date. He lost 130 of tins number. Cholera has been in my county, in some parts, 

 about once every two years since. There has been none this year that I can hear of. 

 The best remedy that we can use for cholera is strong wood ashes and salt, given at 

 least once a week in spring and summer. It is sometimes necessary to be given in 

 the fall and winter. 



WILSON. I am of the opinion that hog cholera prevailed here forty years ago, 

 though not nearly so violent or fatal as in later years ; at any rate we had it before 

 the war. Our people had the cholera in 1833, and I do nojb think it was many years 

 afterwards before the hogs had it; but we have no statistics by which we can arrive 

 at anything like accuracy. The disease is not so general now as formerly. We sel- 

 dom hear of it now, and when we do it is confined to small circles of the country. 

 Other kinds of live-stock have been remarkably healthy. Horses have distemper, 

 which usually follows cold wet spells of winter weather, and I suppose is caused by 

 short rations and exposure. Pink-eye has been troublesome, and has caused some 

 blindness. 



WILLIAMSON. Hog cholera, or what is understood to be that complaint, prevailed 

 in this and adjoining counties previous to 1858. I have always been under the im- 

 pression that the disease was produced by bad treatment and the lack of proper at- 

 tention. My manager on my farm advised me, as far back as 1858, that the disease 

 was more easily prevented than cured, and told me that if I would furnish him with 

 lye soap he would keep out the disease. I had a fine herd at that time and lost no 

 time in furnishing the soap. He immediately fed it to the hogs, and the next day 

 took me out to show me the immense number of pin-worms voided by them. I have 

 fed soap to the hogs frequently since, and have escaped the complaint until this year, 

 and from neglect and lack of proper attention I have lost most of my herd. Fully 

 one-third of the number of hogs of the county, according to my observation and 

 information, have died of cholera during the summer and fall. Now all are healthy. 

 I found in that portion of the county where there is freestone w T ater no hogs were 

 reported sick. The limestone part was badly scourged. Horses were usually healthy. 

 Cattle were afflicted with a new disease called pink-eye; but four deaths resulted 

 from it. 



TEXAS, 



ANGELINA. The understanding in this county of hog cholera is that none but hogs 

 in good condition are subject to it. But during the last epidemic we had among 

 hogs, some two or three years ago, all died, both fat and poor. Some said the dis- 

 ease was cholera and others said it was not. No one who was qualified to examine 

 or diagnose the disease did so, and we still do not know what it was. I believe nine- 

 tenths of the hogs in the county died. Since then no disease has appeared among 

 them, and we have now an abundance. This year mast is good, and we will have 

 an abundance of meat. No one in this countv fattens meat. If the mast is good 

 hogs get fat on that and we have plenty of pork. 



ARCHER. Hogs in this county run on the range and are very healthy. Last winter 

 we had some losses from want of mast. No hog cholera in the county. 



AUSTIN. Hog cholera, or a disease closely resembling it in its fatality, has pre- 

 vailed at irregular periods since 1853. That year vast numbers died, in some instances 

 entire herds were swept away. Various remedies have been tried without success. 

 As to how and where it made its first appearance it would be impossible to tell. It 

 has been as fatal on isolated farms as it has in thickly settled communities. Two 

 farmers, who lived several miles from their nearest neighbors, lost all of their hogs but 

 a few young ones. We in old times called it choking quinsy, afterwards cholera. 



BANDERA. Hog cholera is a disease unheard of in this county. Neither horses, 

 cattle, nor sheep are often attacked by disease in this county. 



BAYLOR. Hog cholera is unknown in this county. We raise but few hogs, and 

 they are confined in pens. Texas or Southern fever is occasionally communicated to 

 our cattle by animals brought from the southern part of the State. 



BEE. There has never been enough of hog cholera here for one to give any statis- 

 tics about it. But few cattle die of disease. Some winters large numbers die of 

 starvation, 



