296 EEPOET OP THE BUKEATT OP ANIMAL INDUSTET. 



ISLE OF WIGHT. From the best information I can gather through my assistants 

 and others, hog cholera made its appearance in this section between 1855 arid 1860. 

 At first it was thought to have been caused by mushrooms or some other poisonous 

 substance obtained by the hogs, but this idea was abandoned after it was found that 

 the disease was contagious. On my own farm, which I have been cultivating for 

 forty years, I never had the disease until 1866. Since then it has been on my place 

 often, until I adopted the plan of not allowing the hogs to be in contact with others, 

 and not allowing them to go on pastures where the diseased hogs had been for two 

 or three years. This is the only preventive which seems to have been effective, and 

 in this I am borne out by my experience as well as that of many others with whom 

 I have consulted. We have tried many remedies, but none seem to be efficacious. 

 Isolation and attention is the only preventive. No diseases of horses, cattle, or sheep 

 have prevailed in this county for the past year. Such as have died, the deaths 

 were caused by such diseases as usually occur among animals. Hogs have died in 

 considerable numbers. From the best I can learn, I suppose that one-fourth at 

 least of the stock left over last year have died of cholera. Another correspondent 

 writes: "Hog cholera first made its appearance in this section in the year 1866. 

 Hogs were comparatively free from all diseases prior to that year. How it was 

 first introduced is still a mystery. There are many theories but no unanimity of 

 opinion. There is an opinion current here that the disease is largely due to the use 

 of manipulated guanos containing the blood and bones of diseased animals, strongly 

 contending that the diseased germ- is not destroyed by the process of manufacture 

 and re-introduction to the soil. One correspondent writes that ' it was seldom a 

 hog died before the war ; then every farmer had his tar-gourd at his hog pen, and 

 used salt and ashes liberally with their food,' and adds : ' I find it a very effica- 

 cious remedy even now.' There is a better feeling in reference to caring for stock, 

 yet it is not what it should be, as the major part are allowed to roam the common 

 and seek shelter in the woods. I can secure no intelligent or satisfactory report of 

 the loss by disease of horses, sheep, and cattle. There is no epidemic prevailing 

 among them." 



JAMES CITY. Hog cholera came with the war was supposed to have been intro- 

 duced with Western forage for the army horses. Before its introduction our hogs 

 were remarkably healthy, the worst scourge then being the mange. As hog cholera 

 cases are becoming scarcer every year, the hope is entertained that it is wearing 

 itself out. 



KING GEORGE. Hog cholera has been more or less destructive for the last ten or 

 fifteen years. There is no known cause for its appearance, but I am of opinion it 

 is most prevalent when the stock is not properly fed and sheltered. Last year I lost 

 60 head by the thriftless management of a worthless manager, which he con- 

 veniently ascribed to cholera ; but I have always believed the loss was caused by 

 pure neglect. I have never lost any animals that were in really good condition 

 except in one pen of fattening hogs, which could be ascribed to cholera. They laid 

 down before my own eyes, one after another, with a choking cough, and died ; but 

 being satisfied that the symptoms justified the conclusion, I thoroughly investi- 

 gated the matter by opening some of them, and among other things applied the 

 water test with the lungs or lights, and I found I was justified in my suspicions,, 

 When I came to inquire more closely into the cause, it turned out that the salt in- 

 tended to last a month had been given to them at one time; and not having been 

 sufficiently supplied with running water they naturally succumbed to poison by 

 chlorate of soda. 



KING AND QUEEN. This subject of hog cholera has given our people a great deal 

 of serious concern. It prevailed to some extent in the year 1878-'79, after which 

 time the hogs seemed to be in good health up to the year 1885, when the disease 

 made its appearance again; and during that year and 1886 it became an epidemic, 

 and very few, if any, escaped its ravages entirely. This year there have been no 

 cases heard of except where they have been imported, and almost invariably the 

 disease has reappeared with them, but not with original stocks. I have found most 

 beneficial results from the use of salt, ashes, and sulphur as a preventive, and car- 

 bolic acid with those that are sick. Though the disease generally proves fatal, yet 

 there are some mild cases if preventives are used and a few cures effected in more 

 violent cases. 



LEE. Horses are in fine health and condition. I never saw cattle in better con- 

 dition in this county. The spring growth of grass was sufficient to last them during 

 the drought. Hogs are more healthy than usual, and in fine condition. Mast 

 enough to winter our young hogs, though I doubt whether it is much advantage to 

 us in the end, as they are more liable to cholera the next spring. The first case of 

 the disease that I know of was in a lot of hogs that I bought in Bourbon County, 

 Ky., which I summered and fed in the fall of 1848. In that lot I lost 2 hogs of that 



