44 " THE LEAVES OF THE TREE were FOR THE HEALING OF THE NATIONS.' 5 



nesota, the average being over a foot, heavy rain preceded the snow . . falling 

 steadily this afternoon, up to which time fifteen inches had fallen." 



SOME CAPITALISTIC AND HYGIENIC CONSEQUENCES. 



Apart from the terribly fierce results to local human life and property 

 from deforestation throughout the once extensive hog and potato raising, 

 Mississippi Valley, the whole populace of America are now being made to 

 roughly share in the trouble from lack of those necessary food supplies. 

 I am assured that until a few years ago Mississippi Valley hog farmers 

 derived handsome returns by disposing of their live hogs at from four 

 cents to five cents per pound in large flocks, and that now, because of the 

 intense cold, cyclones, torrental floods and otherwise general unreliability 

 of the seasons, the rearing of hogs and root crops have become almost im- 

 possible, and in consequence pork cuiers have to pay from seven cents to 

 eight cents per pound for the shortage supplies they can procure. I am 

 also assured that from said cause and a recently developed swine disease 

 known as " the hog cholera pest" the output from Chicago, Milwaukee 

 and elsewhere is now annually reduced by millions of carcases. Some 

 philosophers may suppose that this is but a trifling matter scarcely worth 

 noticing, but many others will doubtless be disposed to think otherwise, 

 and especially on reflecting over the fact that sixty-three millions of 

 American people who have been educated to the almost daily consumption 

 of pork in some form, besides many millions elsewhere who look to the 

 United States for their pork supplies, have now to pay at least twenty-five 

 per cent more than heretofore for that commodity and in all probability 

 for a much less nutricious article containing possibly, more or less disease 

 germs. On the new disease known as " hog cholera" the New York Home- 

 stead of April 20th, 1893, writes as follows: 



" There is no reliable remedy. Prevention is the one course to be pursued . . . 

 In buying fresh hogs avoid all public stock yards, and railroad cars or other public 

 conveyances. Buy from country herds where you know there has been no sickness" 

 (a now very difficult task) 



And concerning the terrible disease so common to hog flesh, namely 

 " trichinae" the S. F. Examiner of March 22nd, 1893, writes: 



" There are at the German Hospital in this city, three patients whose complaint 

 is unique in the experience of most of the local medical practitioners. They are 

 William Hunmsand John and Walter Nagel, St. Helena farmers, who were brought 

 from their Napa home to the hospital on Fourteenth and Noe streets, about a week 

 ago. The three Germans are afflicted with trichiniasi?, and it commences to look 

 as though the trouble would cost Walter Nagel his life. . . Hunius and the 

 Nagles owe their affliction to pork infested with trichinae. A. few days before they 

 were brought to the hospital they ate some sausages containing raw pork, and a 

 microscopical examination of sections of the hog from which the pork was taken has 

 shown conclusively that the animal contained myriads of trichinae." 



Concerning the potato failure the S. F. Evening Post of April 28th makes 

 the following comments: 



'.' From present appearances there will be a potato famine in California this year, 

 or, in any event, high prices will rule, even if a full supply is obtained from outside 

 quarters. Stocks are lighter than they have been before for many years, and the 

 advance in value has brought in shipments from the E-ist as far back as Wisconsin. 

 There are few dealers here who can recall another instance of the kind, although 

 for years past Utah and Nevada have been drawn upon to help out at times. 



The shipment referred to came to hand Wednesday from Waupacca, and as high 



