1380 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 27, 
HOG CHOLERA. 
Swine plague is very prevalent in 
Western Ohio at this time. Within sight 
of Willow Brook Farm, there are now 
not less than five badly infested herds, 
and the loss from these within the past 
six weeks will aggregate over 150 head, 
with a money loss of fully $2,000. After 
30 years of experience and careful obser¬ 
vation, I have come to the following con¬ 
clusions : Hog cholera never occurs with¬ 
out infection. Filth cannot cause the 
disease, only as it furnishes suitable con¬ 
ditions for propagating the germs which 
alone cause the disorder. There is, as 
yet, no known cure. Serum inoculation 
will if applied in time, render well hogs 
immune, at least for a short period of 
time, and repeated inoculations probably 
will render them permanently immune. 
The fact that the demand for serum far 
exceeds the available supply, often makes 
it difficult to get a supply, when there 
are outbreaks, until it is too late, as the 
disease works very rapidly, and whole 
herds are quickly destroyed. But it is 
possible, and entirely practicable, to avoid 
the disease by carefully attending to pre¬ 
ventive measures. The first thing to do 
is to avoid, as far as possible, all sources 
of infection. 
Complete isolation must be secured. 
Lots for runs and for feeding should be 
securely fenced with heavy, strong, poul¬ 
try netting, topped and bottomed w 7 ith 
barbed wire. If properly erected, such 
fences are dog-proof, and prowling dogs 
are the greatest menace when cholera is 
raging in the vicinity. It is difficult to 
bury the carcass of dead hogs so deep that 
dogs will not unearth them. The use of 
rails, boards, or heavy brush will help, 
but dogs will even then often find a way 
to uncover the carrion. These dogs may 
then, in prowling about neighboring 
farms, find the swill pails, and thus de¬ 
posit the infection. Of course the in¬ 
fected contents finds its way to the pig 
troughs next day, and thus infects the 
whole herd. Cats and rats may also spread 
the infection in much the same manner. 
Even the English sparrows may not be 
harmless, for I have frequently observed 
them feeding on the half-digested grains 
of corn in the hog droppings. If they 
then visit neighboring farms, the infec¬ 
tion is very easily carried from farm 
to farm. Vultures, if permitted to gorge 
themselves with infected carrion, will, in 
their flight over neighboring farms dis¬ 
gorge, and thus scatter the dangerous 
disease germs. Small streams of water 
running through the farm are often real 
sources of danger, especially if they re¬ 
ceive the drainage from affected farms 
above. 
Willow Brook drains farms above for 
near five miles, and we find this an ever 
present menace. The only way to avoid 
this danger is never to permit swine to 
drink from the brook, or even approach 
it. The writer has provided three lots, 
each containing somewhat more than an 
acre. Each is very securely fenced as 
already described. Each of the lots con¬ 
tains fruit trees—apple, pear, cherry, 
plum, etc., which gives sufficient shade, 
and yet permits a fine growth of clover 
and Blue grass. These make ideal runs 
for hogs. The owner of the herd in his 
desire to assist his neighbor, who has 
sick hogs, often thoughtlessly visits the 
infested premises, and may easily carry 
on his shoe soles the infection, directly 
home to his well herd. I think the dan¬ 
ger from vultures, sparrows, rats, cats, 
etc., is small, but look out for the run¬ 
ning stream, dogs, and for persons or 
animals that have been in contact with 
infested herds. Do not permit such to 
go inside of your inclosures under any 
pretext whatever. 
But after all, the writer relies mostly 
on the use of disinfectants. Take care 
to do the job very thoroughly; careless or 
half hearted work will not answer. My 
method is as follows: Take two gallons 
of warm water. Into this stir two pints 
of lime-sulphur of standard strength. Add 
two tablespoonfuls each of carbolineum 
and carbolic acid. Then with a small, 
hand sprayer, go over all the troughs, 
feeding platforms, nesting places, and 
even the ground around these places. If 
feeding on the bare ground, be sure to 
give such places an extra heavy dose. It 
will not be amiss to give the bodies of 
the hogs themselves a spraying once . a 
week, or oftener. I go over the entire 
outfit twice a week. It is not a great 
deal of trouble, and remember that eter¬ 
nal vigilance is the price of healthy pork ! 
It is a matter of the utmost importance 
that the herd is kept in vigorous health, 
so that they may be able to resist attacks 
of disease. Do not overfeed—just as 
much as will be eaten up clean, and no 
more. Feed at regular intervals, and be 
sure to keep clean, pure, well water be¬ 
fore them all the time. I also provide a 
change of feed, mangels, cull cabbages, 
turnips, carrots, small potatoes, apples, 
pears, etc. These are not particularly 
fattening, but they help in keeping up a 
good digestion. 
Provide a board platform and on this 
keep a good supply of stone coal slack, 
wood charcoal, and ashes, all of which 
should receive a light sprinkling of salt. 
It is really surprising how much of this 
will be consumed. 
To sum up: Rely mostly on complete 
isolation of the well herd, and use dis¬ 
infectants heroically, and at short in¬ 
tervals. I plan to give the entire feeding 
lot—about 10 square rods—a very heavy 
coating of crude petroleum, somewhat in 
manner that streets and roads are now 
treated. I feel sure that it would greatly 
help in destroying disease germs. I have 
followed above methods, and have not 
had a single case of cholera on my farm 
for past 20 years, although the disease 
has ravaged the neighborhood a number 
of times during that period. 
Ohio. BENJ. F. ALBAUGH. 
MILK SUBSTITUTES AND CALVES. 
On page .1136 you ask for a combina¬ 
tion of grain or other feeds as a practical 
milk substitute in whole or in part, and I 
give you the results of my own experi¬ 
ence, covering a period of more than 25 
years. I do not" believe that there is a 
perfect milk substitute. I do not believe 
there ever will be. I do not believe, as a 
result of my own experience, that the 
milk substitutes can be profitably used as 
such. 
In the established order of nature the 
young calf must have mother’s milk for 
its proper growth and development. The 
length of time necessary for it to have 
milk depends somewhat upon the individ¬ 
ual calf, but more upon the individual 
who cares for it, for “The eye of the mas¬ 
ter fattens the ox.” I always feed a calf 
its own mother’s milk for at least one 
week, rarely more than 10 days, unless 
convenient. The first 24 hours I give all 
the calf will take. Afterwards, if a greedy 
feeder, only a quart three times daily for 
two or three days, and then two measured 
quarts twice daily, and rarely increase 
this amount of whole milk. When skim- 
milk is available, I gradually substitute 
it after the first week, and increase the 
quantity, as the calf shows ability to as¬ 
similate it. 
As soon as a calf shows an inclination 
to nibble hay, I give a very small handful 
of silage with about two teaspoonfuls of 
white middlings, and as it learns to eat it 
increase the quantity at my pleasure. 
Usually a calf will have learned to eat 
hay freely, silage and grain in five or six 
weeks, when the milk is gradually with¬ 
drawn, and in a week’s time is taken 
away entirely. I then feed the following 
ration: 200 pounds ground oats; 200 
pounds white middlings; 50 pounds lin¬ 
seed meal, O. P. I feed as much, twice 
daily, as the calf will eat up clean in 
15 minutes. This is the best and most 
satisfactory ration, as well as the cheap¬ 
est, that I have ever been able to mix, 
and I offer it as a practical milk substi¬ 
tute, under the foregoing conditions. It 
must be understood that good hay and 
fresh water are constantly before the calf. 
Even if skim-milk is available during the 
year, the above ration will be found 
profitable to use. H. c. collins. 
Oneida Co., N. Y. 
R. N.-Y.—Yet on page 1260 another 
reader gives the story of his success in 
using the commercial calf feeders. 
Little Millie’s father and grandfather 
were Republicans; and, as election drew 
near, they spoke of their opponents with 
increasing warmth, never heeding Millie’s 
attentive ears and wondering eyes. One 
night, however, as the little maid was 
preparing for bed, she whispered in a 
frightened little voice: “O mamma, I 
don’t dare to go upstairs. I’m afraid 
there’s a Democrat under the bed!”— 
Woman’s Journal. 
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