St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-02-05
CARE OF HOGS.
How to Prevent Cholera
and Keep Them in u
Good Condition.

ana variety OF QleSeaSeS Just ike
other animals of the farm, discus
sion of the majority Of which, how
ever, would not be Of very much prac--
tical value to the farmer. Besides,
what he needs most, is a knowledge
of how to prevent disease among his
animals, rather than cure it, and, for
tunately, the common ailments of this
animal are usually of the preventable
class, as. apart from specific hog
cholera, they are generally connected
with the digestive organs, or, of a
dietic character.
1t is rather unfortunate that great
many people make such loose use of
the term, 'hog cholera, " every time
a number of hogs die out of the same
herd, just as if nothing else could kill
them in that particular way. Fortuu-
ately for the hog raisers Of Louisiana,
the State has been singularly free
from genuine hog-cholera, that is, the
disease caused by specific virus. In
an experience of twenty years, we
have known of only two, or at most,
three, outbreaks Of the genuine arti-
Gle, and these could be traced to inn
ported hogs from states where hog
cholera was prevalent. These cut
breaks, which occurred during the
present year Q908) were on the places
of farmers who treated them intelli-
gently, ana as the disease dies out in
season, # not again introduced in
fresh importations, it is questionable
if there is, at the present moment, a
case of genuine, or specific hog-cholera
in Louisiana. This state of freedom
may not last, however, now that our
people are seriously considering the
Importance Of introducing live stock
into their farming operations, and
especially hogs, unless they exercise
the utmost care in seeing and know
ing that the animals they import from
other states for breeding purposes, and
with the view of building up their
herds, are free from this disease. Be-
cause once the infection is introduced
it is liable to spread with great rapid
ity, unless it is handled and cotnbated
with the greatest sanitary care. Itmay
be said, then, at the present time, the
state is free, or practically so, from
hog-cholesa, so far as our knowledge
and information goes, and if we get
the infection, it is going to be. through
introducing it in diseased hogs. True,
the National Department of Agricul-
ture has discovered a method of i'm
munizing hogs against the cholera,
and which is being extensively pre-
pared and used in those states whose
swine mortality from cholera is very
great. The preparation of the vaccine
material is rather expensive, however,
and requires the the operation Of a
plant for the purpose, and the de-
struction of quite number of ami
mails. Or, in other words, it means,
or might mean in our case, t e
slaughter Of a number Of animals in
order to obtain the material to save
a few. At the same time, should the
preparation of the immunizing mater
ial become a necessity in the interest
Of the hog industry, it will no doubt
be undertaken.
From personal experience we are of
the opinion that the chief couse of the
greatest mortality among our hogs is
internal worm, or parasites, of one
kind or another, but chiefly the large
thorn-headed worm which infests the
bowels. Worms are, of course, pass
ed from the bowels of the affected
animal onto the ground, and are pick
ed up, in an immature stage, by other
hogs.
In the case of the large tnorn-head-
ed worm, it is claimed by authorities
that the egg is taken into the body of
the larva, or grub, of the 'tJune Bug"
and that the hog gets it by eating the
grub, which it finds in moist places, as
in the neighborhood of pools or ponds
of stagnant water. Once hog pasture
becomes infected with worms, there
fore, it is difficult to get rid of them,
unless the lot is plowed up, or placed
in cultivation, and the water supply
looked after, Or some mixture in the
form of worm medicine is kept where
the hogs may gain access to it at all
times. The following simple and irz
expensive mixture, which may be pre-
pared On the place, has been recon-
mended by the late Mr.. Theodore
Louis, a breeder of high reputg in the
Northwest:
Take 6 bushels of corn cob charcoal,
or 3 bushels of common charcoal, 8
pounds of common salt, 2 quarts of
air-slacked lime, i bushel of wood
ashes.
Break the charcoal well down, with
shovel or other implement, and thor
oughlY mix. Then take one and one
quarter pounds Of copperas (sulphate
Of iron), dissolve it in hot water, and
with an ordinary watering p 0 t.,
sprinkle the solution over the whole
mass, and again mix thoroughly. Put
this mixture into self-feeding boxes,
and place them where the hogs Of all
ages, may eat their contents at
pleasure.
We might add that quantities, either