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Show CAMPAIGN TO CONTROL SWINE'S WORST ENEMY HAS REDUCED DANGER OF CHOLERA - , , , t 4 : swff -i j , r Thorough Disinfection of Houses and Feeding Lots Goes a Long Way Toward To-ward Preventing the Spread of Hog Cholera The County Agent Is Demonstrating a Clean-Up to Farmers. (Prepared by the United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture.) Never was it so important for farmers farm-ers to keep their hogs safe from their worst enemy cholera as it is this year, say specialists of the bureau of animal industry of the L-nited Slates department of agriculture. While the number of hogs lost through disease decreased from 4.5 per cent of the total to-tal In 1917 to 3.7 per cent in 1918, the value of the hogs actually increased. A 200-pound hog that was worth $20 in January, 1917, was worth $36 in January, 1918. Today a similar ling would sell at $42. In 1913, the year the work to control hog cholera was begun by the government, a 200-pounder 200-pounder was worth $10.00. So it is evident that each succeeding year makes it more worth the farmer's while to take every precaution to prevent pre-vent loss from disease in his swine herd. One thing that made it possible for America to supply the allies with meat was the fact that within the last few years the state and federal authorities and those working with them have learned a good deal about handling hog cholera. If the old bugbear bug-bear of the swine industry had been permitted to put in such destructive blows in the last three or four years as it did in 1913 and 1914 fhere would have been many porkless days. The fact that the war is over should lead no one to think that the fight r.galixt hog cholera can be slackened In the least. The ultimate object of the United States department of agri-rulture agri-rulture is absolute elimination of the disease from American farms. How- ever, complete eradication can hardly be expected until all farmers join in the campaign. Enormous Losses From Cholera. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 1914, over 0.000.000 hogs of all ages were lost through disease on American Ameri-can farms. These had a value of over $07,000,000. In the year ending March 31, 1918, only 2,701,S25 were lost; but these were worth $52,535,315. So, though the number of hogs lost has been greatly decreased by the work of the disease-control agencies, the monetary mone-tary loss is still enormous. This loss lias a direct hearing on the cost of living and at times has threatened the safety of a great industry. in-dustry. There are at present over 75,-000,000 75,-000,000 hogs in this country tlio largest number ever recorded. Assuming Assum-ing that these animals will be marketed mar-keted at an average weight of 200 pounds at the average market price for the year, this crop will return to the producers about $3,000,000,000. If bog cholera should rage as It did in 1913, the loss would be near $300,-000,000. $300,-000,000. Complete Eradication Probable. Without the efforts of federal and state agents in the proper application of serum and improved methods of handling outbreaks of hog cholera, thin loss would be entirely probable. With the support and co-operation of the local authorities, farmers and others, the complete eradication of hog cholera chol-era is within the bounds of probabilities. proba-bilities. The saving of this enormous enor-mous annual loss to the farmer would be reflected in the retail price of pork to the consumer. |