Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1878-04-04

ing uninterruptedly on no small scale. Of
all domestic animals, the fatality is greatest
amongst swine. Almost entire stocks of in
dividual farmers have been swept away in
some counties of Illinois from the SO called
hog cholera. From the crop report OF the
Illinois Department of Agriculture, for 1877.
it appears that the number of swine lost by
disease is reported at 35S,sH head, valued
ut 81, $50, AIS, which is S., 403 more than the
amount lost during 1876. Evidently these
figures do not cover the actual losses; for
we are informed that correspondents to the
department in 1877, confined their estimates
Of loss by disease to the hogs assessed in
May 1877, which does not include a large
proportion of the spring pigs. that enter
very largely into the aggregate loss sustain
ed each year, and which are not included by
many assessors. The annual loss to the
State is very difficult to estimate, Oh even
approximate, without official enumeration,
as many correspondents give the average
weight per head of dead hogs, and overlook
the less of flesh sustained by animals affect
ed frem the time the disease Is contracted
until death, which loss in weight in many
cases is over 30 per cent.
The contagious plenro-pneumonia of cat
tie, is steathily, slowly, and almost uninter-
ruptedly, gaining ground in the Eastern
States. II it were not for the fact that the
current of trade in cattle on this continent
is almost exclusively eastward, this disease
would long ago have found its way to the
Pacific coast. Nevertheless, it would be fol-
ly to expect Immunity from this plague in
the West; tor at n distant day will its
presence here be a settled fact. And what
should prevent it? No measures, legal or
otherwise, exist for the prevention of its
spread. The farther this plague extends
westward, the less will its progress be in
terfered with, because the amost entire alb
sence of qualified veterinarians, leaves the
farmers and stock owners in ignorance of
the presence of the disease among their
stock, until serious and widespread losses
will nave been sustained; and when the To-
cal or State authorities at last shall be COM
PEELED to take the matter under considera-
ton, it will nave spread far beyond our con-
troll.
The extension westward, Of the conta-
gious pleuro-pneumonia, will most likely
be effected by means OF trade and traffic on
ly. The disease affects blooded cattle as
we'll as Common stock. If common stock is
not shipped westward, blooded stock is,
and by this means it may be brought right
in among cattle ranges in the territories.
The cattle trucks may be another source of
its spread westward. We all know that the
use of these are not confined to the length
of a track OF any of the Eastern railroad cor
porations. but traverse the network of
track extending over the whole length and
breadth Of the land. Contemplate for one
moment the result, when once this plague
gets a foothold on the large cattle ranges of
the plains. England has, up to the present
time, lost over 100000 head of cattle
from the contagious pleuro-pneumonla
alone. representing a cash value of about
Sl0O, 100000. Our half wild cattle ON the
ranges will communicate this disease to the
buffaloes, and these again will cause its
spread from North to South over all the ter
~ritories, without Limitation or control. In
regard to its westward course. we have rea-
son to believe that this disease is already
now located in some parts of Indiana.
The array of figures relating to the NOR
tality among live stock, as presented by the
various state agricultural departments.
clearly indicates a necessity for the inaugu-
ration of prompt measures and the estab-