The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-05-09
Cattle Disease Alarms.

The realization of the importance Of
public measures for the suppression of
diseases of cattle that are or may be
contag Gus in their character has fully
come to tn. breeders of the Mississippi
Basin. and it seems strange that any
one having the industrial interests Of
the country and the material prosperity
Of the Nation at all at heart can oppose
the adoption Of such measures. The
pleuro- pneumonia OF the East, the Tex
IS fever in the couth, the swine plague
and the CHAMBERS of the North. and
now the So, a led foot-and-mouth dis
ease of the Mississippi Valley, call loud
y for such prov sions as will prevent
the decimation of the great herds on
the plains, so seriou ly threatened. and
protect American industries from the
pre- JUDICIAL not on Of foreign Govern
ments as regards the cattle export
trade.
These are facts which must be patent
10 every one: and although no con-
tagious character can be ascrlbed to the
recent outbreaks of disease among the
rattle of Kansas, Missouri and Illinois,
there can be no possible reason for
abating the interest in the measures for
the general good in this particular that
those outbreaks have aroused. The
alarm is fortunately without sufficient
grounds. yet 1t is not without its value.
Many interested in the commerce msy
complain that such alarms are hurtful
and uujustifiable. because they tend to
disturb the state of the trad =, and con-
denim those journals that have gi en- SO
much space in their columns to the
publication of all statements that could
be gathered concerning the dreaded
scourge. And while there may be
something of justice and reason in the
complain. there can be no doubt that
the harm that NAV have been inflicted
in thi way is mu b more than counter
balanced by the in uence these facts.
even il not Immediately important of
themselves. hare upon governmental
and State authorities in deliberations
upon the means 10 be adopted for pre-
ventiOn or suppression on one hand.
and by the force with which they urge
upon farmers and cattle-gruwers the
desirabili,y of better hygienic condi-
tons in the management of the r
stock. Poor food and neglect during
inclement weather will no more pro-
duce good cattle and healthy stock than
will poorly-tilied. sterile soil bring
forth good crops of corn and wheat.
Those animals which during the sum-
mer months have reveled in the enjoy
mcnt of the rich, succulent heritage of
prairie farms are BIT lily prepared to
withstand the neglect ley often have
to suffer at the hands o. thr lftless and
improvident farmers with no barns for
shelter, with little or no hay, and only
poor. soft corn, and proba ly only a
small quantity of that to nour III them
is there any cause for wonder that
the animals become weakened and
brought to condition to succumb TO
any disease or affection that may at
tack them?
The farmers of this age must come to
tha realila ion that 4 bountiful nature
Will not always respDni generously to
all claims made upon her without ade-
quate outlay Of labor TO satisfy certain
fixed requirements. These requirements
are of The simplest character, and easy
to understand. In manufacturing. ma
chnery is well cared for. al damages
arr repaired as soon as they occur, the
parts are we'll fabricated. and the strict
est watch the most intelligent kind
kept over every part. Success in these
Industries can be obtained only by such
care. 1t has frequently been declared
that practical agriculture requires for
its most success ul prosecution the high
est degree OF human intelligence: and
while this is un oubtedly true, there IS
also no question that 1t is not always
found among owners or man gers oil
fai MS. In this country farm products are
largely left to produce themselves, and
anything that involves either labor or
eNpend TURF of capital, even though
both may promise profitable results, 3
too often looked on with disfavor.
Farmers west of the Alleghenies have
Vet to learn that the best results to be
secured are only the sequence OF earnest
and intelligent labor. So su cattle
plaques as have lately been discussed
might have been avoided by the ap. Ii
cation of these principles in the man.
agement of the herds. Some of the
examiners VINO went over the ground
hare apparently been satistie that the
disease which affected the cattle of Kan
sas. Missouri and Ii nois is the result
of exposure, poor and scanty food, and
want of care. That the disease was
conhned to certain sect ops is BY them
explained by the statement that the
careless practices favoring the appear
ance and extension of the disease have
become common in comparatively re-
stricted areas.
Whether this be true or not, the I'M
pcrtance of greater attention to tie
com ort of cattle during the winter
months can not be too strongly urged
upon those to whom animals are in-
trusted. They are often ao:e to with
stand exposure and limited food sup
plies, but this consti utes no valid
reason ior subiecting them to such con-
ditions. In all cases it paws to keep
good cattle. and it pays to keep them
warmly housed and we'll fed durin the
winter. These facts, with the grow ng
demand for more and better beef, must
soon be taken into account There ore
it may be repeated with emphasis at,
even if the late widespread Alarms con-
corning cattle diseases were to some ex-
tent unwarranted by the conditions
prevailing. they have served q useful
uurpOse- Chlcu1o Tri6ang