The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-11-25
Hog Cholera.

correspondence Philadelphia Reeordl
The health of live stock, and especially of
swine in this country is becoming serious
il not a burning question. Hog cholera is
progressively getting worse from year to
wear the present being the worse ever
known. Farmers in the West are afraid 10
keep their stock until it is fully fattened,
and are pushing hogs into market in an I'M
precedented way rather than assume the
risk of keeping them until they are properly
Tipened for slaughter. There are some points
connected with this sort of business that, TO
say the least, are unpleasant for consumers
to think about.
This disease has existed for years in the
West. 1t has gradually been working Its way
Eastward, and has from time TO time broken
out here and there in all the States traversed
by the great trunk lines of transportation.
Canada has been invited by the contagion in
the same way, the germs of the disease BEING
carried and spread by the cars in which dis
eased hogs have been shipped. The disease
is thus widely distributed; but most COM
plant is made as yet in those parts where
swine-keeping is a leading industry. This
emphasizes the necessity for vigilance. The
stock in the Middle Atlantic and New Eng
land States should be carefully guarded to
avoid heavy loss if the disease should become
epidemic as in the West.
The swine interest of the Atlantic slope is
not, to be sure, of primary importance, COM
paratively, except in some limited districts:
put il Is well worth looking after and pro-
tecting against this highly contagious and
deadly disease. Farmers may avoid trouble
by breeding their own pigs. 1t is dangerous
to buy stock shipped from west of the noun
tains, or from any infected district, as many
have found TO their cost within year or two.
Every neighborhOod should produce all the
pigs and shOats it needs for its own use. This
will pay as a matter of business, besides in
surfing against introducing cOntagiOn.
The American farmer and stoekman is en-
te ring upon an era in which he can better
understand and appreciate the apprehensiye
dread OF contagious animal diseases by
British farmers, and must learn the import
ance OF protecting himself against these
scOurges. In this country swine and cattle
plagues, which until within a comparatively
recent period were unknown, are beginning
to give trouble. Unless proper precautions
are taken in both private and public ca
pacity to prevent the spread of these dis
eases they will prove as costly visitations
here as in Great Baitain, where, by the re-
turns Just made the loss during the past
year. in which no special epidemic pre-
vailed, amounted to 20 per cent. OF all the
live stock born in the kingdom. But at
home il does not need much effort to see
what hog cholera is doing in the West. AL
though there are no statistics TO show the
amount of losses, farmers are nevertheless
considerably demoraIized, and the pig corn
crop of the country will not realize them
the profits they hoped. The point for the
farmer to see IN this matter is that he must
light this disease. II is a question on which
to seek light rather than to display heat. We
may protect ourselves If we will.