The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1901-10-31
Health of show Stock.

1
fairs. and there are some breeders ot
excellent swine who stay at home with
their animals rather than run chances
of bringing disease back with them to
the farm. This should not be, and
there is no need Of SO much trouble
annually in this respect. In the first
place it behooves the intending ex-
bibitor to act fairly towards all con-
cerned. He knows better than anyone
else whether there is cholera in his
district. He knows whether his swine
have been exposed or not-whether
there is the slightest chance that they
may take the disease to the fair and
so expose other swine. He is well
aware of the fact that the germ may
exist for a time in the blood OF the
hogs without showing the character
istic symptoms to the fell disease.
Knowing all of these things then he
should not take his hogs to the fair.
Depend upon it that some one man
takes the disease to the fair grounds.
The germ of the disease is not there
when the show opens. Great care is
usually taken by the management to
clean up after each show, to disinfectq
and ~whitewash. This being the case
the grounds may be considered healthy
and the exhibitor cannot say fairly
that his swine contracted the disease
from germs existent in the pens. The
disease is invariably due to
~contagion brought to each show
by some of the exhibits, and
We say without reserve that in most
cases these swine might have been
kept at home and so prevented an out
break. 1t is very rare indeed when In
vestigation of the outbreak is made, to
find that no trace can be found OF the
district from which the disease orig
inally came and when found there are
usually sufficient facts to show that the
exhibitor whose swine brought in the
germs had some knowledge Of the pos
sibility of contagion, but thought it
too remote to give trouble. When an
exhibitor has such information there
is only one way for him to act, and
that is to forego the pleasure and
profit of showing for fear that he may
bring disease to his neighbors' hogs.
On general principles, if there is
known to be cholera present in a given
district no swine should be allowed to
come to the show from that district no
matter whether they have been exposed
or not. There is always a chance that
they may carry the disease. This is
the plain duty of the exhibitor, but he
should receive equal consideration up
on the part of the management of the
fair or show. The pens provided for
the reception of his fine hogs should
be clean, dry, well ventilated and re-
Gently disinfected and w~hitewashed.
He should see to it before he starts
that the management has so prepared
the pens for his reception, and if each
breeder would AXE time to write to
the secretary of the show weeks ahead
just what he expects in this way the
management would soon see the ne
cessity and advantage of having the
quarters for hogs in fine sanitary con-
dition at the opening Of the show. But
this is not all. When the swine ar
rives upon the fair grounds everything
should be done to prevent disease from
breaking out among them. Expert
veterinarians or a special veterinarian
retained for the purpose, should ex-
anime each lot of hogs before it is al
lowed to enter the pens, and reject fol
u any animal or lot of animals
that are seen to be afflicted with any
disease that is likely to spread con
tagion among the other hugs. Each
exhibitor should file an affidavit thai
cholera is non-existent in his district
Each railroad company should provide
clean, disinfected. w~hitewashed cars
for the conveyance of swine to ant
from the fair. Precautions should BIZ
taken to keep the pens at the fail
grounds scrupulously clean, so tina
bad odors may not arise to annoy the
visitors and at the same time out o.
consideration for the health of the
swine exhibited. At many of the shows
the pens are not kept clean and dis
infectants are not used or are so spar
, ingly distributed that they fail to de
? odorize and cannot possibly be de
pended Upon to kill germs of disease
Each state agricultural association
should give some we'll known disin
fecting firm the contract to keep thu
, PENS sweet and healthy during thu
show, and if this were lone there
would be few reports Of disease at thu
fairs.
Soft, Rot of Sweet Potatoes.-At
'tackS tuberS. u~S1lal1V after the ar