The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-05
Kansas to Stamp Out Dreaded
Hog Cholera.
Serum Factory to Be Situated
at TX. 8. A. C.
WILL SELL AT COST
Fluid Will Be Sent
to Farmers.
Means Half Million to Kansas
Next Year.

It is expected that before next
spring when the dreaded hog cholera
breaks out in Kansas and causes a
loss of several hundred thousand dol
lars among the farmers of the state,
the state will have in operation at the
Kansas State Agricultural college,
plant for the purpose of making and
distributing among the farmers, a
serum, which, when injected into the
skin of the afflicted hogs will make
the animals immune from the disease
The plans for this plant were made
at Manhattan today when State Live
Stock Commissioner ]. H. Mercer and
DIR. w. B. Niles of the United States
commission will meet with the heads
of the college, perfect plans and then
the plant will be built and the manu-
facture of the serum commenced. 1t
will take about six weeks for the first
production of the hog cholera serum
DIR. Niles was in conference with
Governor Stubs at the office OF the
latter this morning and together with
the governor and the government Of
ficial J. H. Mercer of this state, who
has been making so many successful
tests, were in attendance. The con-
ference was a great delight to the
governor who said to the reporters af-
forwards:
Gov. Stubs Explains.
''I hope that you can appreciate the
great value of a plant of this kind
The farmers of Kansas lose thousands
of dollars every year through the raw
ages of this horrible cholera and ev-
cry method known has been applied.
If we can form this state plant sue
cessfully it will mean millions to the
farmers in time and also to the United
States because Kansas furnishes fully
a third of the hog shipments of this
country.
st am more than interested in this
work and am sure that everything will
be in readiness for spring when the
plague starts in again and the state
will be in shape to send this cure out
to the farmers at once. A slight vac
cination and the cholera can be stop
ped where it started. I consider the
success of this plant one of the ad-
vantages of the age for the good peo-
pie of this state"
DR.. Niles. and Commissioner Mercer
returned today from Chase county
where they have been experimenting
with their serum on hogs in that 10
cality. In every case the serum work.
Cd out wonderfully and the experiments
were most successful Together the
two gentlemen returned to Topeka and
from here they went to Manhattan
where q consultation with the officials
of that college will be held. They will
take with them the urgent requests
for a settlement from Governor Stubs.
The government sent DR.. Niles to
Kansas to investigate this hog cholera
The prescription for the serum is a Sc
cret and will only be dished out to
ST ate institutions of this kind. 1t will
be possible for the Agricultural college
TO take this matter in hand and sell it
to the farmers over the state at a very
small cost.
''I do not think that it will cost over
20 cents a head for the hogs said DR.. |
Niles his morning.
Twenty-Five cents head means that |
1t will cost this much for the state to |
it. 1t was proposed this |
m orning by Governor Stubs that the |
81 ate make the preparation and sell 1t |
at cost to the farmers. In some cases
it is given away but at such a cheap |
price it is thought that the farmers
will be financially able to buy all that
Is needed to vaccinate any of their |
hogs that might become afflicted
This hog cholera which has been
such a setback to the hog raising
farmers of the state for some time has
been a horror to the average Kansas
farmer and they have welcomed any
thing that might be prepared to stop
tie ravages of the disease State Com
missioner Mercer has been conducting
some very successful experiments at
the Kansas City stock yards lately and
he has been instrumental in bringing
to this state DR.. Niles of the govern
ment commission.