Imperial Valley press., 1914-02-26
NATION is FIGHTING
TO SAVE THE SWINE
(From Congressman C. H. Tavenner)

Washington, Feb. 26.--In adopting
the bin appropriating $5O0,OO0 for ?
nation wide fight against hog cholera
Democratic congress has just done
great service to agriculture and to
the country in general. All appropria-
tions voted to the Improvement OF
agriculture benefit all the people, but
often this benefit is so indirect that
the city man fails to see any benefit
to himself at all. In the case OF the
hog cholera appropriation, however,
the benefit is so direct and so plain
that every citizen must see that the
return for every dollar expended Tor
this purpose will be multiplied many
fold
Even congress was startled during
the consideration of the bill by the
extent of this disease and the eco
nomic loss resulting from it. For
years the boil weevil has been held
out as the great example of COM
batable evil which is causing an eco
nomic loss to the country. The figures
sent to congress by the department
of agriculture, however, show that
the losses from hog cholera are an
nually several times as much as is
attributed to the boil weevil. And the
result is seen directly in the market
statistics being collected by the bureau
of labor statistics. The price of pork
has leaped skyward, due in large part
to the prevalence of the fatal disease
attacking the hogs of the country.
Figures have been collected show
ing the losses by states for the year
1912. The total was: 5,730,844 hogs
dead of cholera; money loss, $54,9S2,-
825. However, this is only apparent
loss. The actual loss is much greater.
The state of Iowa is the one most af
ficted by hog cholera. Iowa in 1918
lost 2,S27,907 hogs from cholera, val
ued at $2S,27S,07O. But when cholera
appears in a district the farmers
speedily sell their herds of hogs, usu-
ally at q sacrifice. The loss to Iowa
from this source was $4.940,96S. SO
that the actual loss in this state alone
was over s33 100000.
Illinois in 1912 lost 543, 500 hogs
from cholera, valued at S1050 head
on the farm, and entailing a total
loss of s5,7OS,745.
Such tremendous waste cannot help
but be reflected in the cost of living.
The department of agriculture figures
show it. In 1918, according to the
departments estimate, there were
e1,17S,000 hogs in the United tSates.
This year the estimate is 58,933 ,00)
hogs, a decrease in number of 2,24O,-
900 hogs. Yet the hog crop this year
is worth more in dollars and cents
than that of 1913, the estimate being
S9,842, 900 more. Thus the loss in
hogs from cholera is reflected in the
soaring price of hogs, price greater
than the expected shortage justifes,
but doubtlessly induced by the fear
which the disease causes among hog
growers.
The disease which was originally
imported from Europe, has struck
hardest in the greatest hog growing
section of the country-the states of
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri
and Kansas-the corn and hog belt
of the United States. Experiments
conducted by the department of agri-
culture, show that the disease can be
obliterated by intelligent nation wide
work against it. The savior of the
farmers is the cholera serum. Hogs
are inoculated with this and becom=
immune, just as anti-toxin renders
most people immune from diphtheria
The experiments of the department
show remarkable success with this
treatment 1t is the opinion of the
scientists that by rigid quarantines
and by inoculating all healthy hogs
in cholera districts, the disease can be
quelled. AS starter for this work
the government now has 100000 at
its disposal. The disease is best foughr
in the late winter and early spring, 50
that the work Of fighting this scourge
of the farms will begin at once.