The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-10-29
SCOURGE RAVISHlNG HERDS
Epidemic of Foot and Mouth Disease
in Indiana and Michioan-En-
tire Herds Slaughtered.

Chicago, Oct. 28.--Only the mer-
est hint has reached Chicago OF the
extent of the epidemic of foot and
mouth disease in northern Indiana
and southern Michigan, involving
possible losses OF millions of dollars
and ruin to thousands of families.
In the finest dairy and, stock farm
district, covering four counties in
these two states, all but two or three
dairy cattle of hundreds of valuable
herds have been doomed to slaugh-
| ter. Nearly every farm in Berrien
and Cass- counties in Michigan, and
st. Joseph and Laporte counties, in
Indiana, is quarantined, and all the
cattle, sheep and hogs must be Kill
ed and buried in lime.
or the thousands Of animals thus
doomed, not one in twenty is suf-
Ifering from any disease. Ninety
five per cent of all the cattle, sheep
and hogs slain are y destroyed, be-
cause one, two or three among a
large herd have become infected.
The case of Haven Hubbard, a
farmer, near New Carlisle, Ind, is
typical of scores of others. Hub
bard has 1875 acres of the best land
| in St. Joseph county, and he has
i'spent twenty years in acquiring a
fine herd of dairy cows.
Monday morning Mr.. Hubbard had
cattle, 1856 sheep and $50 hogs. His
eighty one thoroughbred Holstein
barns and silos were full of feed and
fodder
Three federal veterinarians came
on Hubbard's farm and found four
of the cattle affected with the foot.
and, mouth disease. The remaining
\ 800 animals were free from disease,
n They at once doomed. all the cat
tie, sheep and pigs, and forbade Hub
4 bard to remove from the farm any
stock or produce. Tney notified
him that all the hoofed animals
would be slaughtered within twenty.
four hours.
Very soon there came to the Hub
| bard farm twenty federal agents,
who dug a trench 1913 feet long,
eight feet wide and twelve feet deep
on the hillside.
Wien the trench was finished,
four of the federal agents led the
splendid herds to one or the other
side Of the trench and shot them
dead, so that as they died they fell
in.
The revolver fusilade lasted for
hours. When the 800 animals had
been thrown into the trench barrels
of quick-lime were emptied upon
the bodies. ...s-.
The market value of Mr.. Hub
barda herd was not less than $780,.
900, but he will only get the meat
value of the lot, if he gets That. The
federal government pays half of the
meat value of the animals and looks
to the state TO pay the other half.
Michigan has appropriated money
for this payment in Cass and Berrien
counties, and DIR. Houck says he
can promise that Indiana will do as
much.
But the story of loss is not all
told with the killing of the herds
The only living things left on the
farm are the horses, and chickens.
The barns are full of fodder intend
ed for winters supply. Bnt what
ever cannot be eaten by the horses
and chickens is wasted. Even the
fertilizer must be burned. For six
months or more the farmer win be
forbidden to restock his farm, for
fear that the germ Of infection may
remain. .".
Federal inspectors sent by the de-
partment of agriculture in Washing
ton fear tie epidemic may spread TO
Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin and
all over the country unless more
drastic measures are taken.