The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-06-24
HOG CHOLERA
IN WAVES
Waves Start in the South and Move
NorthWard-First Serious Out
break was In 1886-1897.
FARM PAPER GIVES REASON
Advises Farmers to Not Go Pedigree
Crazy-Prevent interchangeable
Careful Investigation.

The United States Department of
Agriculture has been making nation
wide investigation of hog cholera, and
has published the results in recent
bulletin. We hear comparatively lit
tie about hog cholera in the south, be-
cause the hog population is small com
pared with such states as Iowa, Ne
braska and Kansas And yet, ii the
statements In this bulletin are correct,
the percentage of deaths from hog
cholera Is quite as great in the south
as in the north.
The most interesting thing about the
bulletin Is the statement that hog chol-
era comes In waves" beginning in
the south and moving northward. The
first wave (some of our readers have
bitter recollectons OF that wave)
reached its climax in 1885, 1887, when
the loss amounted to about l34 out OF
1000 in the year. We all remember
how that wave swept through Iowa,
and what fearful losses resulted. Dur
ing that year we lost SO out of 100 OF
the young pigs on each of two farms,
and so per cent Of the older ones.
The next outbreak, according to the
bulletin, occurred in 1894, and reached
its climax in 1S96-lS97, when the loss
es amounted to LA per 1,00O-the
average losses on our farms that year
were about half. The third began in
1911, when the losses jumped from a
little over 80 per 1000 to SO. no in
1912 and 1l9 last year.
If this theory be true, it may give
some comfort TO our readers to know
that the wave is subsiding In the south
having dropped from ITO per 1000
in 1912 to $50 in 1914, throughout the
southern states. In Iowa, however, it
increased from 100 per l, 900 in 1912 to
225 in 1913, and in Minnesota from So
to pa, In South Dakota from SO to
23O, in North Dakota from 20 to IS,
and in Nebraska from IS to $50 per
1000.
All this is very interesting. If true;
and in point of fact we see no reason
to- doubt, 1t -. hut what. concerns. us
most nom Philosophical point of
view Is: Why does hog cholera come
in waves? We can readily see that
waves come in the ocean; that II from
any cause water Is piled up, its weight
necessarily causes 1t to sink, which
means that the water adjoining must
rise. The movement Of waves are not
horizontal, as many suppose, eat up
and down; and the direction Of the
general movement depends on the d.
rection and force OF the wind which
originally caused the piling up.
We can readily see why prosperity
comes in waves. In times OF prosper
ity, men are disposed to spend more
than they earn. This can so on about
so long, and then there must be q
change, or else business would 60 to
pieces. These waves OF prosperity
are always followed by waves of de-
preston, during which time people
are -economizing, earning more than
they spend. After this has gone on a
certain length OF time. spectators be-
gin to think the time for an advance
has come, and proceed to reach out
and go in debt. People as a rule
make debts during waves OF prosper
ity, and pay off their debts in bad
times; and II Ia the paying off OF the
debts that makes good times again
possible. We can all easily under
stand that.
We can also understand that crime
comes in waves, to be followed by Pc
RODS of reform. One can readily see
why reprivals come in waves and are
followed by periods in which there is
little advance in right living. This is
human nature. and we can understand
that.
But why should hog cholera come
in waves? We can not tell you posi-
lively, but might make one or two
suggestions: When there Is money
in hogs and the price of corn is rela-
lively cheaper than the price OF pork,
farmers make an effort to grow just