Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-09-02
AGENT BALmER ON
HOG VACCINATION
Reviews Situation In West
Central Counties up
To Date.

plan Of fighting cholera by the only
method now known for controlling
this scourge, namely, vaccination with
serums and in some cases both SER
UNI and virus.
This amount of serum used is suffl-
cient to treat $4,000 hogs averaging
100 lbs. in weight, the probable aver.
age size of hogs at the present ti,ps.
It was about this time last year (last
Of August) when cholera began to ap-
pear and spread rapidly in this Sec
ton and considering that it's ravage
continued for nearly three months
later than that time, there is indica-
ton that more than twice as much
serum may yet be used as has already
been administered and at least twice
as many hogs treated.
In other words nearly 100000
cubic centimeters of serum may be
needed and as many as 100000 head
Of hogs treated by the time that cold
weather checks the disease for the
year. These one hundred thousand
head of hogs very soon if not now
will be worth $1,000,000.
Some one may question, that to vac
cinate hogs costs considerable mon
ey. That is true, it does. That feat
ure Of vaccination is one which we re-
gret. We wish it cost less to vaccin-
nate. But the real question to con-
slider is what does vaccination cost
compared to the value of hog?" Let
us make the answer emphatic. A
HOG IS WORTH AT LEAST TEN
TIMES AS MUCH AS IT'S VACCIN-
ALTON COSTS, including cost of both
serum and veterinary service. What
better argument is there in favor of
vaccination providing it is done pro-
perly and with reliable materials?
The reader may question relative
to losses following vaccination. There
is q possibility of some losses. A
doctor does@not- all his pat fienta.
Nevertheless, the greatest cause OF
losses is the failure of the hog own.
er to report cholera to the County
Agent or veterinarian, as soon as 1t
appears in his herd, or as soon as it
threatens his herd by being present
in neighboring farms.
The County Agents employed by the
State Agricultural Extension Division
have charge Of the general plan OF
control throughout the various coun.
ties. These men have the co-opera.
tion and assistance of the State Live
Stock Sanitary Board, the Veterinary
Dept. Of the Agricultural College,
which operated the State Serum plant,
the West Central Minnesota Develor.
ment Association which is buying and
helping to maintain large quantities
Of commercial serum in each county
for immediate use, the veterinarians
throughout the counties and the var.
ious organizations within the county
such as the County Farm Bureaus
Farmers Clubs, etc. These numerous
sources Of assistance put the county
agent in the best position to aid both
individuals and communities in the
work of control.
During the past two or three weeks
the cholera has been spreading in
some counties with a vengeance. In
one county it's spread was so rapid as
to make it necessary to vaccinate 120(
hogs during one week. AS this is be
ing written one herd Of over 400 hogs
is being vaccinated in Grant County.
It is our hope to keep cholera from
spreading as much as possible and not
to do vaccinating in communities thai
are not threatened with cholera q:
that is a needless expenditure, bu
where it is present or threatening w
want the full cooperation Of both in
dividuals and communities, that loss
es may be few.
Help US save the million dollar cro]
of hogs.
| FRANK E. BALMER,
Supervisor County Agents