The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1915-08-28

What the San Luis Valley Farmers
Have Done should be Duplicated
In Other Communities.
On a recent visit to the San Luis
valley. in southern Colorado. we were
OF Rio Grande county. In connection
with few In the counties adjoining,
have done in hog cholera control
work
This country Is an irrigated one.
All crops are raised by irrigation. SO
IT is apparent at once that much
harder fight must be put up to con-
troll and eradicate this disease under
these conditions than would be neces
sary in many other localities. II In
lection is in any OF the main bitches
II viii surely be spread to many
farms, and there is great danger Of
81 being picked up by the hogs. Es-
pec'ally Is his true with the San Luis
valley lermer, for he practically has
10 aor lots;his hogs run on pastures
most aIl Of the time.
THIS country some years ago. like
many other localities, WAS considered
riarp proof No cholera was ever
G aerienced until some infected hogs
wore shipped in. and then the cholera
proof Idea of the valley was at once
ploded, just as it has been or will
We in every other locality where hogs
are grown.
Hogs Were a Liability
IN 1910 there were shipped from
Monte Vista about 100000 worth Of
hogs. In 1912 hog cholera got foot
hold to the extent that hogs were al
most worthless. except the ones ready
for the market. AS one banker told
us. he almost considered hogs liza
bility to tho farmer instead OF an as
set farmer at that time in this To-
cality couldn't borrow dollar at the
bank with which to buy hogs or the
feed for them, simply because the
cholera was practically all over the
valley.
badly have been body blow to most
men. Not so with the farmers OF the
Monte Vista district; they knew that
hogs could be made a money maker
for them if the disease could be kept
down. After investigations in hog
cholera control work they made up
their minds that they could control
the disease and at once took steps to
deal the disease knockout blow.
The outcome of the investigation
and the determination to become
ganization of the Monte Vista Hog
Growers Association. The plan under
which this association Is organized
appeals to us as being a good one. 1t
has proven a shining success with
these people. and we believe other
farming communities might be just
as successful as these people IL they
will but organize and determine to
wipe out the disease.
Graduate Veterinarian Employed
First the members OF this associa-
ton paid in membership fee of $40
each, which later became the amount
annually paid for the carrying on of
the work. A competent graduate
veterinarian was employed at an an
nual salary of $4,000. His duties
were 20 treat the herds OF the mem
bers. show them what to do and how
to do It. He not only showed them
and told them. but he stayed right
with them and helped
The plan of work was to vaccinate
the infected herds with serum alone.
In some instances all the hogs in the
herds on adjoining farms were treat
cd with serum, while in other in
stances these herds were not treated,
depending on conditions. The carcass
OF every dead hog was burned; none
were allowed to lie around or to be
buried. The veterinarian employed
by the association was made deputy
sheriff. nlso a deputy state stock in
spector, thus giving him authority to
enforce the law and his plan Of work
IL necessary.