Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-03-05
Hog Sanitation
System Spreads
Industry Undergoing One of
Most Important Improve
ments to Stop Disease.

OF AgrlcuILure.)
In the rapid expansion in the use of
the system of swine sanitation, COM
monty known as the Mclean county
system, the swine industry Is now I'M
,dergoing one of the most important
improvements in respect to disease
prevention since the general adoption
of the preventive treatment for hog
cholera. Reports from various states
In the Central West to the United
States Department of Agriculture in
dictate that this plan, which has for Its
main object the prevention OF the
large losses from roundwOrms and
various filth-borne diseases of young
pigs, is being adopted at an increasing
rate. Extension forces have been TAX
Ing up the plan with energy and In
many instances swine sanitation has
been made one Of the major projects
for the coming year.
Campaign In Iowa.
In Iowa, one of the heaviest hog
producing areas, campaign to extend
over a ten-year period has been out
tined with the idea ultimately Of get
ting the system generally adopted
throughout that state and thereby in
,creasing efficiency in pork production.
Nearly one-half the counties in Illinois
are said to be included in the coming
years program of work to reduce the
ravages of roundworms and filth-bOrne
.diapa COS of swine
Two years ago Nebraska got eight
or ten county agents interested in this
work and they in turn brought the new
system to the attention of many OF
the progressive hog raisers. Consid-
.erable advertising is done through the
newspapers, the use Of department
films, and through the efforts of the
department specialist who co-operated
in giving talks on sanitation as
means of combating roundworms. In
that state the work has been growing
steadily and is continuing to increase
every day.
The growing interest in this i'm
proved system of growing hogs is indi-
Gated to the Department of Agricul-
ture by the frequency with which
county agents are now mentioning 1t
in their reports. In the statements
covering the work for the past year
this subject is mentioned by 800 coun-
ty agents. This year at the Interna-
tional Live Stock exposition many of
the club boys who showed pigs In the
competition had raised them according
to the Mclean county system or had
at least adopted the general principles
of sanitation. There also has been a
great demand for the department film
dealing with this problem. The Mis-
souri Agricultural college has recently
ordered a third print Of it. The states
mentioned above are only q few Of
those in which great interest is being
taken in the subject. The new plan is
being used as far east as Ohio and as
far west as Nebraska and the Dakotas
and interest In 1t has been shown in
various other parts of the United
States.
Essentials Of Plan.
For the benefit of those who are not
yet acquainted with the essentials of
this new plan it may be outlined brief
ly as follows:
The pigs are narrowed in pens that
lave been thoroughly cleaned with I've
and boiling water, and supplied with
clean bedding. The sows before being
put in the clean pens for narrowing
are scrubbed with soap and warm wa
ter to free them of dirt which may
contain eggs Of roundworms and other
germs likely to be abundant in the
soil Of permanent hog lots. Later the
sows and litter are hauled (not driven)
to clean pasture, preferably legume
pasture, which has not been used for
hogs since cultivation. Until they are
taken to pasture the soWs and pigs
are kept strictly in their clean quar-
tiers, and until the pigs are at least
four months old they are kept on pas
ture entirely away from the perma-
nent hog lot. Pigs started this way
are protected from the danger Of seri-
Gus Infection with worms and hog-lot
diseases and get strong advantage
over those that must take their
chances with the ever-present pests.
Experience has shown that the prac-
tice pays big dividends and the ex-
pense Is small
An Illinois farmer, expressing his
yiewg as a result of experience with
the new system, says: Rather than
20 back to former methods, / would
quit the business. The practice of the
Mclean county system at present
prices means the difference between
profit and loss to the hog raiser. The
system gives the little pigs fine start
and keeps them coming in healthy,
thrifty condition from the very first,
which is most essential as a poor start
means a runty, Improbable pig later
on. Thus have been able to market
my six-months pigs at weights of from
200 to 270 pounds. Under the old sys-
TEN my hogs often did not reach this
weight as yearlings. BY marketing
hogs at six months of age / have been
able not only to sell on the high Sep
tenber and April markets, but also to
raise twice as many pigs with the
same amount of equipment, with the
additional savings of six months up
keep and care"
The United States Department of
Agriculture has detailed info. nation
on this common-sense system Of reduC-
snp worm losses on the hog farm OF