64 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



poor and those in moderate circumstances, leaving many farmers in 

 Missouri without their meat supply for the coming year. Worst of 

 all, we have not advanced one step in the direction of eradication, 

 in fact general conditions are more unfavorable and the disease 

 shows less signs of abating than it did one year ago. The results 

 have been a sore disappointment to the taxpayers. Many things 

 have contributed to the above failure. 



Many plants have come into existence for the manufacture of 

 hog cholera serum, when possible only two in ten are constantly 

 manufacturing reliable and potent serum. This fact alone has 

 caused many to doubt the efficiency of the serum treatment. The 

 protection given by the serum alone method lasts only four to six 

 weeks. However, many have used it without being properly advised 

 as to the period of immunity. At the end of the above time Mr. 

 Farmer's hogs would contract hog cholera. When he was again 

 advised to vaccinate, he would reply that they had been vaccinated 

 only a month previous and that there was nothing to the serum 

 treatment, as he had tried it. 



Then we have the simultaneous method that has contributed to 

 the present outbreak of hog cholera. After my recent investigation, 

 I found in one county that approximately ten thousand hogs had 

 been vaccinated by this method. We personally consulted with many 

 of the farmers in this county and individually they are more than 

 pleased with the results. On the other hand we found at least two 

 farmers whose hogs had contracted cholera from the above method, 

 from recently vaccinated hogs, where hogs were allowed to associate 

 with each other with only a wire fence between. 



Serum administration has had much to do with discrediting its 

 use. This is due to the fact that incompetent parties have gone 

 forth with serum and syringe and vaccinated sick hogs, regardless of 

 the disease that they were suffering from. Many were using im- 

 potent serum, others reduced the dosage in order to make the serum 

 go as far as possible, as they were vaccinating for so much per head. 

 The serum was administered in every conceivable manner. Hogs 

 were left where they died to be feasted on by birds and dogs, or 

 buried a few inches deep, only to be dragged forth at some future 

 time, to start a fresh outbreak of hog cholera. All of the above have 

 contributed to make this the most disastrous outbreak of hog cholera 

 in our history. 



When we cast about for a remedy, we must bear in mind that 

 the Board of Agriculture is the only body in the State charged and 

 empowered with the control of contagious diseases. Notwithstand- 



