The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-12-03
THOROUGHBRED SWINE,

Mr.. Alexander Charles writes in refer
ence to this subject, in the .Suine and
Poultry journal, as follows:
The theory has been advocated, and
the practice has clearly demonstrated
that it is impracticable for the general
farmers OF the country to become breed
ers of fine, or properly speaking, thorough
bred stock, with the idea of disposing of
it at fancy prices. There may be many
reasons ascribed for this, the principle of
which is that it takes more time and
more capital to start than most of them
are In circumstances to afford, to say
nothing of its being a profession which
requires more study and experience than
most OF them can give The breeding of
any OF the improved breed of swine is.
however, quite different from horses. cat
tie or sheep, and we are convinced that
every farmer of the country can become
breeder of thoroughbred swine, and make
1t remunerative business. Some may
say, we cannot all sell them at fancy
prices, which is very true, neither do they
need to do so to make it profitable. The
man who buys short-horn cow at $1,000
must necessarily sell her calf at $500 or
$400, or the investment will not be pay
ing one. Such an animal will produce
only one calf in a year.
The case is quite different with swine.
a farmer at the present day can buy
pair of thoroughbred hogs ready to breed,
of any of our imported breeds, at from
s35 to $50 per pair, and with ordinary
success will produce twelve or fifteen
pigs during the year. Thus it is to be
seen ne only has to sell them at $3.50
or 50 to be making as much on the capi-
tai invested as the fancy breeder who is
purchasing cattle and horses at $1,000
each, and disposing of the product at
$500 per head. Then it is at once appar-
ent to all that the above prices are not
as much as can be realized for the COM
mol scrub hogs Of the country at two or
three months Old Then should he find
difficulty in disposing of them at that
age, it will pay him three fold, to keep
them to twelve or fifteen months of age,
at which time they will be hogs weighing
upwards to three hundred pounds, which
are worth from one-half to two cents
more per pound, than the scrub hogs
brought to market We ask the careful
attention of the readers to this matter;
we are not writing from theatrical stand
point, but from practice of what we
write, knowing that such are daily occur
rences. These being the facts why will
SO many Of our farmers presist in keep
ing stock of hogs so well known as
Prairie Rooters? Some may say they
cannot afford to buy the stock to start
with. This excuse will hold good only in
few cases, while the prices of all our inl-
proved breeds are so low. The expert
ence OF all who have tried it fully attent
that the use of thoroughbred males in
horses, cattle, sheep or swine, is one of the
best paying investments they can enter in
and it it isso in cattle, then it must be
doubly so in swine, and if those who do
not believe in thoroughbreds will use
thoroughbred males of any of the improv.
ed breeds on their common stock of cows
it will soon show marked improvement
that will in very short time pay many
hundred per cent on the investment
Surely no objection in regard to cost can
be raised from pursuing this course while
the best breeders of the country are Of
fering choice males from SIS to $25
each.