Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-03-23
CORN, HOGS AND CHOLERA.
SUNNY SIDE. Buchanan Co. In.
March Goth. 1877.

DUMMY DlDE, DuCHanaH 70 III.
March Goth, 1877.
To the Editor Of the Bulletin:
Peahaps there is no one subject the
Western farmers have though, over
and discussed to any greater ex-
tent, than the one that heads this
article. With the exception of grass,
corn is king in the Western States.
and the farmers of Iowa have great
reason to feel encouraged over the
fact that their adopted State has be-
come one of the leading corn and
hog producing States in the Union.
1t was only a few years since, that
Iowa was looked upon AS only fit for
the growing of very quick maturing
cereals, su;h rs wheat, oats, barley,
and Yankee com; but now, she has
stepped boldly into the front rank
of the corn and hog producing States.
In 1874, she reported better corn
crop than any State in the Union
In 1876, Notwithstanding the floods
and backward spring, we find her
corn crop simply immense. Iowa
did not have Il very great reputation
as hog producing State, until 1877;
she then reports three hundred thou
sand more than any other State in
Union, and at the same ratio of in
crease, in 1876 she must have had
nearly four hundred thousand more.
The number of hogs estimated to
he III Iowa in 1874, was something
over three millions, aid it is safe to
calculate in 1876, there were four
millions. From this, It will be seen
that the swine interest of our State
is assuming very large proportions,
and it may well be said, that tn.
hog, the most disagree cable and uh-
pleasant of all our domestic animals,
is the | DOR mans friend. If it were
not tor him, one half of our Western
farmers would have been driven to
the wall, or to the POOR house in the
fall Of 1876. To give an idea of the
profit there is in store for the farmer
who feeds cheap corn to high priced
hogs, let US consider a moment. II
is estimated that one buShel of corn,
fed to young, thrifty shoats, of the
improved breeds. will produce ut
the lowest estimate, ten pounds OF
pork. Now, if we feed fifty head +
pigs, twenty bushels of corn each,
from May till Decor Der, in connec-
ton with grass, and Slops made from
bran and shorts, We can safely cal
culate that they will weigh $50
pounds each. The market price tor
the past few years, has been IS per
cwt., which would amount to $3.50.
These pigs have consumed 1000
bushels of corn. II this had been
lu, on the market, it would have
br,ugh, rs cents per bushel; deduct
ing5 cents per bushel for hauling and
other expenses, it would leave Us
$500 for our corn, and gives profit
of $425 on the pigs. From this i,
will be seen that if the millions OF
bushels of corn that have been raised
and sold i'll Iowa annually during
the past five years, had been fed te
hogs, our farmers would have beer
financially the most prosperous PEG
pie in the world. We do not ad
wise any one /" go into wild specu
lation in hogs, or rush into hog
raising unprepared, but we woul'
advise every 100 acre farmer to turn
off about forty or fifty hogs ever,
year. RaiSe your pigs and corn, ant
then there is no debt to meet whel
they are sold.
1t is evident that the time ha
come, when we E,ust adopt Il new
mode OF ia. ming here in the west
The time was, and that less than
quarter ola century ago, when "
had only to pillow and to sow, with
certainty of Il luxuriani harvest. w
then thought our soil inrxhanstibl,
hut now, we may pillow in hope AM
SOW i'll hope, and harvest di>apl"in1
ment. The sooner We learn 10 al ~
this new mode of farming, and fee,
a, home to improved stock, ever
spear of grass, and every kernel q
grain, then III return, feed the farm
the sooner will richness return to on
soil, aud our farmers become reall
prosperous.
We will now notice the yre:.
question lha, The " hul, west is stand
ing in fear and trembling over; on
III which every individual il more .
less interested, VIZ: Hog Cholera
We, here in northern IOWA, hav
thus tar escaped tins disease to
great extent, and have not as ye
fully realized what it is, and win"
havoc il makes in the hog creation
when 1t once gets Il hold in a leigh
borhood. Wise heads estimate tina
fully ono-third OF the hogs in tn
west die annually before reaching
the market, with this disease. NJ
DIS, V. IS, and even Congress has
been called upon to find speciti'
cule for this disease, but have thu.
far tailed. While they have thu
failed to find cure, they have
brought out light enough to show