Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-13
The De Soto Hogs Of Louisiana.

The De Soto Hogs Of Louisiana.
There is a breed of hogs inthe swamp
regions of some of the Gulf Coast States
which have more than three hundred
years of existence in America, if tradi-
tions of the pioneers are reliable. They
| appear to have retained in a marked
degree their ancient characteristics in a
condition something more than semi
wild. and under the rule of 'the survi-
cal of the fttest" to have made actual
improvement, and to have demonstrated
the fitness of the climate and spontan-
eous production of that region for the
growth and development Of swine.
The correspondent of the Department
of Agriculture for Catahoula Parish,
Louisiana, which lies between the Little
Red River andthe Washita, Mr.. Michae!
Dempsey, refers to this breed as the De
Soto hogs, and says their p%rogenitors
were brought out from Spain in the en-
petition of Ferdinand De Soto, in 1889,
rs part of the subsistence of an arma-
ment of $50 foot and $50 horsemen in
search of golden treasures in Florida,
and that during his five years of fight
ing his way among the fierce savages
of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Missis-
sippi and Louisiana many of his large
numbers of swine took advantage of
their liberty in the swampy forests
Astounding in the territory ~traversed,
successfully disputing possession with
the alligator, panther, bear and wild cat,
so far at least as to escape humiliation.
The following statement is quoted con-
corning this remarkable breed:
They are fleet of foot, keen of scent,
sharp of hearing, with an eye that looks
red with anger; their ears are short and
erect like a horse, only broader and
very thick; their color is a pale blue or
dingy white, with a sprinkling of red
sandy ones. If any other color prevails,
such as Jacobs cattle, ring-strcaked,
spatted, or speckled, it is foreign blood.
These hogs are seldom fed by their
owner, nor do they care for it, as they
have learned to root pig or die, and 1
have found some so wild that when an
ear OF corn was thrown in front of them
they would jump from the smell of it as
if they were struck with electricity. If
the mast (nuts Of the forest) is good
they weigh at one year old 100 pounds
net, at eighteen months from 140 to $50
pounds net, but they are rarely killed
under three years old, and their aver
age weight is two hundred pounds
net. If the mast has failed,
they are allowed to run until they
grow fat. They roam in herds of from
a dozen up to forty or fifty, then they
form more herds, and establish their To-
cation in the woods, where they are
seldom intruded upon by other herds.
Europeons, and even people in other
sections of this Union may ask, how does
the owner know his hogs, and how
does he catch them when wanted. There
are only about one thousand people who
own hogs in this parish OF Catahoula,
and they all cut a different mark in the
ears of hogs, cattle and sheep, most of
which marks are placed on record in
the Recorders office. AS for catching
them to mark or kill, it is quite simple
to those who are used to it. The hogs
may range five, ten or fifteen miles from
home, and the owner makes prepara-
ton to kill or mark them by building a
rail pen, leaving a slip gap open. The
pen must be in a dense thicket ncar his
house with wings leading from it at
right and left oblique or V-shaped. The
Opelousas pony or mustang is mounted
and the two leopard dogs which have
been watching the pen are eager for the
hunt. These hog dogs are a peculiar
breed; they are a cross between the
wolf and common cur, and they may
be trained to hunt anything, but their
favoritc game is the hog. They can
smell a hog. with their nose up in the
air, W half a mile away, and when
they find a bunch they commence to
bark, which brings every hog within
hearing to the rally. If the right ones
are not there the dogs are called off and
they hunt for more until the correct
ones are found. The rider must not 90
too near or the hogs would scatter; but
if he can identify the mark as his, the
dogs, which have been circling round
the bunch with the speed of greyhounds,
are ordered to go ahead. They make a
dash at the herd, with furious barking,
but the hogs, having formed in line of
battle, compel the dogs to retreat, which
they are certain to do toward home, and
thus it continues until the hogs have
whipped the dogs into the pen, where
they jump over the fence and continue
to bark on the other side while the man
fastens up the gap. Many excellent
breeds of hogs have been introduced,
such as the Irish Grazier. the Chester
White, Berkshires and Poland China,
but they soon degenerate, and in a few
years they are only a hog, and a razor
back or scrub at that, while the De Soto
hog is better now than he was forty
three years since, which was my first
acquaintance with them. when they
made me run up a tree against my will.
Those Who Draw Pensions.