The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-11-06
Auasssa,t gmtelliyeaeer.
Southern Pork Raising.

The Commissioner Of Agriculture O
Georgia in his excellent Manual on tho
Hog, discusses the question Of Southern
Pork In an able manner. While his re-
maYksa are designed mere particularly 70,
thsEtate,o ,of Georgia, still they may apply
moro or less to all the Southern States.
The hog is o native of the warm OF
more temperate regions Of the earth
ALI the animals of the order to which
the hog belongs are natives of warm cl i.
mates, and mono are found in modern
times as far North as the hog. The
elephant, rhinoceros, and hippopotamua
belong to this order. The hog therefore
finds congenial home q: the South.
In every instance of decided improve.
ment of valuable breed, it has been
maturing, Southern breeds upon tho
coarse breeds of more Northern climates.
The Berkshire, Essex and Poland
present day-all originated in this way.
Any Of these breeds, introduced into the
South, aud properly cared fog, will im.
prove rather than deteriorste.
Apart from all theoretical considera.
tions, the fact of the entire adaptability
of our climate to the hog has been dem.
onstrated. In 1860, one fifteenth of all
the hogs in the United States were In
Georgia, and during the late war, she
not only fed her population, but furnished
millions of pounds Of bacon to the army
Of the Confederacy.
In the much larger portion Of the
South the ground seldom freezes, and
when it does, it extends only an inch or
two In DEPTH, and rarely continues so
during the day. The hog is furnished
by the Creator with srout formed for
the purpose of turning up the soil in
search of TODD, both animal and vegeta.
BILE. There are few days in Tie year
when the ground is not in condition TO
be penetrated by this snout in search Of
food. {l aH.a
i. Again, our winters are go mild that
the rye Or barley, sown early in the fall,
furnish, during the winter monihs, the
green food so necessary for health and
thrift. While tho farmer of the frozeG
or SNOW, covered North is feeding his
hogs in costly houses, from his garnered
stores Of grain for six months Of the
year, ours. require only simple shelters
we'll supplied with pine straw or leaves
from the woods-always accessible aud
costing but the haulihg-as bed Tor the
night, while they luxuriata in green pas.
lures ol rye or barley, or in gathering
rich nuts from the fragrant, uplurned
soil during the day. Notwithstanding
the fact that Georgia was, in 1860, SC
largely planting State, she ranked
seventh In the number of hogs owned
and even in 1870, afeer the loss of the
war, she ranked ninth, notwithstanding
the most fagrant neglect on the i,art Of
the farmers, under the paralyzing inRu,
ence of their losses occasioned by the
results of the wer, and the complete
disorganization of our entire labor system
With the same caro- and attention
bestowed now that was given to raising
hogs in 1860, Georgia need not purchase
pound Of pork from, other States
Indeed, it can be clearly demonstrate
that pork can be raised 90 cheaply In
Georgia as any State in the Union
though at the present time 1t is estima.
ted that about ten million dollars arc
annually expended principally by the
farmers aud farm laborers for pork, lard
and bacon imported from the West,
It hes been shown already that Geor.
gia is In the isoLhermal belt which passe:
Through the natural habitat of the hog
that previous to, aud during the late
war, an abundant supply for home con
sumption was raised in the State. Il wes
not only raised, but cured aud preserved
on the farm during the year without diff
ficulty. Hams, unsurpassed in quality
tat were two years old, raised and cured
in Georgia, were Of no uncommon occur.
renee. sAs far as climate is concerned
then, there 10 no difficulty either IN, rails.
ing, curing, or keeping bacon.
Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee
and Kentucky are the largept producers
of pork, according 10 tho last census.
Clover and Indian corn arc almost ex.
clusively relied upon for the support and
fattening of hogs In these States, aided
only by the gleanings of small grain
harvest fields. We have In Georgia oil
the55 resource hes.asa q EaE9Sar aF oshsE
cheaper crops which furnish excellent
food, s which The hogs ssssaasss Ea.sg:; .hs
fields. The sweet potato, field paa,
ground pea, chufa, Ur;., produce large
crops per acre, at very small cost. A
variety of fruits, also, such as plums,
blaokberries and mulberries, which grow
spontaneously, besides tho peach and
apple are valuable auxiliaries. A very
small quantity OF corn 10 needed during
the growth Of the hog, and while fatten
ing, only enouga just before butchering
to harden the flssht ~ az. e. &
In order to secure proper attention to
the production Of any commodity, there
must bo q Eeasonable demand for It when
prodnesds That there Is euch O demand
In Georgia Is shown by thesvast quaint.
ties annually imported from other