The Red Cloud chief., 1884-09-05
Economic Pork.

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Una writer afirms substantially :hst
III agree that Il pound Of pork j. made
With less feed when fed to the small
breeds than when fed 10 the large
breeds trust that none VIII accuse
ne OK q desire To be controversial in
;ailin2 III question this assertion aud
popular belle, a such IL j.. There is
not a shadow o. n doubt that A Young
animal VIII make a pound Of growth ca
ess GOD thar the sam animal viii at
I iaier date. ] must confess to ma ing
g misled by the claims of the breed
.rs o! h small! breeds, ior a brief
space. upon facts that have shown the
ABOVE truth. Only u phase Of the
problem is, however. represented by
these facts. In Is application to cattle.
It Is now almost universally r~cpudiated
here IN the West, where the best cattle
oi the world are found. The large
breeds OF cattle have been found, or are
believed To have been .Ourd, the most
economical consumers o. food; hence
they are the sources of Western beef.
theory and practice bsh Affirm that
The policy Of the pork prcducers. a re-
CARDS relative size of tire breeds to he
led. is one with that oi beef producers.
Indeed, six J.. Il. Lawes and nv own
results affirm that the law, that the
older and larger an animal grows the
more fOod il takes tn make a pound OF
grosth, * decidedly less pronounced in
the pig tEan i'm the steer. Now the
larger breeds make more growth per
day and grow more pounds n W hCn-
dred DAYS, or grow ,vO hundred pounds
liz fewer days than the smaller breeds.
Accord NJ to all known a is in animal
nutrition and growth, the larger pigs
VIII make this growth with less food
than will TIE smaller breeds. The
animal organism is supported lever
days, and TIE food Of support is
thus saved. More growth being
MADE daily makes it probable
that a greater proportion OF the food
eaten is used tor growth. Such was
NV experience with Mcrinos W. Cots
w"lds. | found that 1000 pounds of
Aferinos ate decidedly more q an 1000
pounds oil Cotswo,ds. 1t nut he
agreed. inasmuch aS the large breeds OF
! pigs start in life ut about the size OF
small breeds. that the larger breeds
either eat more. or digest or a,similate
mDIe food than the small breeds. In
either event. upon any Information now
known to the world, 1 would select the
la~ge breeds for pork. But
there is one notifying factor that | at
one time. early in my eNperien e.
counted too heavily upon, rs tine result
oil the Teachings OF one or two we'll
known men. This factor is as follows:
I Tho a, II traaI- ,nt in pbap tn vnarl-.f
at "a less weight than the large breeds.
aud are assumed to be ready at less age.
and thus. by virtue of lessencd age. the
law that the less the are and size the
less the food TO make a pound of
growth is assumed ID more than u
terbalance the superior growth per day
of the large breeds. My observation j.
thai the Berkshires and improved
Poland Chin.S are in shape Tor the
market at as light 3 weight as the mar
ket presents any demand for them;
and, furthermore, that the little
Suitolks. Essex and small YorkshireS.
to obtain the weight admitted as desir-
able, are rs many days j II accomplish
ing it rs the larger breeds are in shap-
ing up. or at least the difference is not
nearly enough to bridge over the as
sumed advantage over the greater
growth per day Of the large breeds.
Without asserting positive knowledge
for il does not exist, although | have
several times contemplated The trial
i must affirm that su h evidence us the
world has atlirms the advantage Of at
least the medium-s.zed breeds tor max
ing pork in the. most economical way.
-frot. j. ". SaRLOrR, m Aurdt AeU
: IOrk.r.