Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-15
RAsPING THE REDS.
ineir Profitable Adaptation to Kansas
Seriously Questioned.
kansas CITY uye-s,oc, ,na,..,,

Their Profitable Adaptation to Kansas
Seriously Questioned.
kansas City Livestock Indicator.l
The correspondence below explains
itself. 1t was written by prominent
citizen-one of the most extensive and
experienced breeders of hogs for pork
in Kansas--and pointedly suggests
some questions upon which a good
many persons besides the writer would
like definite and unquestionable in
formation. We hope our readers who
have that sort will come forward with
their substantiated facts and present
them in the Indicator. Guesses do
not count.
To the X. c. Livestock Indicator:
As you are an authority on swine,
(hogs we call them) / enclose you a
copy of letter have written to -
-, Grinnell, Iowa. in answer to a
circular they sent me; possibly it may
interest you. The "rcduced rate by
express" which most breeders adver-
tise is wholesale lie, verify believe,
and so our expressmen tell me. l
have just seen a siX-inonihs' -old "Vic-
toria" boar, from Ohio, l believe,
bought by one of my neighbors at o
big price: he is a poorer hog than any
one of the 800 that l have on nv place.
He is almost all legs. nose, ears and
tail, with no body to speak of, prob
ably a scrub, worthless at home as he
is here. j. II. MEAD.
WICHITA, KAN, April 81, 's4.
-, Grinnell, Iowa:
DEAR SIR have received your cir
cular of the 18th relating to 'Duroc''
or "Jersey Red swine, and if your
hogs would do in Kansas Tor any other
State for that matter) what they are
advertised to do in New Jersey, /
would be very glad to pay you 800 a
piece for dozen or two instanter ;
but have tried the brutes-so have
my neighbors-along with other
breeds of hogs, and the result is far
from satisfactory with the Reds.
Three or fouc years since sent to
of Ohio, and got three
full-bred, pedigrced Jersey Red pigs.
The express on The three was $3.50,
(they advertised reduced rates by ex-
press, as most hog-breeders do and
six months after | received two more
Red pigs from the same parties. |
also received later pair of pigs from
your stock, present from my uncle,
Mr.. John X. James, OF Grinnell, Iowa,
making seven fnll-blood Duroc Jerseys
to begin with. From these seven
hogs, and by using the Red boars on
my other hogs, have raised some 400
or 500 purc-bred and grade Red hogs,
and they have proved TO be the poor
est lot of shoats / ever raised, or ever
saw bred in this country. AT about
twelve months of age they commenced
to develop, and by heavy feeding and
pushing they eventually made heavy
shipping hogs; that is, such as did not
die before reaching eight months from
thumps, dwindling away, etc.
i raise each year about 800 hogs for
market, and also raise the corn and
other stuff TO feed them: have never
had any disease among my hogs have
about 600 acres of bottom land in nv
farm, with the river on the east and
a creek for a mile ON the west side;
have an abundance of timber for shade
as well as plenty of running water !;
have large pastures of native grass,
and fifteen acres of artichokes for Win
ter feed.
have been very successful with the
Polands and Berkshires and their
crosses have just sold bunch of hogs
one year old that averaged $40 pounds.
They never had milk or extra feed,
and nothing but corn and their pas
lures since they were weaned.
Now, with all the testimonials from
New Jersey TO California of great
weights for Red hogs, in Kansas they
breed rapidly back to the woods hog;
in fact, get there frequently the first
cross-regular hazel-splitters, as fiat as
a sunfish, looking as though heavy
roller had passed over them, and not
making a marketable hog under eigh-
teen months.
This is the universal result of cross
ing the Reds on the good stock of this
county in every instance | have no.
ticed. The proprietor Of one of our
elevators (Mr. Furlong) buys and feeds
shoats from two TO ten months old.
and the Reds are the meanest looking
hogs he has in his yards, which includes
all breeds.
Now, If you or any other man will
produce lot of Red hogs that will do
all you say they will, to wit weigh as
they are quoted as weighing in New
Jersey for the pas; ten or twenty
years, "eat hay like cow" Give on
grass in summer" produce and raise
ten, twelve or fifteen pigs at litter,
and weigh more than any other hogs
of the same age, and my neighbors
will contract to buy from you or them
at weaving time all such pigs you can
raise. cash down, at your own price.
There has been but one first-ciass /
Red hog shown at our State and
county fairs in Kansas. That was the
hog "Muscogee." If you have any
such as you and all other Red hog men
describe, please bring few down to
our next State fair. We are very anx-
Gus 10 see them. In haste, yours
ruly, j. u. MEAD.
WICHITA KAN. ADril 81 "a