The herald., 1893-02-11
'ArURDAH. FEBRUARY IL, 1898.
THE STORY OF TWO PIGS.

As it is now settled thing that Los
Angeles is to have packing establish
ments-the Cudahy Packing company
In this city and at least one more in the
neighborhood of the Monte-it is right
that the proposition of growing hogs
should be considered in the light which
facts throw on possibilities. The idea
that good hams and bacon cannot be
grown amongst orange groves has been
dispelled by Mr.. Cudahy himself, most
experienced man in this line, who says
that there is no place on the American
continent where hogs can be raised with
more profit and advantage than right
here, and that nowhere else would the
cured product be more perfect.
It is not beneath the dignity of an
editor to 60 into detailed mention OF
what may be done in the country in
which his paper is published. Macaulay
says that the greatest speeches ever
made in the British parliament were on
topics that related to the most ordinary
details of life. Edmund Burke de-
scrtbed Charles James Fox's celebrated
East India bill as measure which was
designed to secure the rice in his pot to
the ryot of India. Anything that directs
men in the way to make living is
worthy of attention. Southern Califor-
mia is missionary field as yet, and will
be for many years.
Thus by way of preface. We will
plunge at once into the question of hogs.
Hogs are profitable in Los Angeles
county, and we will proceed to prove it.
Some five years ago Mr. Thomas Sto-
veil, the proprietor of the Mechanics
Planning mill, concluded to retire from
business on modest competency. He
bought himself farm in the neighbor-
hood of Long Beach--a modest farm of
fifty-five acres. His idea was to expert
ment in purely adventurous spirit in
country life. His wife suggested that
he should buy couple of pigs. to con-
sumo the waste OF the household.
We propose to tell the history of those
two pigs, which were happily of oppo-
site sexes, and which Immediately be-
gan to increase and multiply. They
had an average of two and half litters
year. Up till the present year Mr..
6tovell has sold from $1,000 to $4,000
worth of pork from these industrious
,porkers. As his porcine family .devel-
,oped on his hands he was obliged to ac-
,quire an additional sixty acres of land,
90 that, at present, he aries out his
experiment one on hundred and fifteen
acres. Part OF this tract he cultivates
In barley, another part in corn and still
another in alfalfa, while he has range
OF twenty acres which he allows to grow
up in malva, grass and weeds.
This year he has already sold seventy
five hogs, and he has one hundred and
sixty-nine which will be ready for the
market shortly, and which he is finish
ing up on corn and barley, making firm
and sweet pork. He has received seven
cents pound for the hogs he has already
sold. and will get the same price for the
remaining one hundred and sixty-nine.
His receipts from this department of his
farm, therefore, will this year range
between $500 and $4000-all from the
two pigs of five years ago.
He has kept q methodical business
mans account of the transactions of lis
farm, and he finds that he can make
money on hogs with corn at 81 bushel,
supposing that he were to feed corn ex-
clusively.
Mr.. Stovell is a mesa farmer, and
takes his chances of the seasons ex
cept as to his alfalfa patch, which he
irrigates. Where he gets ahead heavily
is in the natural spontaneity of the
soil. We have mentioned the fact that
he has twenty-acre patch OF malva,
grass and weeds. One hundred and
twenty-five hogs have been turned into
this lush spontaneous feed, and the feed
is gaining on the hogs. Struggle as
they may, they can't eat it down. This
is heavily into the pockets of their
owner. All he has to do is to finish
them up on corn and barley.
Mr.. Stovell, who has retired from
business, and who is a red-headed and
red-bearded man of fifty-four who looks
about thirty-two, is now confronted by a
singular predicament. He is making
money on his farm, and threatens soon
to have regular wealth producing
agency on his hands. He intends to
call halt right here, and to keep his
hogs down, or he will soon find himself
In bigger business than when he was
running his Mechanics Planning mills.
All he desires is to have nice, we'll.
appointed farm home. II those ener-
Retic hogs were allowed to work their
grunting will upon him in the increase
and multiply line they would soon have