Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-02-08
WHEAT VERSUS HOGS.
HOW TO ESCAPE THE SUI OF
THE PAST BAD CROPS.
Necessity of a Diversity 4" the
Eprmer' Efforts How rory
Seven Cent Wheat Can BE Made 10
Yield "a Rcturn.

The following article on the raising OF
hogs should be read by every farmer IN tne
Northwest, and especially ny IarnheaS ~
Northern Minnesota and North Dakota' ~ +,
treats of a subject when anects ~
permanent prosperity Of this section and Is
from Gen. Mark ID. Flower, who mas gwen
a great deal of time to Investigating the
points mentioned. 1t Is terse but cohpre-
hensiye as it's perusai will show:
The rapid decline In the market yalue OF
wheat throughout the world until the pres
ent ruinous prices have been reacheu 'cau'
TO inquiry as to the causes that nave pro
duced the result, and whether these causes
are of a permanent or temporary nature.
A few wears ago Ii would have bSeh con
sIdered preSumptuous to pfeulI' the P.'stnI
coalitions OF the wheat markets OF the
world, ana yet, many OF our most ooSerN,
ing and capable business men are convinced
that the low prices have come TO stay, WIN
exceptions now and then whch the crop"
of other countries fail from natural causes
The price Of wheat, like other comnlodi-
ties. is regulated by the supply and dc,
mand, and while the demand has not anu
Is not likely to decrease, II Is equaii9 Ger
tain that the supply Is rapidly increasing
with the advent of new competitors VINO
possess many advantages over the American
farmer. The United States with Its vast
empire Of productive soil can easily Supply
the bread for the balance OF the word; but
can il DO so with profit! III we cannot eA-
port wheat and leave Il margin Of proht Tor
the producer, the sooner we learn the fact
and change our methods OF agriculture, the
better for all.
Let us briefly note who our chief com.
petitors are. India. Russia, Australia, and
some Of the South American countries, with
their recent advancement IN modern meth
DDS of agriculture, ana with their lately
improved facilities for transporting their
surplus grain, must, from now on, be con-
sidered important factors in the worlds
markets, and he who does not heed this
fact and shape his efforts in husbandry ac-
cordingly will soon regret his lack or DIS
cernment. In al! the countries named the
price of labor is not more than 20 per cent
Of the American price, while In India n
days labor costs but II few cents. India
alone, with its vast areas OF wheat fields
and its recently improved transportation
facilities. can pour its almost
surplus into the markets of Europe at prices
that defy American competition. With
these coalitions confronting us, is 1t not
time to call Il halt In exclusive wheat rails
ing? Have we not other and better re-
sources? Have we not other and more
promising farm products, natural alike to
soil and climate, to which we can turn with
profit In this hour of wheat bankruptcy?
With wheat at A cents at the home station,
the price Is belyw the cost Of production,
and poverty Of soil and poverty of purse
are the logical consequence. Like a ship
at sea without Il rudder, the more sail we
carry the farther out OF our course We go.
The farmers of all Of the
states. including Southern Minnesota, have
III DuSSNu lnlouEh lHt WHAT DtllOI VII
der very much more favorable conditions
than now exist. but with the same financial
~results-poyerty, mortgages, exhausted soil
and bankruptcy. If our farmers will not be
guided by the experience of their brothers,
there still remains the advantage Of reach
ing the same ends by the same old route,
but ii they will change there will be 4
saving Of time and Of money.
Experience in other states.
In Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin ana Southern
400 vIa, H. ,,au F-, ala-.
exhaustion were driven 10 abandon eXclu-
sive wheat production, their prosperity be-
gan. The farmer must not abandon wheat
raising entirely, but he must exercise a tri-
fe of the good sense lie Is usually supposed
TO possess. and diversity according to the
peculiar circumstances Of his case, raising
90, 60 or perhaps 20 per cent of his former
acreage, while turning his attention 10 9TH
err lines-liye stock, dairy products and other
things, according to circumstances. There
Is an irreyOcable economic law that he must
not violate with impunity and expect ua-
ture to reward him: he must not continu-
ously, year by year, raise wheat upon the
same soil, without rest or recuperatiOn,
and expect good results. That immediate di-
versity In farming is urgent is conceded,
and this naturally raises the inquiry, what
can the farmer in the wheat belt substitute
for wheat? Without going into the consid-
Grafton of the long list of products that
may proitabiy be substituted, we simply
name the hog. There is no product II the
a." lHdt universally CpLllhduuS u DtilsE
price. The hog is Il staple article that
always commands the market price In cash.
The farmer who Is provided with good,
warm pens and reasonable facilities can
produce two crops of hogs each year. With
fat merchantablc hogs he can turn them
into cash any month in the year, The hog
Will consume the waste product of the farm
and return money for Ii; In a word. the hog
Is the farmers friend. and he only requires
reasonable care to trebly recompense him
for every outlay OF time or money. The
usual American opinion Is that hogs cannot
be successfully produced outside of the
corn belt We say American opinion be-
cause hays have been raised In Europe and
Canada and other countries without corn
for more than Il hundred years, being sue
c~essfully fed and fattened on barley, rye
and peas. Within the past two years many
successful experiments have been had in
Northern Minnesota and North Dakota with
wheat feeding. the hogs so fed commanding
the top of the market ut South st. Paul
and yielding a fraction over 50 per cent
or choice meat, WINCH Is from : to 6 per
cent greater than results from corn feeding.
Apparently cholera and other fatal hog dis
eases that infcst the corn-fed hog never
attack the hog fed upon wheat, barley or
peas.
Hogs raised In Scotland and fed upon
barley command a premium in the English
market. Ii IL time the belief that hogs can.
not he successfully produced on other than
corn Is fully exploded. The farmers of the
wheat belt have the advantage of climate
ana food with which to make hogs that will
a. surely ommand Il premium over the corn
hog as No. | hard is at a premium over the
spring wheat Of Kansas and Nebraska.
How to Raise Hogs.
There are n few common-Scnse things
that must be observed TO make hog raising
profitable. First of all secure n we'll breI
hog for breeding. There is as much or
more difference In the quality of hogs as
there Is In horses. A common, long-nosed.
long-legged, slab-sided hog is of no account.
lou cannot fatCen such a hog. Besides hc
Is a famine : breeder-he eats everything
placed before him and squeaIs for more |
Shun this kind of an animal. There Is no
money In him for anybody. For our eli
mate the Poland China is doubtless prefer |
able to any other, as II grows rapidly. Is |
compact and makes flesh on small rations.
besides being u fairly good breeder. With
fair care 1t Is ready for the market In from
eight TO eleven months, weighing from 200
TO 260 pounds and commanding always the
highest price. The hog Is sensitive 10
extreme heat or cold. Therefore. reasonable
provision should be made for shade In dog |
days and warm pens In winter. The hog
Is not elegant IN any Of his tastes, but ne
will repay In hard cash for every OUTLAY
Tor his comfort and ease.
brood Sow and Litter. |
Above all things, during pregnancy don't |
kili your brood sow with kindness. What
she wants Is n warm. dry pen, with a
yard adjoining sufficiently large for reason.
able exercise, Don't oyerfeed the brood
SOW. Remember this, as Il Is ali impcrt.
- A brood snw muSt ho Tod mail $50