The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-02-21

A cHANcE ron rHE TANNERS.

According 20 the returns made 10y the
the county assessors for 1898 there we're
raised in Montana during that year
9.9l4 hogs. valued at s5999i As there
we're consumed in the state IN 1898 49,
600 hogs, it will be readily seen that
there must have been shipped 10 last
year about $4,000 hogs There is no
good reason why every pound Of pork
consumed in this state should not te
produced within It's borders. The eli
mate ia suitable, aud the most Success
ful ranchmen IN Montana are those who
have devoted their attention to this
branch Of farming burning the past
three years. That the business is grow
ing there can be no question, but its
growth should be more rapid, and where
there is now one Montana ranchman en-
gagged in il there should be twenty
There is no danger Of over-production
and prices are always high enough to
insure handsome profits. There is not
a valley 10 the state but is adapted to
the raising Of hogs. The farmers in the
Gallatin, in the Missouri river, in the
Bitter Root, in the Yellowstone and in
the Prickly Pear valleys who had the
least difficulty in meeting their taxes
this year we're those who we're engaged
in the raising Of hogs.
The farmers Of Montana, like those OF
Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Southern
Minnesota, have devoted nearly all their
energies to raising grain, with the result
that in many cases when a bad season
came they had nothing TO fall back
upon. In the states mentioned they
found they must diversity their crops,
and those who went into the business Of
raising hogs have been the most success
full There is no product Of the farm
that universally commands a better
price, and a cash price at that. Many
Montana farmers have an opinion that
it is not possible to successfully raise
hogs outside Of the "corn belt" That
they are in error has been proved by
the experience Of these in the state
who are Engaged IN it, as well
as by the results obtained
in the states enumerated above.
In Europe and in Canada hogs have
been successfully raised without corn
for hundreds Of years, and in the past
two years many successful experiments
have been made in northern Minnesota
and North Dakota with wheat feeding,
the hogs so fed commanding tie best
prices. Wheat, barley and peas have
been found 70 be excellent feed for hogs.
and an imals raised on either Of these
are free from cholera and other diseases
peculiar to the corn-raissd animal Only
a week ago there was received in the
Helena market consignment Of hogs
from the Bitter Root valley that had
been raised on peas. That they we're
superior TO the ordinary imported ami
NAL was proved by the fact that they
commanded a higher price.
Hog raising oilers TO the Montana
farmer more Inducements, coupled Wit h
the raising q crops, than any other
branch az farming he may engage IN.
The hog will consume the waste product
81 the farm and return money for il.
All they require are warm pens and
reasonable care and they will return a
treble recompeuse for the outlay. Every
town IN the state, big and little, will
furnish the market In which u dispose
Of them. II you do not think the bust
ness will pay, watch your neighbor who
is engaged 10 it and the ease with which
he adds 70 bis bank account, and the
regularity Of ITS increase will conv.nue
you that there is more money to be
nude 10 raising hogs ia this state than
il any other branch % farming.