Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-01-09
FARMER AND PLANTER.
BREEDING SWINE.
Care Necessary In tho Selection OF the
PrOpcr TyDes.


1t has always been the case that
many people pay insufficient attention
to the selection of their breeding hogs.
This applies to those who are breeding
thoroughbreds to sell as breeders, as
well as to those who are breeding for
meat production only. The end of hog
is pork, and no hog is too good for even
the small farmer who produces merely
enough meat for home consumption.
Of course there will always appear ami
mails OF such outstanding individual
merit as to keep them from the butch-
er's block, but that is no reason why
stunted thoroughbreds and other
scrubs need be considered good
enough for meat hogs"
The long-legged, lanls and thorough
bred or grade is not the most profit
able hog for the purpose for which
hog is intended, viz, the production
OF pork; and II the farmer will count
the cost of making given amount of
pork from this sort Of an animal he
Will readily see that the increased cost
will more than balance any difference
which existed in the original cost Of
the breeding stock. Good thorough
breds are neither too good nor too ex-
pensive for 'meat hogs" This must
be apparent, for the only use to which
hog can be put is to produce pork,
therefore If the thoroughbred has
any superiority over the razor-back,
1t must be in his greater value for
feeding purposes. A good pig at
five dollars when two months old is
cheaper for feeding purposes than is
scrub costing nothing, and any man
can fully demonstrate the fact by
counting the cost of feed in relation to
their respective values at slaughter
ing time. The idea that anything is
good enough for meat hog" is cost
ing farmers thousands OF dollars an
nually.
The first thing to be done is to Sc
lect some one of the improved breeds.
1t is not very important which, and
our ticket is anything to beat the
scrub" Having selected the breed we
desire to raise, the next thing is to Sc
cure good representatives of that
breed. There are two things to
be considered in selecting an
animal for breeding purposes.
First, pedigree; and, second, individual
merit. 1t is generally thought that
the time which the farmer would spend
studying the pedigrees of breed of
hogs would be lost, but no greater mis-
take could be made. Certain families
in all breeds have become fashionable
because they have shown superior
qualities, and it is evident that. other
things being equal, the animal whose
ancestors have shown excellence will
be most likely to produce progeny of
excellence. Therefore any person who
is going to put money into any breed
OF hogs should know enough about
the families of that breed to select
those most likely to produce good off,
spring. To select an animal of high in
dividual merit requires knowledge OF
what constitutes the best type of the
breed. This knowledge can only be OBJ
tanned by study and inspecting good
specimens. Because one has better
hog and fincr-looking animal than a
razor-back is no proof that 1t Is not a
scrub. There are u number of men
who offer for sale what they claim to
be the best strains of the different
breeds who do not know the strains Of
their respective breeds. In honest
ignorance many of them are inflic ting
on their equally-ignorant customers
animals just little removed from the
razor-bacls. This is due to the fact
that they have bought their stock frou
persons who, like themselves. hat
never seen the best of the breed
or from breeders who, agains
their own interest and the dictates O
their conscienccs, sold them theil
''culls" because they were not willing
to pay more than "cull" prices. Many
people place too small value on quail
ty in hog; with them one hog is a
good as another, and so long as he is
thoroughbred and eligible to regisitra
ton they are satisfied. Scrubs of tn,
thoroughbred class are numerous, ant
therefore an animal must be some
thing more than n thoroughbred. III
is worth good price and will brini
1t. Most people in the south think 81
a big price for boar pig three or fou
months ole, when in truth, il he /
, good enough to save rs a breeder h,
Is worth many times that in on,
year to almost any farmer. On
Noted Berkshire breeder in Mis-
, souri, sold nearly 200 head il
, 1894 at an average of S45 eacl
Still / have known men to send hin
S2h with the request that he send then
in exchange a "6rst-class pig" an,
when they failed TO get such were dis
appointed. Is it reasonable to suppos
man would sell frst-class pig TO
about half the price he gets for hi
average?
, II the prospective purchaser has ha
sufficient experience toknow what con
stitutcs a flrst-class animal, and ca
make the purchase after personal in
spcction Of the stock, he may find som
young and unknown breeder who vii
sell him first-class animal in brcedin
and quality for from $3.50 to s95, bu
II he has not had this requisite expe
rience, or must buy by mail order
then the only safe plan is to buy G
. some well-known breeder and pay
good price, say from S25 to $50. A
present a great many in the south ar
sending north for frst-class pigs, bu
owing to the fact that they are nc
willing to pay first-class prices, ar
getting scrubs ut scrub prices. On
state Is serving rs dumping ground
for inferior animals of the norther
breeders because we are unwilling I
pay the prices that good animals wi
! command. An inferior animal is to
!, dear for breeding purposes at an
price, while good one is cheap at an
/ reasonable figure. From $25 to $50
5 considered price beyond the reach {
s ordinary farmers. This is true to ce
l .