The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-02-06
FARMER AND PLANTER.
SWINE BREEDING.

Tho Future of Thoroughbred Swine In
the South.
Taper read before the Kentucky Swine
breeders association by I. e. Elgin, Hon.
issal =
never awaken on a cold winters
morning, when thesno on the ground
As deep enough to fall into ones boot
tops as he walks, the Thermometer
registering ten degrees below zero,
whiie the wind, as 1t whistles around
the corneiA feels keen enough to pene.
erate 9 brick wall, that do not feel
sorry for the boy who gets up early on
snch morning and goes to the crib,
aDd perhaps scratches in the snow for
corn to feed the hogs I sympa-
thize with that boy, l repeat, for
have been that boy. l also
feel sorry for the hog, not because
have been the hog, but because have
seen him come to get his feed, some.
times from warm house. sometimes
1rom straw stack, sometimes from a
ped OF leaves. and alas, too often from
his bed OF dirt. where his only shelter
was the south side of barbed wire
1ence. How he did seem to dread
morning! am glad to be able to say,
however. that the aforementioned
state of affairs is the exception rather
fhan the cule now, and instead Of a
'snow-lined bed for his resting
place aud . starry canopy for
ms covering, he has com.
ivftable house to live in (where
naae winters are severe) and nice floors
TO feed upon. Swine are warm wealth.
Ger animals. Anyone who is at all ia
miliar with Mortgage Litters" will
agree with me that warm, spring
day, good clover field, dotted here
and there with shade trees, with corn
crib, swill barrel and spring branch
near by, is "hog heaven" With these
at his command he not only lives,
moves and has his being, But he can
laugh and grow fat" Where such
conditions exist for the greater part Of
the year would naturally be the place
20 make hog-raising most profitable,
as grasses furnish the most health
xul as well as the cheapest feed. If
there is an earthly paradise for these
poor mans friend" it is q country or
climate where they can Craze from one
yS"s . Suu w VIC OtncT. linen swine
plague would be almost wholly un-
known, stunted, low backed pigs would
be fewer, and swine breeding in gen.
eral would be delightful. Can we find
such an Ideal place? Our southern
states have short, mild winters, which
leave nine or ten months in the year
Tor grasses to flourish, and only two
or three months for stock to be fed
much. And even during that period
some pasturing can be done If there is
teid OF bluegrass, wheat or rye on
the farm. A small lot could be
planted in articholses, so that If
she pasture gets muddy, the hogs could
turn up the ground and get the tubers,
provided their owner did not show his
objection by ringing them. There are
no blizzards and but little hard freez-
ing OF ground to prevent piggy" from
roofing to his hearts content.
With all the aforementioned favor
able conditions, brood sows would pro-
duce large, healthy litters of pigs that
would begin growing Immediately,
md would never have frozen, sore tails
or frosted ears. Neither would ex-
Tensive shelters be necessary to
prevent such. but in spring and
fall (which is the proper time for
pigs to be farrowed]. these ex-
pecting mothers could leave tho rest
Of the herd and go to different part
of the field, and there with no bed but
another earth" and some grass, no coy
cring but the heavens above, could she
give birth to her young, entirely con-
sistent with nature.
With all these advantages over the
northern swine breeder win not the
southern planter awaken from his
lethargy and make use of them? be-
licve he has begun. There is consid-
cradle interest in stock raising and
tendency toward thoroughbred swine
In the south. At present prices of
principal crops, such as tobacco, cotton
and sugar, our southern friends must
realize they can not afford to sell these
crops and buy meat.
have said a good deal about hogs,
but little about thoroughbreds. II any
breeder or farmer will keep scrubs or
grades on one side of his farm and
thoroughbreds on the other, he will
not have to be told which to raise for
profit. But for the benefit of those who
do not wish toexperiment, would say,
raise thoroughbreds, even if you ex-
pect to make porkers of them all.
They are more uniform, as only pure
bred stock can reproduce its kind with
any degree OF certainty. Any shipper
will pay more for drove of that kind
than one of all sizes, colors and styles.
Nav the time sneed;lv Gonna xvhan
farmers will quit mixing half dozen
breeds In one herd.
can imagine myself ten years hence
taking trip through several southern
states, and as / glance over some of
those large and beautiful farms in my
own state, fnd that within the few