The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-05
HOG RAISING IN GEORGIA.


If the figures Of the value of hog prod-
ucts imported into Georgia every year
were available it is safe to say that even
those persons who are usually well in
formed on current affairs would be sur
prised at the size of them. They would
no doubt show that literally millions Of
dollars are sent out of the state every
twelve months for pork, bacon, hams,
lard. etc, to be paid for out of the pro-
ceeds of the cotton crop. Is there any
good reason why this should be so? Can
not hogs be raised in Georgia as cheaply
and as Of as good flesh as elsewhere?
in another column of to-day's issue we
print letter from the Indiana Fruit Com
pany, J. X. Williams, secretary, of Syl-
vester Worth county, Georgia, in which
is given plain. direct and convincing
answer to the latter question. Mr.. Will
Hams presents a 992-pound demonstration
OF his assertions by way of clinchlng the
argument.
And not only does Mr. Williams. himself
a Northern man, say the conditions in
this state are good for hog, cattle and
sheep raising, but that it is the" stock
country of the United States. Better re-
suits are obtained in Worth county for
less expenditure than may be had In
either Indiana or Ohio. In Georgia the
pastures are green the year around, and
there may be always a growing or ma
turing crop for the stock. In the other
states named there are long and severe
winters to be provided against Expen-
sive shelters must be erected and main
tanned, and the single crop for the year
which the lands yield must be large
enough to last until the succeeding crop is
harvested In Georgia, expensive shell
ters are not needed, and it is possible to
provide a succession of crops which hogs.
themselves may harvest, growing fat for
the slaughter pen while they are acting
as harvesters
There has always been hog raising in
Georgia, of course but it has heretofore
been only a side issue. The majority of
the farmers, probably, do not raise enough
meat for their own use, hence the neces-
sity of importing such great quantities
of it. There are TO be sure a few excep-
lions to the rule, and there are some
progressive Georgia farmers who have
found meat producing 10 be profitable,
and some few local smokehouses that
have established regulations for the ex-
cellence of their hams and bacon. But
as an article of commerce, Georgia bacon
has not received anything like the at
tention it deserves.
With hogs of good breed and given good
attention, it is probably within bounds to
say that, acre for acre. lands devoted to
hog raising would return products worth
three to four times as much as those re-
turned by lands devoted to cotton. Our
correspondent, Mr. Williams, says thai
the Southern farmers do not realize their
wonderful opportunities in this matter Of
hog raising; and he is no doubt right But
it is to be hoped the time is not far dis
tant when they will see them, and when
they will be raising hog products not only
for their own use and to supply their
the world Within a few years it has
been demonstrated that the South can
produce iron pigs in competition with the
world and it may be that within few
years more she will be able to show that
| she can do the same in the matter of
| meat pigs. There seems to be no reason
why she shouldn't and a great many rea-
sons why she should And Georgia should
be the leading state of the South in send
| ing meat to market.