Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1901-11-28
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO AGRI-
CULTURlSTS.
Some Up-to-Date Hints About Guilt
walton of the Soil and Yields
Observation-Disclosures viticuIture and
Horticulture.
Unff0rnIty.

uniformity.
In the marketing OF animals in num-
bers at time there is nothing per-
maps more important than uniformity
OF breed, shape, condition and quality
1t Is quite necessary to please the eye
OF the buyer as well as his sense of
possible profit to be made from the
purchase of given lot of animals. 1t
is quite possible that a number of
animals of different types and condi-
lions may weigh just as much as an
other lot OF uniform hogs, for in
stance, but that fact will not make
them bring as much in the market as
the other bunch. When one looks at
a lot of hogs that are Of every kind
and sort known to hogdom-all colors
shapes, sizes and ages mixed together
In one unsightly aggregation-he can
not but deplore the fact that any one
would waste good feed on such monde
scripts when it might just as well have
been fed to uniform bunch, which
would have commanded a far more
profitable price upon the market. And
yet such lots of hogs come daily to
the Yards. Among them are good
hogs, well fed, well finished, of good
quality. but they are few and far be-
tween and their presence does not ma
terially help the chances of the 9th
ers, but invariably the price of the
good hogs Is cut on account of the
bad ones. 1t is like the company a
young man keeps being considered an
index to his personal character. One
may be guiltless in fact, but IL he
keeps bad company he will by infer
ence receive the same bad character
as his friends. A good hog should al
ways come to the market with good
companions, and the more they all look
alike the better 1t will be for the ship
per, and this truth applies equally to
the selling of cattle in the great mar
kets of the country. 1t is true, too,
OF the sheep business, and for that
reason sheep men are in the habit of
sorting out their fat sheep into uni
form punches, and by so doing GER
tainly manage to secure better prices
Tor them than would otherwise be the
case. The same thing should be done
by shippers of hogs, the idea being to
forward lots of pigs that are about Of
even development, weight quality and
breed. But some will say this idea is
good one and perfectly correct, "but
what are you going to do about it
When you have no such hogs to ship or
PICK from?" That is another point we
are coming to. Why not have such
hogs to ship? Why breed and feed
any other kind of hog In these days Of
breed sales where good, pure-bred
ooars can be had at moderate prices?
why stick to the old-fashioned, ante
quated types of swine which were
once predominant? Why not grade up
the home swine and have presentable
animals to feed and sell? There is no
possible excuse for possessing, feeding
or shipping scrub swine. Such hogs
are a disgrace to an American citizen.
They are a disgrace to the times we
live In. They are an eyesore to buy
ers. They are of little profit upon the
block. They are mere scavangers
upon the farm. They do not utilize
food to the best possible profit. They
furnish poor quality of pork, hams
and bacon. They should be consid-
cred nuisance and the sooner they
are gotten rid OF the better will 1t be
for all concerned. Now we hope those
who have been feeding scrub hogs and
shipping them to the markets at loss
or to receive poorer prices than their
neighbors receive for uniform hogs
Will take this matter to heart. Hogs |
rapidly. 1t is not life
times work to change the entire char
acteristics of the farm herd of swine. |
commence now and save only those |
sows that are of one breed, style, color
and shape. This done, for any sake |
do not breed them to the nearest boar
Just because he Is boar! Consider II |
an insult to even propose the mating |
or the picked sows with anything short |
OF a pedigreed boar of standard breed I
and see to 1t that he is a good one
from family noted for good deeds and
long continued pure breeding. We do
not care so much what breed is Sc
lected SO long as 1t is pure breed,
for all pure breeds today are well
worth breeding and feeding, and one
top cross of such blood will make a
vast Improvement in the uniformity
and quality of the feeding hogs, while
continued breeding in the same direc-
ton and annual selection and coupling
OF only the best sows will sooL bring
any herd OF swine up to the standard
OF excellence which commands profita-
BILE prices in all of our markets. Down
with the scrub, say wei Common |
sense demands 1t: sensible men an.
prove 1t; profit follows surely in the
wake of the work.-Farmers' Review.