Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-10
QUALITY VERSUS QUANTITY.
Timely Hints 10 Southern Farmers
on the Important Question OF
Hog Raising.

Hog raising in the south under the
stimulus of better markets brought
about in large measure by the estab-
lishment of southern packeries, is as
Stunning such proportions as bids fair
to rival if not surpass all other
branches of farm industry. A few
years ago under the almost exclusive
reign of King Cotton, farmers as a
rule contented themselves with the
production of only scant supply for
home consumption, and n large num-
Der not even limited that. Now condi-
tions have so changed that nearly al!
are not only supplying the home
needs, but many are making the rails
ing and marketing of hags the main
source of income. By converting the
surplus grains into hog products they
are enabled to greatly lessen the cost
of transportation, besides realizing
higher prices than is paid on the mar
kets for the corn, oats, barley and
even wheat in many instances.
When one is raising few hogs for
home consumption only, it is of less
importance to consider the cost of
production. For a few head one can
pay more attention TO the production
of meat with the coveted streak of
fat alternated with the streak of
lean, so much talked of, but when it
comes to the raising of hogs as "a
means of getting our entire surplus
grains to market at lower transport
tation costs and with higher prices,
we want to produce the hogs that
bring US the most clear money for
our labor and investments.
The quality of hog is determined
by its fitness for the purpose for
which it was created, or is now being
raised. The purpose for which hogs
are grown in this age is for the
money there is in the business, and
The quality of the hog must be de-
termined by its capacity to produce
profit.
A bunch of hogs weighing from two
hundred to two hundred and fifty
pounds, fat and sleek, with broad
backs, gently archcd, broad, round
hams, nice heads, even sizes and col
ors, making all attractive appearance,
will always command the highest
prices. In order to produce that type
of hog it is necessary to strike an av-
erage between the extra large and
course hog and what is termed
small or fancy type.
The experience of feeders and others
is that hogs of This size at eight to
nine months old, cost less per pound
than those that are heavier and old
er.
Now, it is plain that the animals
that will produce just the class of
hogs, that will, under good care and
att0tion,fill the requirement enumer-
ated above, or that for which the
buyer will pay the highest price, are
the ones of highest quality.
SOW that will raise eight pigs
that with good attention and feeding
will weigh 10 hundred pounds at eight
months old,at present prices, would be
worth about five cents per pound, or
$50. Another, raising same number
of pigs and under the same treat
m@lt, weighing one hundred and fifty
pounds each at the same age, would
bring about four and one-half cents,
or S54, a difference in favor of the
first of $26. which IS practically the
difference in value of the two sows,
for only one litter If there were two
filters per wear the difference would
be S52. This shows that the quality
of the herd is of first Importance;
size may be governed by the ability
and desires of the owner.-W. NJ.
Kerr. in Farm and Ranch.