The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-11
FARM,

The South is n HOg-Raising Country.
There is no valid reason for the
Southern farmer not raising every
pound of pork and bacon that is need
ed for home consumption, and this is
putting it mildly. Really, twice the
quantity would not be unreasonable
There is nothing in the climate
against hOg raising. Success merely
requires the meeting of certain re-
Quirements that are as easily met here
as they are in Missouri or Iowa,
The hog is a grazing animal, almost
as much as a sheep and in addition
is a rooter finds sustenance both
above and beneath the surface. Fifty
years ago we had no Bermuda grass,
and then the idea was that to raise
100 or 200 hogs to bacon size there
must be 500 acres or more of forest
land yielding mast and acorns for
the hogs TO pasture to make the un-
dertaking worth anything. We did
mot know then, and many do not
know it now, probably, that hogs can
only be raised economically on grass
or clover pasture. Under certain con-
ditions and care hogs may be raised
10 maturity in pens, but it will not
be the best and cheapest meat by
any means. 1t necessarily must cost
fully twice as much as pasture-raised.
Wherever Bermuda grass has taken
a hold in the South the business of
hog raising or pork production has
been so simplified and placed so high
upon the plane of promising under
takings there is left no excuse for
any Southern farmer paying two prices
for imported hog products. What with
Bermuda pasture as a basis, an acre
or two of sorghum, a smaller area OF
artichokes or turnips; with a winter
grazing patch of rye and bur clover,
the requirements for raising a hum
bred or two fine porkers would be
magnficently met. Where hogs are
kept over winter they must be provided
with some succulent food. Not much
is required, but they must have some
TO neutralize the binding effects of
grain food which they must also neces-
sarily have. For this purpose it is
better to grow some artichokes and
some turnips instead of just one of
Inem.
This succulent food can be cheaply
provided by a fall sowing of some of
our winter growing plants-the small
grains-vetch. clover. both bur and
white.
The pasture and other food provided,
the next requirement is pure water,
and enough of it at all times. The
water must not be stagnant. If nat
ural water courses cannot be made
70 supply it, a well must furnish 1t.
There are more hogs killed in the
South by impure water than by all
other causes, probably.
The other causes of disease and death
are sleeping in dusty places, being fed
or getting access to cotton seeds or
the meal; eating too much salt.
steady diet of corn, without any sue
culent food. will ultimately cause dis,
ease along in February or March gem
orally
It has been fully demonstrated that
pasture-raised hogs, getting all the
pure water needed, provided with clean
sleeping places, fed with nothing un-
suitable are as easily and proftably
grown in the South as anywhere.
There are several good breeds, but
not one better perhaps, than the
Berkshire. A cross of this on our best
native breeding stock gives a hardy,
fast growing hog that can be made
a source of great profit to the South
ern farmer.