The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-18
Texans Have Awakened to the
Commercial Value Of the Hog,
and Now They Go In for tho
Blooded Strains Alone.
RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF
PORK RAISING IN STATE
Despite Its Growth in Late Years,
the Supply Never Equals the
Demand, and Prices Are Ac-
cordingly High.
1Y herbert vANDERHooF.

cordingly High.
BY HERBERT vANDERHooF.
For many years one has been accus-
toned to associate the mention Of Texas
with that Of a state given up mainly to
the propagation Of long horned cattle,
wild of eye, gaunt of build. and a living
menace to the hapless tenderfoot who
! CHANGED to stray into the midst Of the
untamed herds. But this was only the
case in the beginning Of things. The
modern Texas presents quite different
aspect to the gaze OF the traveller.
| The wonder working hand Of old Father
Time has wrought marvellous changes in
the makeup of the Lone Star state. The
exertions of the ambitious agriculturist
have met with their just reward, and the
Texas steer no longer holds sole dominion
over the vast plains where he was wont
to roam unchecked in days gone bly,
This does not mean that Texas no
longer reigns supreme as q live stock
state. 1t merely indicates q we'll known
fact, that better bred varieties of stock
now exist where the hollow ribbed steer
was once the sole important product
In recent years the hog raising industry
has assumed important proportions in
Texas. This is especially the case in that
northern part of the state generally
known as the Dallas country.
The city of Dallas was one of the first
points to secure communication by rail-
road with the North and East At an
dent that the surrounding country was
peculiarly we'll adapted as settling
ground for the stock raiser and farmer.
The ''black land belt" as it was called.
which proved uncommonly productive
and offered splendid opportunities to those
who felt disposed to cultivate it.
An Opportunity Overlooked.
Thanks to plentiful supply of mois-
ture, furnished not only by connecting
river branches. but by numerous artesian
crops nourished luxuriantly, and the Dali
las country rejoiced In the blessings OF
plenty bestowed by bountiful nature Yet
1t was not until few years ago that
awoke to realization of the fact that
they had studiously neglected an industry
which. properly handled, promised large
financial returns at a comparatively small
outlay. The secret Of this new com
mercial success lay in the homely carcass
Of the humble and festive hog.
For decade the, productive porler ha6
been neglected, but pigs have their days
, as we'll as dogs and at last he wa:
r One of the chief, objections urged by
the early stock raisers in northern Texa:
t Tas the fhe @ af h ses eaT
! in the then short condition Of the corr
and eliminate whatever profit there wal
3 were not wanting certain ambition:
;, spectators who refused to agree in Thu
| view of the matter, and, thanks to thei
/ efforts. the notion that hogs could b.
. was speedily shown to be fallacy.
It was demonstrated that hogs fe<
on Milo maize, Kaffir corn and alfalfs
were just as hard in finish and woult
I clusively In the corn belt lands Tn
doubling Thomases who had Heretofore
' lefused to recognize the value of tn
hog were quick to acknowledge thei
extent the production of corn and cot
r ton and joined the ranks Of those VIII
g They found practically limitless fell
8 favorable and the market beyond ques
r ton. In fact. the demand for hogs greatl
o exceeded the supply, and this condition
n prevails at the present day. Statistic
, show that the value of hogs in the Dalla
= district has increased from 3 cents to 81
= ! cents pound within the last five years
l. and the demand, which naturally regu
lates the price, is steadily increasing
the price will mount still higher.
All Meals Look Alike.
r The commercial beauty of the hog lie
in the fact that he is: an omnivorou
feeder. All meals served In his troug
). look alike to him. He viii laugh an
i, yield good returns for lifetime of
> year, or even eight months.
l.. Therefore, to the man Of limited mean
r who lacks the capital, necessary for stoc
y TEN pting possibilities: Also in this sec
t. ton Of the country the long season fc
It growing pasture ls q tremendous ad
- The severe winters in other states az
20 as check to the hog industry, wherea
'e the short, mild Texas winters allow tn
t. Hog cholera, that fatal scourge SO con
rs mon In the corn belt, Is almost unknow
In northern Texas. ..%.--. .-
There is positively no limit to the mai
), be large daily, there is still always q
. Oliver Twist cry for more. In 1904 tt
d local packers bought 267,S70 hogs. La
II year this number was increased to 43s
ST. The buyers, for outsiders shows
a. they pu1 chased 19,204 hogs, as again
~ Not the least striking feature OF tt
lie wrought in the character Of the countr
b. Formerly the Texas farmer put all II
st tillable land he could work into cote
IN and allowed his cattle to run on II
80 ranges. Unless he could control sever
- thousands of acres, he was not consit
~ cred Of much Importance in. the con
e.. munity. With the advent Of the hog {
owner rose higher in the commerci
f.. scale. No longer depending entirely upe
-, -. cotton and cattle, the Texas farm
y y found it possible to diversity his crop
u The consequence Of diversifcation
agriculture has always been to redu
the size Of land ownings.
>, Vast Improvement In Breed.
- The great demand for hogs. in Il
l Is; market has naturally induced the Tex
i, farmer to: pay close: atsention TO breed4l
sll for weight and auasl4tN .G6nSeqAem t
ln tile PinSnt Of "a better; gAaaesS he
ne nsI Naa asaS SS :; e S., s.
~ ~ prsssiits al graflaIihig Contrast 10 s
49, istrGe makeup Of his 'ancsstor, q
iSss razor back "a type Which Which has almo
.g The razor back Mlasfsa ..ehaMaPil
sy spriIits n long, Of leg end ttenIa.edl
e body, He could cover q. distance ia re
ORG time and was, famed s1or. his a6hlgt
p5gMsss 6af R5oYsa e alst1nst 4aS!S
l5pESdlGt: S. s. 10 E III "a. s Il
Il. Il i:Iiss successor is a plilna mall sea
Z; sof breach and gu
.bsautg ia thsS eyes ofs the eritiSals butshs
ul II iObMi6MslM the work OF eMoIlltd on In e
in lease Of Sir Swine lis not to. be EegNett
No. by the econ nlst IS ss; sis l Is
- While the 1sInssrs4 5snsagsas "a q 3