The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-09-26
TIE COMING HOG.
An Article That Should Interest Our
Farmer Friends,

An Article That Should Interest Our
Farmer Friends.
The thousands of farmers who are
especially interested in porcine pur-
suits will be pleased to lesru that
something out OF the ordinary Is 60
ing on in Indiana. About ten years
ago Hcosier picked up two pigs n
Pennsylvania which struck him as
odd, and brought them homo for an
experiment.. The peculiarity OF these
pigs was tnat they had hoofs like q
mule-no splits, but just one solid
foot. Another feature that struck
the wandering Hoosier farmer was
that bis purchase, al they grew larg-
or, looked suspiciously like +; zor' backs,
the long snouts being especially con.
spicuous. This led to an investiga.
:ion Of genealogical nature that was
at fist not reassuriDg, as q vild.eyed
rumor was run down to the effect that
these pokers with the queer pedal OK
tremities originated In Arkansas Vera
cious cbroniclers insist that tho origi.
nal razor-hack ran wild along Red
river and through the canebrakes of
the lowlands, and they trace the
'mule.foot" in . direct line to these
plebeian forefathers. However this
may be, it is 8 matter Of pig history
that the Arkansas farmers round up
what they call "mule.foot" hogs,
much tho same "a they hunt Sir Rey'
nsrd Fox-1ith dogs, rifles and clubs
In fact, it ia q fsvorite amusement to
organize into expeditions and pursue
flset-footed mule. foot" IS he scamp
ers like . deer through the Businesses
bordering the bayous. 1t seems, how.
ever, that the mule. FOOT" like most
other animals, may be improved by
changing his environments for the bet
tor, and when introduced to tine lus-
cious Hoosier clover and the mammoth
corn ears of the White river bottoms
he sheds q lot of his rustic character
istics and becomes more civilized. he
retains his long nose, however, and
bis pedal trade mark. 10 cultivates
better table manners, as 1t were, and
sbahdons the disp 1sition to fight on
tho slightest provooation, Tne vari.
city beii ( cultivated In Indiana sre as
black as Stygian night and have the
reputation Of being good fatteners,
those who have been experimenting
with tho breed declaring thst they
are money. makers. In this respect
they are said to be equal to Durocs,
Chester Whites or Poland Chinas. II
the we'll. authenticated stories coming
In may be accepted, the mule. feet"
are marvsls as weight. makers. In
fact, some of the figures are stagger.
ing. A farmer living near Edinburg,
Ind, recently sold q three-year old
that tipped the beam at 72O pounds
Another breeder, In tho same neigh
borhood, bad a two-ye ar.old not long
ago that made the scales show $50
pounds. Last winter one of tho RODS
of the Same owner pulled down 6lo
pounds, while four others, Ut the saue
killing averaged $50 pounds each.
The owner of this herd, who Is the
leading breeder Of the variety, says
they require little attention, which
makes them possess another valuable
point for the farmers interested II
aog raising.
But the most important thing re-
mains to be told about the mule
Feet" They are immu une to that dread
dil ease which, In the words Ut the
tom perance orators about the run
traffic, annually destroys" thousands
and thousands of the most promising
porkers: Cholera has been pig prob
lem ever since Nosh's cruise ended,
and fortunes have int ffectively been
fered for sure cure, but this, aid.
ed by the efforts If all the animal
doctors for centuries, has failed II
wipe out the disease. Tne "uute-foot, y
however, unlike the rest Of the pork
family, never ca. Ghss this complaint
Traits acquired in his original hsbit
at, or his constitutional construction,
have made him proof against this
scourage Of the pcrcine race. The fact
that mule. feet" hogs are not addict
ed to the cholera habit, a disease 80
popular with the ordinary hog. gives
them an especial interest in the eyes
of the animal scientists. Experiments
along that line havs been made by ex
pert veterinarians during the last few
years, and they are still At . loss for
an explanation. That they are i'm.
muns from cholera however, has beeb
prC ved cnnelusively. Recently as .
Test, a sixty. pound shoat was placed
In q pen with herd ct dropping,
cholera. stricken hogs. The mule
foot" lived on, contended with bis lot,
while the remaining members OF the
herd went on their sorry way to hog
heaven. Another test was that OF
placing thirteen fully developed mule
feet" in . lot with forty ordinary pigs
that were threatened with cholera.
The forty gradually went to rest, !"
while tho "mule.feet" were never
touched. The cholera. proof mule
'oot hog thus bs fl s scieEcs. There
have been scores of explanations, but
none has satisfied the farmers. The
principal and most experienced breer-
er OF the variety, after . close study
OF mis- herd In an { fort to solve the