The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-09-28
THE COMING HOG.
An Article That Should Intrrest Our
Farmer Friends.

L.-rMrH EAFNH IltarLk-Ah..
An Article That Should Interest Our
Farmer Friends.
The thousands OF fArmers who are
especially interested In porcine pu.-
suits will be pleased to learn that
something out Of the ordinary IA go.
ing on In Indiana. About ten yeare
ago o Hoosier PICKED up two pigs Iii
Pennsylvania which struck him rs
odd, and brought them home fox az
experiment.. The popularity OF these
pigs wes that they had hoofs like a
mule-no splits, but just ere SOLID
foot. Another feature that struck
the wandering Hoosier farmer was
that his purchase, as they grew ]arR-
or, looked suspioiously Xix razor. backs,
the long SHOUTS being especially con.
%spicuous. This led 10 an investiga.
tion OF . genealogical nature that was
at h'st not reassuring, as a wild. eyed
rumor was run down to the effect that
these pokers with the gu eer pedal ex-
tremitieB originated In Arkansas Vera.
cious chroniclers insist that the OriRl.
nal razor-baok ran wild along Red
river and through the oanebrakes OF
the %lowlands, and they trace the
'mule-fOot" in q direct line to these
plebetan forefatners. However this
may be, IL In h matter OF pig histor,
that the Arkansas farmers round up
hat they call "mul.. foot' hogs
tl1rQh tina 20 ma 40 fhnu t,rk CI~ ID ~.
nsrd Fox With oORs, r.fos and clubs
In fact, 1t Ia a fav0ri,e amusement to
2fganlge iDto expeditions and pursue
feet-footed 'mule.foot" as he scamp.
crs'like q 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.
ter, and when introduced to the lus.
ciouB Hoosier clover and the mammoth
corn ears OF the White river bottoms
he sheds q lot Of his rustic character.
isticB and becomes more Civilized. He
ratatns his long nose, however, and
MS pcoal trade mark, he ou~ltivates
better table manners, as 1t were, and
abandons the disposition to fight on
tho slight st p%rovcoatton The varI.
city berg cultivated In Indiana are az
black as SGyRian night aud have the
reputation of being good fatteners,
those who have been experimenting
with tie breed declaring that they
are money. makers. In this respect
they arc said to be equal to Dlrocs,
Chester Whites or Poland Chinas. II
the well. authenticated stories coming
Ia may be accepted, the "mule.fest"
are marvels as weight makers. IL
faot, some OF the figures are stagger.
1nR. A farmer living near e iinburR,
Ind, recently sold q three-year. old
That tipped the beam at 100 pounds
Another breeder, In the same neigh
borhooo, had a two.year.old not long
ago that made the scales show $50
pounds. Last winter one Of the sons
Of the same owner pulled down 61O
pounds, while four others, at the 80 me
killing averaged $50 pounds each.
Ihe 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,
hog raising.
But the most important thing re.
L Alma to be told about the mule
t&et." Tney are immune to that dread
disease which, In the words Of the
temperance orators about the run
tr&mo, "apnual.y destroys" thousands
and thousands of the most PROMISING
porkers: Cholera has been 3 pig prob
lem ever since Noah'a cruise ended,
and fortunes have ine n sctively been
tffored for . sure cure, but this, aid.
cd by the tfflrts Ut all the animei
Uootors for centuries, has failed tt
wipe out the disease. The ''mu,e-fo0t, ;
however, unlike the rest of the pork
I mllys never catches this complains
traits acquired In his original habit
ar, or his constitutional construction,
have made him proof against this
7courage Of the porcine rae The fact
ohat mule. fees" hogs are not addict
to the cholera habit, q di1eage &c
popular with the ordinary hog. gives
them an especial interest in the eyes
OF the animal scientists. Experiments
along that line have been MADE By ex
pert veterinarians during the last few
years, and they are still at q loss for
IN explanation. That they are i'm.
mune from cholera however, has been
prcv.:d concluSively. Recently as q
test, q Sixty. pound shoat was placed
In q pen with q hord OF dropping,
stricken hogs. The mule
foot" lived on, contended with his lot,
"h!le the remaining members Of the
herd went on their sorry way to hog
Another test was that of
placing thirteen fully developed mule.
feet" In q lot with forty ordinary pigs
that were threatened with cholera.
The forty gradually went to xest,"
while the "mule.feet" were mover
touched. The ohoIera-proof mule.
cot hog thus bt I'll 8 science. There
been scores Of explanations, but
none has satisfied the farmers. The
principal and most experienced breeG-
or OF the variety, after q closa study
OF nis herd In an effcrt to solve the
mu]e-foot's" disregard for the arch,
enemy OF the piR family, when con.
on the sui ject. only shakes his
head and says: II don't know why
5hey don't have 1t, but they don't. |
ell there is to 1t If 1t turne
Ut to be . fixed characteristic, there
be little doubt that this type Of
1oR will become immensely popula,
With breeders aud eventually be Ii
use. II, In addition to needing
i5tle attention, fatteniDg we'll and
to great weight, he la abb
% present such a certificate OF char.
voter as immunity from cholera. who