The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-03-01

Ma" k!Een the sublect thorough
stud and although d young man la
year be gave some OF toe older
head come good thoughts for fu-
tufe development in producing the
best Kind Of a hog for the farm.
In the course of his remarks Mr..
Eriou said:
If q hog be irst-class in size, and
form, and bone, and muscle, and vi
tally, IL does not make much differ
ence what the color of the hair or the
name of the breed. So far as the
breed is concerned, the breed thai a
man likes best is usually the best
breed for him.
DRY OF mine for some time that there
are really but two types of hogs,
namely, the lard hog and the "ba-
con hog" That the lard hog
lwhateyer the breed may be- is the
corn belt, and no matter what type
OF a hog is introduced into the corr
belt, ii fed as the majority of corr
belt farmers usually feed their hogs,
it will assume this shape. The rapid
ity with which it will assume this
shape will depend entirely on the
extent TO which the ordinary corr
belt feed is changed for the purpose
OF developing surplus bone and mus
Gle.
On the other hand, we notice that
when the breeds of hogs, peculiar to
the corn belt, are moved either
north. south or west of thai corn
belt, they Immediately begin to as
sumo a different type and become
NOR or less completely bacon hogs.
Thus the Poland Chinas in the cut
over timber sections of Minnesota
is a Very different hog from the Po-
land China in the center of the corn
belt. Moved into the southern states
1T either disappears entirely or takes
on more or less the characteristics of
the race horse and the same may be
said OF the Berkshire and some of
the meanest Duroc Jerseys we ever
heard of We're some that were taken
from iowa to Texas. That the ''ba-
O hog is as capable of making as
economical gains in the Dakotas,
northern Iowa and other parts of the
country, where the lard type of hogs
are raised exclusively, has been
clearly proven by numerous expert
ments that have been conducted in
the different parts of the United
States, which is contrary to the opin-
ion of the average farmer.
III say that until the farmers will
change their methods of feeding, i.
e., nothing but corn and water, and
other grains along with some
corn, in my opinion, the lard type is
the best for him. But with bacon re-
failing at zoe a pound, hams at 15c
and lard at - kc, it don't seem like
1t would need much argument to con-
vince the average farmer as to the
best type Of hogs for him to raise.
Put good feed into good hogs.
Profitable feeding means making a
profit out of every pound of feed,
getting ample pay for the
spent in taking are of the hogs.
Where many farmers lose out is in
trying to make an inferior class of
hogs turn high priced grain into high
priced pork products. Inferior hogs
seldom, it ever, make much profit
for. their owners and when it comes
to putting on a high finish and doing
it quickly it is only the well-bred,
vigorous hog that will do the bust
ness.
Now, just a word about the brood
sow. Don't think that the SOW hat
make the most pork of herself
is always the best to keep for a brood
SOW. This is not the case every
time. Some sows that are large and
raise but few pigs at a litter
and these do not grow and thrive
while some always bring large
litters but of inferior pigs. Avoid
small litters as we'll as inferior pigs.
Much depends on the disposition of
the SOW, as many kill one-half or
more of their pigs before they are
large enough to wean by lying on
tramping them to death. There
is more difference in the value of
brood sows than most farmers real
ize. A short, chunky SOW rarely
brings large l%itters, while a SOW with
a long deep body usually brings
larger filters and a better quality
Of pigs.
In picking a brood SOW, like pick
ing a milk COW, you want one that
will convert her food into milk in
stead of putting on fat. But never
keep a SOW that is slow to fatten be-
fore she brings pigs.
There is no one who takes more
pride in doing anything than the
who has a bunch of large,
pigs of a uniform type and
color to place in the feed lot, and
when ready for the market buyers
will pay more every time for an even
lot than a bunch of mongrels of all
eolors, styles and sizes. And there
is only the one way to get a better
kind of a herd and there never will
a better time to make the start
than now. If you can't buy more
than one full brood SOW, buy one at
least and raise a litter of full bloods
along with your scrubs" and be con-
vlnccd then as to whether you have
had the best type or not.
| we'll remember a few years ago
when we bought our full blood sows;
of our neighbors, who, by the
way, did not own even a good grade
hog at that time, told us we were
to pay so much for brood
sows. Why, they could sell us just
as good sows for one-half or less
than one-half the amount we paid
and. of course. they watched us to
see US lose our ~hard-earned n