The Elbert County tribune., 1907-01-24
GREAT ADVANTAGES FOR RAIs-
ING AND MARKETING.
EXCEL STATES IN THE EAST
Four Hog Producing sections-6est
Kinds of Feed-AfaIfa, Barley,
Field Peas, Beets, Rape, Roots and
Fruit,
(By Prof. H. NJ. Cottrell.)

"If the farmers of the Eastern and
| Northern states had half the natural
advantages for raising and marketing
hogs that are possessed by every
farmer in this state, they would aver
age up the wealthiest class of people
in the country inside of five years."
remarked Prof. II. NJ. Cottrell to a
class of seventy-five farmers sons in
attendance at the short course at the
| Colorado Agricultural college.
"The raising of hogs holds out
greater advantages than any other line
of effort for the Colorado farmer, Ie-
quiring less money to start with, pay
ing greater profits, and the hog utilizes
vast amounts of waste products.
THE hogs in this state do not find
| 1t necessary to coat themselves with
mud as a protection from the burning
sun, and the dry, mild climate, with
the pure mountain water free from my
riads of bacteria that infest the tepid
water of lower attitudes, means that
our hogs are healthy, and health
means finely favored meat, and the
| favor brings the profits.
"The climate in this state is neither
| too hot nor too cold, just bracing
enough to sharpen the appetite and en-
able the hogs to get the best out of
| the feed given them. The mineral
substances in the soil and the quality
of the feed raised peculiar to this alti-
tude, makes both strong bones and vi
tai organs, and this means large hogs,
rapid growth, the minimum in ex-
pense of production and, because Of
the flavor, the maximum in selling
price.
I'VE are to-day producing meat in
| this state at one-eighth to one-half the
cost that is incurred in the middle
states, and in addition to this if the
business is engaged in on the scale
that it should be, Colorado bacon can
be advertised and will bring the best
in prices. In fact, the packers of Pu-
eblo and Denver are already offering a
premium of 81 per hundred for pea-fed
hogs, provided they can get enough
each month to make special feature
in supplying eastern and European
trade with high class bacon.
There are four distinct and separ-
ate hog sections in this state, and the
| farmers in each of these divisions
must manage their business in accord
ance with their environments. All
along the foothills on the eastern slope
and extending out toward the plains
in the irrigated region is a great al
falfa producing district. Alfalfa is one
of the most valuable crops grown for
] hog feed. An acre of alfalfa will pro-
duce from 500 to 1000 pounds of pork.
| Another, in fact the leading sec
| tion at present in hog production, is
the San Luis valley. Field peas grow
to perfection there, and this feed pro-
| duces gain at less expense of any
thing grown in the state. 1t costs
$1.50 to $500 per acre to raise peas,
and an acre of them produces 400
pounds of pork. They are feeding 50,-
| nt hr f,, tlO
San Luis valley, and If the farmers
there will devote one-fifth of the val
ley to this industry they can turn out
a million head annually.
"The plains of Colorado offer great
promise in hog production. There are
about 25,000,00O acres out on the
plains, and hogs can be profitably
raised all over this area.
THE fruit section of Colorado has
conditions peculiar to itself in hog
raising. Only the best fruit is shipped
out and there is in most orchards a
vast amount of fruit that is wasted be-
cause of over-ripened and various
other conditions. There is no better
feed for hogs than just this kind of
material, combined with n light feed
of grain, with its healthy succulent
qualities.
Il have told you that the feed
raised in Colorado is peculiarly
adapted to hog feeding. The most i'm
portant grain we raise that can be
used in hog feeding is barley. There is
nothing so good as barley raised any
where for producing prime pork.
| Another feed that the corn belt
does not have is beet tops and sugar
beets Beet tops are especially rich in
pork producing material, and hogs
will increase in flesh and fatten until
almost ready to market on nothing but
beet tops. A few weeks on barley as
| fnisher. with some alfalfa, makes
juicy, well-favored meat.
Wheat is valuable ration for
hogs. 1t does not give as high flavor
as barley or corn, but gives good
growth, and if barley, roots and al
falfa are used for topping off. the flavor
will be as good as though the hogs
were raised on an exclusive diet OF
barley
Dwarf Essex rape has been tested
by the college and found to grow in
various sections of the state. The seed
of this plant can be sown as early in
the spring as the ground can be
worked, and snow does not injured it.
| These statements are not cleaned
from books and based on theory alone.
These things are being done every
day in the year in every section of
the state on small scale. F. w. Hart,
living south of Denver, turned 12O pigs
out at weaving time into an eight-acre
field of alfalfa, divided into two fields,
ranging them for week on one half
and the following week on the other.
He gave them no other feed than the al
falfa they grazed, snd in the fall sold
them as feeders for $1,100. The profit
from this bunch of hogs was sufficient
to pay for the land which he had pur-
chased short time before.
Swan Peterson nt Sanford CoIo