The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-09-18
Hog Raising in the South.

should import a pound of pork, yet
it is a fact that most of the pork
eaten in the state is brought from the
north. 1t is certain that it might all
be produced here, and we believe at
a cheaper rate than any where else in
the country To show you what a
northern man thinks about it we copy
an article from Coleman's Rural
World. Note specially the question
in the closing sentence.
Two years ago [ took an extensive
trip through the South, going as far as
the land would let me go. 1t is not
necessary for me to say that | saw
a great many things which interested
me, for this was my first trip in that
direction In almost every branch Of
agriculture found something that ap-
pealed to my interest. But, being a
swine specialist, my observations were
more conferred on things pertaining to
that industry. All localities which I
visited were not highly adapted to hog
raising, but most places seemed to be
ideal
My location for a hog farm is not
in the heart of the corn belt. prefer
country where land is cheaper and
more adapted to forage crops. Forage
crops are more cheaply raised than
corn and generally bring larger net
income Good corn land is not always
the best for such crops as cowpeas,
sofa beans, sand vetch, winter rye
and other such crops which I might
mention Although I found but little
of the best corn land I hardly found
place in the South where the above
named crops would not flourish
AS a person is always more i'm
pressed by the failings of strangers
than Of his old acquaintance, I was
surprised to see how few of farmers
were availing themselves of their ST.
perb natural conditions, but were al
lowing their hogs to make themselves
upon free range with only enough
grain at the last to make them go on
the market They would give as their
reasons for doing this that the grain
or growth made upon free range cost
nothing, while raising so much corn
is hard on the land I found that Of
tentimes these free range hogs would
not weigh 200 pounds at year old,
while two years was often required to
obtain such weight. In the corn belt
hogs are made to weigh as much at
seven months when pushed and it is
very easy matter to make whole
droves of them to weigh it at eight
months. AS to the injury to the land,
hogs require a balanced ration for
most profitable results, the raising of
such rations also giving a balanced
ration to the soil by. way of proper
crop rotation, to say nothing of the
fertilizer saved by keeping the hogs
on land INTENDED for cultivation. The
proper raising of hogs would increase
the farmers income and would in
sure him larger crops by virtue of in
creased fertility
am glad to say that I found
great many farmers who were taking
advantage of their favorable condi-
tons and are experiencing results by
which I have derived my favorable
conclusions regarding the adaptability
of the country for swine raising.
I was much impressed with the ex-
cellent quality and flavor of the pork
produced on these well-managed plan
tations Yet Notwithstanding this
fact I am informed by a reliable att
thority that large proportion of the
meats consumed in the South are ship
ped in from Northern markets. [ have
wondered if Our farmers here in the
corn belt would be able to compete
II, IL