The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1908-07-24
GROWING HOGS IN IDAHO.
industry Is Recening Greater Atten-
ton Than Ever Before.
Prof. H. T. French. Director Idaho Experiment
Station.


ton Than Ever Before.
Prof. H. T. French. Director Idaho Experiment
Station.
The hog industry in Idaho is re.
reiving more attention now than ever
before III the history of the state.
ne. tendency to diversity farm op-
erations is stronger now than in the
past. All alfalfa, or all sheep or all
ot any other one thing, unless ii
should be fruit, is out OF date for the
majority of farmers of Idaho, both in
.he northern part of the state, where
irrigation Is not practiced. and in the
Tlgated sections of southern Idaho
The most successful farmer, here as
elsewhere, is the one who is making
livestock on the farm one of the i'm
portant factors. AS the dairy indus
try increases in interest the raising
of hogs will receive more attention.
A farmer who is not adverse to milk
ing cows will, as a rule, be a success
N handling pigs, because no one can
succeed in either line, to the fullest
extent, unless he looks carefully after
details.
In Idaho the dairy industry is grow
ing, therefore | expect a more rapid
development of the hog industry. In
tact, there is strong indication that
this is the case just now in several
sections of the state. In holding far
mers' institutes in southern Idaho
much interest was noticed in the sub
Iect of feeding and breeding hogs.
Several shipments of pure bred stock
have recently been made into south
ern Idaho. Pure bred Poland China.
Duroc Jersey, Chester White and
Berkshire pigs are found in increas-
ing numbers in every farming section
of the state. Poland Chinas predomi-
nate, no doubt; but the Duroc is be-
coming close competitor in many
sections.
Alfalfa pasture, with small ration
of shorts, ground wheat or finely
ground barley, will grow pigs very
rapidly. This, supplemented with sep
orator milk, will produce a growth
equal to that secured in the corn beit
and in quality we Aatter ourselves
that it is superior.
In growth, our pigs can be made to
compare quite favorably with those
fed on corn. Numerous reports were
made last winter at farmers meetings
that it was not difficult to produce
pig that would weigh two hundred
pounds at eight months old.
Some sugar beets and other roots
can be fed, and are being used in
feeding hogs in Idaho. Potatoes boiled
and mixed with one and half to two
pounds of grain per hundredweight of
pig, will produce good gains in live
weight. Alfalfa, cut up with feed cut
.er, and softened by steaming or even
1 sprinkling of cold water, with lit
lie grain, makes a good ration for
brood sows during winter A great
many hogs are wintered largely on
Try alfalfa hay, and they do very
we'll.
In state where so much cheap for
lge can be grown for hogs. there is
great encouragement for the industry.
large yields of wheat and barley can
,e secured on irrigated lands, and
'ften the wheat is of low milling
Iuality, making it much more profit
Ible to feed it than to sell it in the
ack. A busheI of wheat will make
rom 10 to Is pounds of gain in live
velght when fed to thrifty young
logs wei9hing from rs to IT'S pounds.
n young piss even greater gains can
'e secured.
Field peas are grown in some sec
ions for hog pasture, and serve an
important purpose in providing good
asturage during the summer before
he stubble fields are ready to CLEAN.
There is period in summer when
here IS lack Of good pasture in the
rain growing sections of the state.
little alfalfa or clover is grown on
many of the farms, and often pigs
make very small gains during this
eriod. Some farmers SOW grain,
uch as wheat or barley, for hog pas
ure, but even this does not produce
S good results as would pasture of
Italia, peas or clover.
Bluegrass and white clover will
lake a good pasture in some locali-
les where there is plenty of moist
re and good soil. This does not. in
ur opinion, give as good results
owever, as the crops mentioned
bove. Idaho farmers are much en-
in raising hogs from the
let that large packing plants are be
lg established on the coast. thus in
lring a steady demand for live hogs.
nd while the price may not be any
lore satisfactory than in the past,
18th limited supply, there will be
to the demand even
Rough the number of hogs produced