The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-06
The Bacon Hog Of North Dakota


Prof. w. B. Richards of the N. d. A.
c. wrote The Dakota Farmer as fol-
lows;
Which type of class of swine is
most profitable for the farmer to raise
in North Dakota is q question which
is frequently asked. At the present
time the lard type breeds are raised
much more extensively than the bacon
type breeds; and 1t is question
whether this will not continue to be
the case for sometime in the future.
Before our farmers will raise bacon
hogs it must be shown to them that il
is as profitable or. more profitable to
raise them in comparison with the lard
type. There is no question IL we con-
slider our condition in this section
Of the country that they are better
adapted 10 raising this class of swine
than any other section in the United
STATES. If it Is the case that they are
to be raised extensively in any one
section Of the United States, it win be
this section
The opinion is commonly held by
most farmers that bacon hogs cannot
be raised as prof1tably as the lard type,
because they will not make the growth
or gains, that she lard type breeds
will make. Experiments carried on at
several experiment stations in this
country and Canada have demon
strated that this is an erroneous idea.
These experiments show that the ba-
con breeds will make as large gains
as the lard type breeds, and in some
instances they make larger gains. This
should be sufficient evidence that 1t is
grown as profital ly as the lard type.
The reason why farmers do not like
a bacon type of hog, no doubt, is be-
cause they have been accustomed to
the more compact type and when COM
pared with the lean looking bacon
hogs, it leads them to believe that the
lard hog is the easier raised and will
net a larger return when marketed.
II one has had experience in raising
the bacon type, he will underestimate
their weight, because their length and
flrmness of flesh makes them weigh
beyond ones expectations. Many also
go to the needless expense of putting
an excess OF fat on their bacon hogs
before they market them, which will
reduce the profit to be made on them,
because they do not fatten readily,
but make their gains largely in the
form of growth; and this is the con-
dition in which the market prefers
them. 1 am Of the opinion that this
is one OF the mistakes an inexperienced
breeder Of bacon swine often makes,
which lads him to believe that they
are not as profitable to grow as the
other type.
At the present time most of our ba-
con is made by our packers from hogs
which possess the bacon type regard
less OF their breeding. In most cases
they are obliged to use great many
hogs that are not well adapted to pro-
duce the best class of bacon. They are
forced to do this because there are not
enough hogs OF bacon breeding mar
keted or that have been fed to pro-
duce a quality Of flesh suitable TO
make a good grade OF bacon AS long
as this is the condition Of affairs, our
packers will not be able to produce a
first class grade of bacon, because the
lard breeds Of swine do not have as
large proportion OF lean to fat in
their carcasses which is essential to
produce the highest class OF bacon.
It must be necessary for them to be
able to get hogs Of bacon breeding and
fed on the proper feeds before they
viii be able to produce first class
bacon. The best class of bacon is
now being produced by Denmark, Hol-
land and Canadt where the farmers
raise the bacon breeda OF hogs and
feed them ON / -otein feeds such as
legumes and the high protein content
grains
Our packers have shown q dispo-
sition TO pay more for hogs Of bacon
breeding that have been fed properly,
providing they can get lem in car
load lots. Swift q Co are very an
xfous to produce o high grade OF
bacon at their South st. Paul pack
ing house, and have paid a premium
for bacon hogs In order to encourage
the farmers OF the northwest to raise
them more extensively. This induce
ment has not met with much response,
although I am OF the opinion that more
bacon hogs are being grown In the
northwest than formerly, though the
number Is not as large as one would
naturally expect, considering the
adaptablIity Of this section Of the.
country for their production.
The bacon hog best adapted for
the market demands can be produced
by the use OF feeds that are compare
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