Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1911-12-14
PORK PRODUCTION
IN THE IHTERMOUN-
fTA|N COUNTRY
BY w. L. Carlyle, Dean and Director,
Idaho State University.
Oregon Short Line Railroad, Deem
her 10, 1911, Demonstration Train.

I pork In this Intermountain country
\ an a profit Some. and perhaps the
majority OF them, believe that hogs
4 cannot be grown and fattened at a
profit in any country where corn can
not be abundantly and cheaply
grown; in fact. they are not back
ward In expressing their conviction
that hogs cannot be grown and fat
tened without corn. After some
years experience In hog growing
and fattening In this western coun-
try. we are convinced that these
: men are greatly mistaken. and we
believe that this section offers many
advantages for pork production that
are not TO be found in any other
section OF the United States
It may be said that there are five
prime factors that have 20 do with
profitable pork production in any
country; these are. first, the ability.
experience and taste of the farmer;
second, the nature of the climate;
third. the character Of the soil and
It's capacity 10 produce an abundance
of suitable feed products cheaply;
fourth. the prevalence of disease. and
fifth and most important. the de-
mand for pork products or the avail
ability OF a good market. Let US con-
slider briefly these five factors. and
apply them to our conditions, and
see how nearly we fiji the bill in
this section. In the first instance
we have as progressive a lot Of farm
ers as may be found in any section
of the country. Il is true that many,
In fact, most OF them have not that
knowledge and skill in the business
of rearing and feeding swine that
iusures success, but this skill and
knowledge can be secured in a very
short time with a little practical ex-
perience and careful study It can,
therefore, be said that in so far as
the first factor is concerned that
our conditions are favorable.
AS regards the climate, this section
cannot be excelled in any other part
Of this continent for hog raising. This
is broad statement. but l believe |
the facts substantiate It. The wealth |
or is uniformly dry, the seasons are |
moderate, the air pure and inyigorat-
ing and the sunshine abundant and |
strong. There is only one serious
objection to our climate from the |
hogs standpoint and that is our ex-
treme variations of temperature in
each twenty-four hours; and this
objection, while a very serious one. If
not guarded against, is very readily
overcome. The hog is by nature
semitroplcal animal. he has light
coat of very coarse hair at best,
and is consequently very susceptible
to cold or chills. Again, the hog
has no Precipitation or sweat glands
in his skin. and though he be
semi-troplcal animal naturally, is
very easily overcome with heat. Most
other animals. including man, are
proyidentially equipped with a means
Of cooling the surface of their bod
les through the evaporation of the
perspiration which exudes from the
open pores of their skin whenever
the temperature of the body rises alb
normally. This meroiml provision
Of nature has been denied the hog.
consequently. when he is exposed to
the burning hot sun during the mid
lie of the day, and his body becomes {
oyerheated. he should be provided {
with some kind Of shelter or shade;
and with some means of supplying !
for evaporation from the {
surface OF his body. On the other Z
and, whom the sun goes down, and 2
he chill air from the mountains des-
ends into the valleys in the evening, 1
n during the night, the hog having 3
10 adequate covering OF hair is very (
eadily chilled The result of which
3 very apt to be serious loss from
neumonia and other pulmonary trou- Il
les. particularly in the case OF young 81
igs and very fat animals. In summer :,
is important. therefore. that hogs -
aould be furnished with some shell.
n in The fields We provide small 81
A'-shaped eight-foot square hog y
buses. These are cheap. easily NOV y
from place to place and answer n
cry purpose. both for shelter from al
e sun and from the cool might air.
DIVIDING thew nra we'll vanfilated "a
addition to adequate shelter an
isture lots for hogs in summer
ould be provided with bath"
which the animals can so at viii
{ SO much to clean their bodies ma
to cool themselves. Hogs should sh
1 be forced to make wallow IN ben
me dirty, filthy, stagnant pool OF sol
tier in order to cool themselves. 30
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