The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-04-19

That the salvation of southern Ida
no. as an agricultural community. will
be found to lie in the raising of hogs,
is the opinion of v. D. Hannah, OF
Notus, verified by his own experience
and that of a number of his neigh
bors.
Mr.. Hannah, being of the cult OF
which Prof. H. E. French is another
equally positive and enthusiastic ex-
ponent, declares that the shipping OF
hay, grain, and similar products even
tually means ruin for any agricultural
community, impoverishing the soil,
eventually to the point Of extinction
of its crop-raising value. This has
been the history of grain shipping COM
munities since the dawn of history;
and even crop rotation, fertilization
and other expedients merely delay
and do not prevent, the ultimately
certain impoverishment of the soil.
What Is Taken Out must 60 Back.
This means that the farmer must de-
wise some means of putting back in
the land every ounce of fertility which
his crops take out of it. The two
most common and practical means for
the accomplishment of this end are
the raising of dairy stock and the rails
ing of hogs.
The matter of dairying has, in one
way or another, received much local
publicity of late and has, it would ap-
pear, had the preference in most dis
cussions of scientific agriculture.
Whatever may be accepted as the bet
ter method elsewhere, the situation
locally and throughout southern Idaho
is complicated by the alleged lack of
harmonious relations Ito say nothing
worse) with the creameries to such
an extent that the tendency to accept
the "hog" solution may be perhaps
unduly stimulated. At any rate, here
is Mr.. Hannah's argument.
The Hog vs.. the Cow.
To start with, a good dairy COW
will cost anywhere from SIS to 500.
She requires constant attention, reg
ular feeding and milking and is dry
from two to three months out of the
year. A man must rise early and feed
and milk his cows before time to be-
gin the regular work of the farm; then
after the hard work of the day, must
again go through the work of feeding
and milking before he can go to bed
at least one to two hours morning ant
evening, or two to four hours a day
in addition to the full days hard worl
of the farm. And this must BE- per
formed every day, at stated TIM
every day, regularly, or the cows arr
spoiled. One cannot absent himsel
from the work single day withou
making sure provision that the worl
shall be performed. And then tn
milk is separated. the cream sent t.
the creamery and the dairyman re
ceives his cash return on such basi
as may suit the creamery. Accepting
the figures of the creamery-not as
matter of conviction, but to save ar
gument-that each good COW shout
make for her owner gross return O
s. per month, or total Of about 81
per year. in addition to the increase il
calves, which must be reckoned large
ly at veal prices, compare this with tn
returns on the humble but invaluabl
porker.
! You can buy a bred" SOW of tn
best strain for $40. The litter shout
: yield at least an average of seve
pigs. which properly fed. should DE-
velop into s0-pounders by the clos
of summer-l7sO pounds of pork. iiv
+ weight, which on the basis of tn
, price paid by Caldwell butchers toda
; of 6Ac on the hoof, will total 500 3.
( This leaves over $500 to counterba
= ance the value of the calf which woul
5 be gained from the COW. and, to offs,
, this. again. the COW eats more tina
: the hog. In addition to this, conside
5 the difference in labor. your pigs ca
be fed at any time: if you are goin
away for q day. no harm will com
from throwing in feed for a coupl
of days. Their return of fertility I
: the soil equals that of the COW, an
Cash Returns are Certain.
n As compared with the dairyma
who must either accept what ii
I creamery chooses to give him. be
fair or otherwise; or, churning his ow
{ butter. must accept the returns s,
n l l.