The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-01-25
BY W. L. Carlyle, Dean and Director
Idaho State University.

pork in this intermountain country at
profit. Some, and perhaps the ma.
jorlty of them, believe that hogs can
not be grown and fattened at pro.
fit in any country where corn cannot
be abundantly and cheaply grown; in
fact, they are not backward in ex.
pressing their conviction that hogs
cannot be grown and fattened with
out corn. After some years expert
ence in hog growing and fattening in
this western country, we are convir.
ced that these men are greatly mis-
taken, and We believe that this sec.
ton offers many advantages for pork
production that are not to be found
in any other section of the United
States.
1t may be said that there are five
prime factors that have to 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
its capacity to produce an abundance
of suitable feed products cheaply;
fourth, the prevalence of disease, and
fifth and most important, the demand
for pork products or the availability
of good market. Let us consider
briefly these five factors, and apply
them to our conditions, and see how
nearly we fill the bill in this section
In the first instance, we have as pro
gressive a lot of farmers as may be
found in any section of the country.
1t is true that many, in fact, most of
skill in the business of rearing and
feeding swine that insures success,
but this skill and knowledge can be
secured in very short time with a
littla practical experience and care
full study. II 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 | be.
weather is uniformly dry, the sea
sons are moderate, the air pure and
inyigorating and the sunshine abund-
ant and strong. There is only one
serious objection to our climate from
the hogs standpoint and that is our
extreme variation of temperature in
each twenty.four hours, and this OBJ
| lection, while a very serious one, II
not guarded against, is very readily
overcome. The hog is by nature
semi-tropical 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
perspiration or sweat glands in his
skin, and though he be semi-tTopi-
cal animal naturally, is very easily
overcome with heat. Most other ami.
mails, including man, are providen-
TALLY equipped with means of cool
ing the surface of their bodies
through the evaporation of the pers'
piration which eXudes from the open
| 80 no ha ta,,,
perature of the body rises abnomally
This merciful provision of nature has
been denied the hog, consequently
when he is exposed to the burning
hot sun during the middle of the day
and his body becomes overheated, he
should be provided with some kind
of shelter ca shade; and with some
means of supplying moisture for ev
!, aporation from the surface of the
body. On the other hand, when The
sun goes down, and the chill all
from the mountains descends into the
valleys in the evening, or during tho
night, the hog having no adequat,
covering of hair Is very readily chill
led. The result of which is very APP
to be serious loss from pneumonia
and other pulmonary troubles, part
cularly in the case of young pigs ans
very fat animals. In summer, it is i'm
portant, therefore, that hogs SHOULD
be furnished with some shelter y
the fields. We provide small "A"
shaped, eightfoot square hog houses
These are cheap, easily moved from
place to place and answer every pur
pose, both for shelter from the sur
and from the cool night air, providinl
they are Well ventilated. In addition
to adequate shelter all pasture lots