The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-01-25

tons in this respect with those prevail.
ing in the corn country, where for sew
eral months of the year the animals
must wallow through mud and snow,
their bodies being down near the
ground, in order to get sufficient ex-
ercise to keep them in health. They
are forced to become wet and muddy.
and the loss from disease is conseouen
ly very great. Many of the best hog
raisers in the middle west consider
themselves fortunate if they do not
lose their entire crop Of hogs once in
every six or eightyears-such con-
dition need never be considered in this
section Of the country. v
: Concerning the soil, little need be
said for it is such in almost every sec
ton that it will produce a maximum
yield Of all kinds of cereal grains, as
well as peas, beans and other legumes,
and in the most favorable sections corn
crops can be very successfully grown.
In addition to all this, we grow here
the NOSE valuable of all hog feeds in
almost perfect form; namely, alfalfa,
With alfalfa, dwarf Essex rape and
English kale for forage a minimum
amount of concentrated high priced
grain is required for best results. The
trouble has been, in many instances,
to depend altogether too much upon
alfalfa Because it is a good forage
people should not make the mistake of
depending upon it alone for a feed to
raise and fatten their hogs. The hog
Is gregarious animal and is physiol-
ogically and anatomically more nearly
like man than any other domestic ami
NAL, his stomach, intestimes and whole
system of digestion and assimilation
is almost counterpart of the human.
and as result he cannot thrive on
coarse bulky, or very fiberous food. It
is good rule to follow in hog raising
in all particulars, to put yourself in
the other fellows place. Where YOU
would thrive and wax fat, Mr.. Hog will
also think that he has entered hog
Heaven. You would not long maintain
your strength and health on such a
food as alfalfa, either green or in the
form OF hay, nor will the hog do his
best. l know that it is common nrac-
tice to turn brood sows and young nies
into an alfalfa lot and there let them
range during the most of the summer
without additional feed. This is a
very serious mistake; at no time in
his life history can as cheap gains be
made on the hog as in the early stages
of his life.
In an experiment conducted under
my direction at the Wisconsin Exper-
lment Staten, number of years ago.
1t was learned that the proportion of
food of support or maintenance, to to-
tai feed in a 50-pound pig was is per
cent; with 100-pound pig, rs per CERT
I5O-pound pig, 81 per cent; and a 200
pound pig, SO per cent. From this it
VIII be seen that it takes twice as
much of the total percentage of the
FOOD eaten to make UP the food of
support between 5O-pound pig and
a 2OO-pound pig. Again, it was found
mat IN the case of 50-pound pig. it
required 2244 pounds of dry matter
IN feed to produce 100 pounds of gain
IN the l50-pound pig, it required 1922
pounds OF dry matter to produce 100
pounds gain, and in 2O0-pound pig,
1t required 1858 pounds Of dry matter
to produce 100 pounds gain. From
this 1t Will be seen that the earlier in
lie that the pig can be induced to eat
largely of grain the greater the returns
that may be secured from given a.
mount of feed; and, this is particular
~ true when the grain feed can be
fed in combination with alfalfa pas
lures. AS a maintenance ration, al
falfa will Just about support pig with
out allowing additional for gain in |
weight. The more grain, therefore,
that a hog can be induced to eat when
On alfalfa pasture the mere rapidly the
gain and the greater the profit.
With barley, mill stuffs, wheata peas
'ye oats and small amount of corn, |
such as can be grown in this country,
We have all CT the grains necessary |
or the most profitable production Of /
pork. 1t may be said, however, that
.hese gains must be fed in proper com
,ination to give palatability and to
supply the various nutriments and 9TH
or elements in proper proportion for
growth and development without any
waste. During the winter months,
'oots and tubers, such as beets, man.
giles, turnips, carrots and potatoes, all |
Of which may be readily grown in this I
country, will he found very valuable /
Is supplemental feeds to the grain ra-
ion.
In addition to this, we have a rapid
" growing dairy industry. and the Nv