The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-04
'M|[L|ONSINPORK
FOR VIRGINIA
Demonstrators Sandy Teaching
Rotation in the Hog Crop on
Virginia Farms.
FATTEN SWINE WITHOUT CORN
Grass. Green Food, Peas and
Such Beat Grain Two to
One.

had a talk with Thomas o. Sandy.
tho head man of the farm demonstra-
ton work in Virginia, the other day
and found him as usual quite en-
thusfastic over the good work being
done in Virginia looking to better and
more profitable flaming. Rotation OF
crops has been Sandy's pet theme for
many years. and wherever he and his
district and county demonstrators have
had fair hearing before the farm
ors they have most successfully i'm
pressed that good doctrine and this
to the betterment OF the farmer who
helped.
Tho subject upon which he talked
TO me the other day. and the one that
he and his lieutenants are now striv-
ing 70 impress upon the minds of Vir-
GINA farmers may be termed. for the
lnck of better name, hog rotation
or rotation Of the hog crop. 1t has
been demonstrated, Mr. Sandy says.
that hogs can be raised cheaper in
Virginia than in the West, even by the
old system OF feeding the animals
largely on grain. That is the only
hog food known in the West, hence
tho high cost OF the Western hog
in Virginia corn Is used only for
fattening purposes. Mr.. Sandy claims
thar Virginia farmers can raise hogs
and get them ready for market with
out the use OF any grain at all. and
thus reduce the cost l looked at the
Richmond quotations the day he was
ra1king to me and found that hogs on
the hoof were quoted at from to 8 1-2
cents per pound, and the supply was
nothing like equal To the demand
Big Profits I'm the Business.
Mr.. Sandy figured out to my satisfac-
ton that any Virginia farmer con-
venient to shipping points can raise
nj oct d., (nr icI,
mond or other markets in Virginia and
beyond at a cost OF from l2 TO 4
cents per pound. Between those ng-
rres and the market price, as above
quoted. there IS enormous profit
There is no danger Of crowding the
market OF the selling price going
down. certainly not for many years
to come No matter what effect the
tartT reductions may have upon other
things, the value OF hogs will in no
way be affected by Il downward or an
upward tariff reform proposition, for
the hog IS one Of the few things that
tariff has nothing to do with. one way
OF tho other. supply and demand alb
Holutcly fix the prices ot pork and
hams and side bacon. The figures and
all of the information from all over
the country show that the supply OF
hogs Is diminishing every day, and the
demand for hog meat is increasing
every day IN the year.
Virginia Raised Hogs Preferred.
It Is a well known fact that seven
1enths or more OF the hog meat con-
sumed IN Virginia for the past forty
and more years has been coming from
the West. The Richmond and other
Virginia packers anu meat dealers
would much rather handle Virginia
stock altogether. If they could get the
hogs, but they can't and they have
OF To- 1l..a fau- na1-
ago I published In tine Industrial Sec
ton an interviey with one Of the
largest Virginia packers, in which in
terview this fact was brought out. and
IN which the packer said his abattoir
wanted twenty times more Virginia
raised hogs than they could get. Rich
mond alone would buy ALI OF the hogs
the whole State OF Virginia would offer
II tho farmers OF the State raised
twenty or thirty times more than they
now do, to say nothing o. the demands
of Ijynchburg. Norfolk. Roanoke. Bal
tmore and markets beyond.
Snndy's Rotation Plnn.
But, returning to Mr.. Sandy and his
hog rotation proposition. Let farmer
convenient to shipping station lay
off six lots OF land of from five to ten
or more acres each according to the
number OF hogs he proposes TO grow
for tho markets. These lots must be
near running stream stream
oourstng through them. and then they
must be fenced in separately. OF
course that is going TO cost n goodly
tot of money. but the farmer who means
business need not ball< al this, for he
can get the money. Wire fencing is
not SO awfully expensive as some peo-
ple think, and any good responsible
farmer who wants TO go to raising hogs
for tho Richmond and other markets
can get all OF the wire he wants
whether he has the cash right with
him or not
The farmer must grow things on
these lots upon which to Craze and
feed and fatten the hogs ready for
market. No. should be In crimson