The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-02-12
Bringing Swine into the Northwest.
By Prof. Thomas Shawl

Bringing Swine into the Northwest.
(By Prof. Thomas Shawl
In the northwestern states the
ranchmen are giving much attention
to the introduction Of swine. This is
true Of all the northwestern states,
particularly the western D#kotas,
NJ Montana, Washington, and Oregon.
This move is certainly step in the
right direction. Pork at $500 per
hundred live weight is certainly better
than wheat at 10 cents per bushel.
But there is right and wrong way
Of going into pork raising. Persons
who are not familiar with the bust
ness are pretty certain to take the
wrong way. At least they are quite
as apt to take the wrong methods as
the method that is judicious and right.
What is m ant by the wrong method?
1t means first, that farmers are gen
orally of the opinion that they must
purchase high bred sows or sows that
are purely bred; and it means second,
that foundation stocks may be
brought in that will bring hog cholera
with them. The lack of information
OH these two points is going to cost
the ranchmen dearly in all the north
western states.
When choosing foundation sows it
is not essential that they shall be
purely bred or even graded, unless
the ranchman is going to produce
pure bred swine for breeding. 1t does
not matter how mixed the breeding.
But it does matter that the sows shall
have good conformation. Good con-
formation means a long body and
enough of length Of limb to make the
sows active rs graziers during the
season of grazing. 1t does not matter
much what the blood components are,
providing the conformation is AS
stated above. Mixed blood elements
are advantageous rather than preju-
dicial, for the reason that the more
mixed the blood elements on the side
of the dam the more rapid will be the
improvement when such dams are
mated with pure bred sires of any
breed. This is 4 lesson that it is to
be feared not many ranchmen have
learned, and it is a lesson which they
are slow to learn. The idea is almost
universal that the breeder must begin
with high grade sows. AS 4 rule he
will Succeed later with low grade
soWs, because of the less cost. But
he must give attention to the selection
of long bodied sows. This will insure
the production of relatively large
litters and Of good bacon production
in the progeny.
1t should be remembered that with
sows of mixed breeding improvement
comes chiefly from the sire if purely
bred. The more mixed the breeding
of the dam the more surely will the
progeny resemble the size. AS mar
kets are at the present time it will not
matter much what breed the sire
comes from, but it is pretty certain
that the markets of the future will
give the preference to q sire of the
bacon breeds, as the Yorkshires or
the Tamworth.
1t is peculiarly unfortunate that
hog cholera should be brought into
the northwestern states. 1t might
have been kept out of these. 1t was
not there originally, but it has been
brought there. Hog cholera is already
in the judith Basin. 1t is in other
portions Of the northwest. 1t is there
because it has been brought there
There was no necessity for bringing
it. Due precaution would have kept
it out, but evidently due precaution
was not exercised or it would not
have been introduced. 1t will not
avail to say that the climate OF those
states is so pure that it will not nurse
hog cholera. 1t is no more pure than
the climate of Great Britain, and yet
hog cholera is plentiful there. Hog
cholera is a germ disease. 1t will
come into any country into which the
germs are carried, and it will foul sh
there howsoever pure the climate may
be.
When swine, therefore, are brought
into any part of the northwest, let
those who bring them make absolute
ly sure that they do not come from
ch olera-infested region. Let them
make absolutely sure that they carry
them in properly disinfected cars.
These two precautions taken, they
need not bring in hog cholera.
The ranchmen of the northwest