The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1915-11-26
HOGS AND IRRIGATION
MAKE THE FARM PAY
Possibility of the Industry Pointed
Out in Government Report.

where forage and grain crops are the
chief products are urged by the de-
partment to consider very carefully
the possibilities of raising hogs as a
means of converting crops into pro
aucts which will bear transportation
charges. An investigation of this
problem on the North Platte reclaim
alton project, in western Nebraska
and eastern Wyoming, had led to the
conclusion that the swine industry can
be extended with great profit to the
community. Similar conditions it is
believed prevail on a number Of 9TH
or projects.
On the North Platte, it is stated in
a report on this subject, there appears
to be no reason why the annual ex-
portation of hogs should not be de-
veloped to a point where the result
ing revenue will represent an import
ant part of the farmers receipts from
their crops. The demonstration work
which has already been conducted
on the project with view to extend
ing and improving the swine industry
will, therefore, be continued. In par
ticular, attention Is being bestowed
upon the arousing the farmers to the
necessity of community action in con-
trolling hog cholera. There is also,
il is said, room for improvement in
feeding and housing methods. Bet
ter results would be obtained If more
grain were produced and fed in con-
nection with alfalfa pasture.
In 1913 about 55 per cent Of the
crop acreage on the North Platte pro-
ject was devoted to alfalfa and about
32 per cent to grain. AS in the case
of many of the other reclamation pro-
jects, the cost Of transportation from
the North Platte region to the large
market centers is so high that the
price paid to farmers for hay and
grain leaves only small margin OF
profit. In 1913, for example, the local
price of alfalfa was from SO to IS
ton, and for different grains from 40
cents to 70 cents per bushel. Expert
ments at the experiment farm that
year showed that alfalfa when pastur-
ed by hogs had value equivalent
to $35 a ton and that when corn was
hogged off it's value as feed was
from 80 cents to 81 bushel. These
figures made it obvious that it Was,
in general, more profitable for the
farmers on the project to convert
their alfalfa and corn into pork than
to attempt to dispose of them direct
ly.
Local conditions also favor the de-
velopment of the swine industry. For
age crops and grains can be produced
cheaply and abundantly. Compare
lively little capital is needed to Sc
cure start in the business, the re-
turns come promptly, and the swine
population increases. rapidly. Under
these conditions the four chief fac
tors of success in hog raising are de-
clared to be:
Cd The Standardization of breeds
in the community.
~ The adoption Of satisfactory
methods of breeding, feeding, and
marketing.
(3) Adequate control Of diseases.
(4) Community cooperation
In developing these requisites, the
department has worked in coopera-
tion with the University of Nebraska
and the Nebraska Live Stock SAM
tary Board This cooperative work
has apparently borne good fruit, for
the number of hogs on the project
rose from $4,000 on November l,
1913, to 22,241 on November !. 1914,
an increase of approximately GO per
cent. In addition, large number OF
farmers have expressed their intcn-
tion of entering the business, and
many Of those who now have here's
are planning to increase their size
h re are, it is said, ample facilities
for producing all the feed Tat is
necessary foy four or five times as
many hogs as are now being s. 'wn
About 10 per cent Of the hogs on
tae project are pure bred, :.ill about
81 per cent gra' -s Of fairly good
type. BY far the greatest number are
Duroc Jerseys ana, under the ctrcrm-
stances, this breed is advocated Ior
the project because the uniform adop-
ton OF one particular breed VIII fach-
itate improvements and economies
Poland Chinas have also been found
to do we'll, but they are in the great
minority at present.
It is common practice to raise