The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-03-11
BY JOHN UNDERWOOD.
In Illinois Hog Raiser.

the growth to market maturity
the greater the profit for the owner.
There are two essential factors to be
considered by every farmer who raises
hogs. First, the breeding of a type
that has the power of applying food
to the laying on of muscle and fat
and Will provide maximum amount
of choice meat at minimum cost.
Second, the feeding of the proper
kinds and amounts of food to obtain
the desired results. 1t may be said
that one of these factors is as essen
tial as the other.
There are in hogdom several rec
ognized breeds but all may be salts
factorily placed in one or the other
OF the two great classes, the bacon
hog and the lard hog Each has a
distinct purpose to perform which
has been brought about by breeding
and artificial conditions together
with the natural cause, the different
kinds of food found in different parts
of the country, but in the corn belt
the prevailing type is the large early
maturing lard hog. These hogs ma
ture at from 600 to 700 pounds and
with proper care weigh $50 pounds at
seven months and about 800 pounds
at nine months Of age. By some this
type is designated the medium type
and by others as the large, smooth
type, which means practically the
same. The pure bred breeder caters
to the farmer, the farmer depends
upon the packer and the packer pays
the best average prices for young
hogs finished in prime condition
weighing $50 to 300 pounds.
Quality Is Demanded.
The packer demands quality, the
farmer seeks prolificacy and size COM
bined with easy feeding qualities and
by studying the characteristics of all
the lard hog breeds it will be found
that the pure bred breeder is supply
ing these demands. Great care should
be taken in selecting the foundation
for the breeding stock.
Whatever breed a man select it
should in all cases be bred pure. 1t
is indeed poor practice to cross
this year with one breed, next year
with another and the next with some
thing else. Is it not fact that
nice bunch of black pigs as even as
possible in size present more pleas
ing picture than an equal number of
ring streaked and speckled ones.
Some say that cross bred animal Is
better feeder than pure bred.
This Is surely mistake. | believe
those who cross their hogs are intelli-
gent men and think cross breeding is
the proper thing to do simply because
they have never tried any other meth
cd. After a number of years of ex-
perience with pure bred hogs l GER
tainly would not go back to the cross
breds If | were only raising them to
supply meat for family use. Many
farmers seem to think that breeders
are getting pure bred hogs bred down
too fine with bone too small and too
short bodied. True, some breeders
lay more stress on size of ear and
length of snout and the curl OF the
tail than they do on bone length and
quality, but not all. Those minor
points are all right if quality is not
sacrificed for them. There is a good
deal of difference of opinion among
breeders themselves as to what an
ideal hog is. ANY man can very near
ly get the exact type of hog he pre-
fers without mixing up the various
breeds.
Cross Breeding
Another argument some use for
crossing is that they think pure bred
sows do not farrow enough pigs
Now which Is it that counts for most,
the number Of pigs that SOW far
rows or the number she Is capable OF
raising well? In my actual personal
experience have gotten larger litters
and raised a much larger per cent of
pigs farrowed from pure bred sows
than ever did from grades. | have
had pure bred farrows that weighed
285 pounds at seven months old and
out of litters where the sows raised
10 to IL pigs each. | can think of
no reason why every farmer who
raises hogs should not keep pure
breds. Pick the breed you like best
and when you get sow that raises
good, uniform litters, by all means
keep her Give her extra care, for
one such SOW is worth two or three
grades. | believe one reason a good
many farmers mix their hogs is be-