The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-09
RAISING FEED FOR OWN
! HOGS TO DOUBLE MONEY
Great Possibilities In Virginia For
This lane of Profitable Farm Ac-
compiishment Are Shown.
BY f. III. LA BAUME.

A practical farmer friend of mine
told me not long ago that IL he had
confined his farm operation TO the
raising of feed to put into hogs. In
stead Of raising grain and other farm
produce to sell off his farm, he would
have made double the money. Here
in Virginia man can make money
in hogs and still retain the fertility
of his farm. There are few States
in the Union where returns offer more
in this line of stock raising, and
largely neglected. Hogs can be rails
ed and fattened in Virginia as cheap
ly on our small grains. roughage,
grain. alfalfa and silage as in any
other section, and more cheaply than
in many. We should grow more corn.
rye, wheat and barley on our farms
to feed with alfalfa.
We are importing into this State
annually millions of dollars worth
of pork and pork products from the
States to the north and west of us.
The farmers of this state can just as
well produce this pork at home. our
climatic conditions In Virginia are
Ideal for the production of strong,
vigorous hogs. and our transporta-
ton and market facilities are not ex-
Cee0eu ny any "thSA Se"t0 "a $50
Union.
At present the country is face to
face with a condition in the world of
meat production that borders very
closely upon a national shortage. In
fact. this condition is worldwide. and
bids fair to last for years to come.
The great ranges are gone. there are
fewer cattle by several million than
there were only a few years ago, and
the decrease is still on.
This situation has caused all meats
to advance in price, so that one OF
the most profitable types of farming
today is the production Of meat ami
mails. The hog easily stands first in
quick profits, as well as large re-
turns. and with our modern advance
in the tuberculin treatment for the
prevention of fog cholera, the eie-
ment of loss through this disease has
been reduced TO a very small mini
mum.
The first question that presents IT
self on taking up product of this
kind is that of breed; pure bred pigs
are better than scrubs. There is. of
course, a considerable difference be-
tween the breeds, but after deter
mining the general type of hog want
ed, choose the breed you like best,
Perhaps the Duroc. Berkshire and
Hampshire are as well adapted to
Southern territory as any other. The
white haired breeds have tendency
to sun-scaid in the South. and this.
of course. makes against them. The
heavier lard types do not meet the
Southern market demands as well as
the small bone. bacon types, and In
general these two types of hogs in-
clude practically all the breeds.
We can produce an abundance of
all feeds necessary for the prodnc-
ton of a superior quality af pork
Alfalfa, pasture crops, field peas sofa
beans and other feeds thrive under
our Southern climate and soil con-
ditions. Pigs turn farm crops into
meat more economically than any
other farm animal. and they are yaiu-
able to the farmer who desires to
turn many of his by-products, such
as skim milk. peanut waste. etc..
into money.
Virginia Is quite free from the usual
diseases dangerous to the swine In
dustry why don't We raise more
pigs in Virginia? The hog is one OF
the best mortgage filters ever given
To the farmer. snd the ever lncreas-
ing demand for meat Is assurance OF
continued good prices. This PROPOSE
ton means more revenue for the
Southern farmer and wider activity
for Southern Industries.