Semi-weekly herald., 1915-03-11

and pasture often poor, how much
more should we depend upon pasture
here where conditions are just the
opposite. Our pasture is excellent;
there can be no question about it.
| With a pasture divided into two or
three lots so the hogs can be shift
ed tender feed can be had through
out the pasturing season. This the
eastern farmer cannot depend on. 1t
is almost rule that at some part
of the season the alfalfa crop will
be short on account of dry weather
That means poor pasture. If the farm
er here will put up his hay as it
should be for hogs, his alfalfa will
prove almost as valuable for winter
as his pasture for summer. A half
a pound of grain per day with plenty
of good alfalfa hay will keep hun
dred pound shoat in good growing
condition during the winter. Much,
however, defends on the quality of the
hay. If man thinks of going into
the hog business, he should by all
means depend much on alfalfa.
Thus with our climate, our free
dom from disease, and our excellent
alfalfa fields, it seems to me we
have fighting chance with the east
ein farmer on the Denver market.
Oar serious drawback is high priced
grain, but that may in time be rene
died, if we grow hogs on a larger
! scale.
If we have anything like a fair
chance in competition on the general
market, the nog industry should be
carefully considered for it may lead
to better conditions here in the fu-
ture If the farmers considered the
business seriously it might lead to
the production of cheaper feed. Does
anybody know how many pounds of
4 pork can be produced from an acre
/, of good peas raised in this county?
If we gave as close attention to the
!, raising of peas as they do elsewhere
in the state, might it not be possible
that we could compete with the San
Luis valley in this crop?
If we can't grow peas here, with a
good bunch of hogs perhaps we can
. grow barley with less expense than
!, what we do. If farmer were to pas
. ture his alfalfa field for season,
then turn it under and sow it in
barley the next year, he could raise
Iorty bushels of grain per acre. That
is better than the Kansas farmer
can depend upon. The trouble here,
is that we have such expensive meth
DDS of farming and such poor sys-
tenn of planting and such antiquated
methods of marketing that the farm
!, err has to have two prices for his
produce and then he scarcely makes a
living. The stock industry in the corn
belt has taught the farmer to work
on large scale. Sacks for mar
) keting grain were discarded long
ago; they are too expensive. Hogs
can't be fed out of sack. Now they
have thrown aside the SCOOP
! shovel and dump elevator is used
The more progressive have gone still
. further. In order to avoid the eX-
pense of gathering the crop, fence
), is swung around the field and the
hogs gather it for the farmer This
J plan is urged as being more profit
able than harvesting the crop. Were
| we TO adopt the same policy we could
raise grain for two thirds the pres
ent price and make more money then
we DO now
Personally | have great faith in the
| hog industry for this country. think
) hogs can be raised here for six
cent market if necessary. The aver
J age market is higher than that, how
ever, Our trouble, it seems to me,
is that we raise hogs as side issue
} too much, and so give it scarcely any
; attention. If the market happens to
' be high, then everybody wants to
, take a shot at hog raising. Then
comes glutted market and then
+ everybody sells out and quits. We
: don't go into the business with de-
termination to stay by it and make it
, pay. As a result of our spasmodic
: efforts, we are not prepared to raise
, hogs, we know too little about them;
, we have no market and make no ef-
, fort to develop one.
= If | were to venture advice to one
r growing hogs, it would be this: first
get some good book on feeds and
, feeding and study it. Select feeds you
can afford to use. If you can't find
u ration that will pay let it alone.
Next subscribe for two or three good
stock journals one of which contains
an Omaha or Chicago market. Den