The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-07


Ihomas. president of the Autauga Bank
ing and Trust company, and president of
the Prattville Stock farm of Prattyille.
Autauga county. On this farm of 1000
acres are raised Hampshire hogs, exclu-
slvely. 1t was the writer's first close
examination of this magnificent breed,
and must confess it struck me well. 1t
is good looking hog, black all over
with white belt over it's shoulders and
front feet.
PRODUCE MORE MEAT
Hampshire hogs are market toppers be-
cause the packers have found they kill
out fully per cent more meat than
| many other breeds. Not only do they
command premium prices, but they win
premiums at fat stock shows and the
great fairs. No other breed has made as
wonderful development and progress in
the last 10 years. Some of it's distinguish
ing characteristics are it's great hardi-
ness and constitutional yigor, most pro-
llflc, very docile, good mothers, great
rustlers, and yet they are very responsive
feeders, and will make fancy 25O-pound
porkers at eight or nine months. Many
OF them weigh 1000 pounds at three years.
When crossed with other breeds they
have been found of great value
The Prattville Stock farm was organ
bringing to the south the best blood lines
of the Hampshire breed and for the pur-
pose or developing the superior qualities
of this, the most noted and most popular
breed of hogs that the southern planter
may have a decided advantage over the
1--we stock man in any other section of
| the United States. The Hampshire hog
| is particularly adapted to the conditions
| of Alabama and surrounding states. He
| is a, great grass hog, stands without a
rival, in securing his own living in fields
| Of velvet beans field peas, alfalfa Ber-
muda grass, or other grasses or green
feeds which grow SO profusely in our
| gulf states.
| AS a partner, Judge Thomas has George.
P. Walls, treasurer of Autauga county,
| who says he would rather raise hogs
1 than eat. Mr.. Walls is in charge of she
exhibit here and has 80 of the finest
| specimens in the south, or country, posi-
| bly,, as he has cleaned up with first
prizes at many places at which he has
competed.
HOGS ON FARM
| The farm carries 100 brood sows, headed
| by six blood bears. At the head of his
sires is "Silko," a grand boar of 900
pounds, and Is on exhibit at the fair
grounds. He is valued at $1,000 This
| boar won the grand championship at
| the Illinois State fair, at Peoria, ILL.,;
at the National Swine show at the Wis
consin State fair, and at the Michigan
| State fair. He and his get won first at
| the Iowa State fair, Kentucky State
fair and at the Memphis Tri-State fair.
Certainly this is string of wins that
speaks for itself.
| Thinking the prices on young stock
would be large, 1 asked Judge Thomas
to quote same to me. 1--WE are not in
| the business to get rich," said Mr..
| Thomas. 'In fact. we went into the rails
| ing of Hampshires to help the farmers
of Alabama get out of the cotton rut
| into which they seemed anchored. AS
chairman of the agricultural committee
of the Alabama Bankers association, /
| readily realized that something along
| this line must be undertaken to help our
rural friends. For a pig old enough to
| take care of itself we sell as low as $3.50,
and with it goes all pedigree and regis
| tration papers. OF course extra fine
specimens of young stock we sellAas high
as SIS. Our main aim is to improve the
| farmers stock. A good sire over an or
binary lot Of sows works wonders. Many
| of our young stock at months weigh
! 800 pounds. The meat value Of the
| Hampshire is in bacon and hams as the
rind is very thin.
WILL BUY HOGS
4
| that we must look to other crops than
| cotton. The farmer who has not yet
! learned that he must give his attention
| to other things is the man who cannot
| stem the tide for the next few years at
| least. Realizing the truth of this. and in
| order to stimulate our people, and en-
| tfuse them with other ideas than cotton,
we have arranged to open up stock
market through the Autauga Oil and
! Fertilizer company, whereby we expect
| to buy from the farmers of our county
| every hog which Is offered for sale in
| our market. Our plan is to buy every
thing offered at the very highest mar
| ket price, then have them classed, and
shipped to the larger markets. This will
bring to our people a market for every
| hog they can raise and will go far, we
| think, toward developing many Of the
cotton fields into hog pastures. That
| there is a great demand for hogs, and
r especially for a better class of hogs,
| has been demonstrated on the Prattville
| Stock farm. On this farm we have about
| 100 registered brood sows, and we find
| that we are unable to supply the demand
| for pigs.
II recently perfected plan for the
| Autauga Banking and Trust company to
distribute 20 male Hampshire pigs ready
| for service over Autauga county. My
| plan was this: In order that our people
hogs, we offered 20 of these registered
Hampshire males for $40 each. The per-
| son procuring a pig was required to sign
| note to the bank for $40 payable on
December /. 1917 without interest. OF
course. this note retained title to the
pig in the bank, but it also contained
|. express provision that If at the maturity
OF the note the person obtaining the pig
was for any reason dissatified he might
return the pig in full satisfaction of the
note. And in the event the pig died be-
| fore the maturity of the note, the loss
was equally shared by the bank and by
| the party obtaining the pig. In the event
! boy under age desired to obtain pig,
his parent or guardian was required to
sign the note with him, thereby interesting
the older people as well as the boys in
| the raising of hogs.
This plan was very successful. Through
it thoroughbred bears were distributed
| throughout our county, and even II the
party obtaining the pig for any reason
would see fit to return it upon the ma