Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-11
RRANFoRD FARMS TO
 EXHIBIT AT FAIR. Five Thousand Dollar Berkshire Boar to Be on Exhibition.

to Be on Exhibition.
 When Ellis Parker Butler, the well known writer Of humorous stories, wrote the quaint tale which he called Pigs is Pigs, he never had in nind the sleek a1lstocrat of the porker family, the blooded pig that is raised by the up-to- date farmer of the pres-
 erlt day. For if he had he would have
 been obliged to call his story by some other name such as Pigs is Success or
 Pigs is the Difference Between Success and Failure on the Farm.
 Show me the pig pen on the farm,
 and I will tell you the kind of man the
 farm owner is, said a well known
 breeder Of high class pigs recently. If
 the pen is well take care of, with
 tight roof and clean, so will the other
 departments of the farm be. On the
 other hands if the pen is a ramshackle
 collection of weather beaten boarding,
 loose anl full Of holes, with a wallow
 of mud for the pigs to roll and root
 around in, then the balance of the
 farm will be looked after in the same
 SlipShod manner.
 In taking up improved swine pro-
 duCtion there is much for the farmer
 to learn, the improved methods of
 raising and fattening hogs, the value
 of forage crops, sanitation, good man.
 agement in handling swine, methods of
 home curing Of meat, and in doing so
 one obtains a broader and better view
 of farm life and naturally a better
 farmer.
 The boys pig clubs started in most
 of the states under the county agents
 are doing much to improve swine pro-
 ductiOn and is distinctiVely an out
 growth of the boys corn club. It was an economic necessity among some of
 the corn club members, a S it gave them
 an opportunity of marketing some of
 their corn through the pig, and fur ther encouraged the diversifcation of
 crops which was being urged upon the boys as well as upon the farmers. One feature of the boys work in connection with these pig clubs is the
 educational value to the parents. Many parents have reluctantly permitted
 their children to join a club; never theless, they have finally admitted that they received as much or more good from the work as the boy did. Many farmers have absolutely changed their methods of handling hogs since seeing the results of the sons work with one or more pigs. IL has also induced many farmers to purchase for the first time some registered livestock
 In 1914 there were 1S5 hogs exhibited at the state fair in the state of LOuisi- ana by members of the boys pig clubs. These hogs were judged and awarded prizes in the hOys' pig club classes and those boys who COnfOrmed to the rules of the fair association were permitted 10 SHOW IISII DlSS III llI6 OpGII CIdSSGS against the breeders from various states. Several prizes were won by the boys pigs in such competition. After the fair some of the breeders asked the fair association to bar the boys from showing their pigs in the open classes during the following year. This request was immediately declined by the fair association. The fact that such a request was made was one of the greatest compliments that could be paid to pig club work
 To show the interest that is taken by boys in these pig clubs, the follow ing story is told by one of the county agents n the state of Texas: Little Jack Starr of Midland, Tex, wanted 10 join the pig club and purchased a pure bred pig, the runt of the litter. The pig was 10 weeks old and weighed 29 pounds. When Jack tried to join the club he learned that as he was only 6 years old he was too young to be Q member. Not discouraged, how ever, he fed his pig. according to in structiOns furnished, a properly bal arced ration Of grain, and let her graze Johnson grass, weeds and Volun- teer oats for green feed. The few lice on her were quickly removed with aTl application of grease and kerosene thoroughly mixed, and they were kept off. A mineral mixture of charcoal wood ashes, salt and cOpperaS was ai- ways kept before her. When exhibited at the state far the pig, not quite Il months old, weighed 450 pounds. Not being eligible to the pig club on ac- count of his age," Jack entered her ip five other classes, getting five blue rib bOns and $25 in cash. In November
 nine pigs were farrOWed, five of which 1 have been sold at $1250 apiece, and 1 Jack is started on the high road tow ard becoming a stock farmer.
 Visitors at the county fair of the i New London County Agricultural so- ] ciety who are interested in pigs will 1 have a treat this year, as the Branford l Farms, the property of Morton F 1 Plant, will show the champions in their ] Berkshire bIooded pigs. Among the | pigs which will be on exhibition will be i the Berkshire boar valued at $5,000 ! which gained 299 pounds in 90 days on 750 pounds of grain. There also l probably will be shown Branford Hope 1 full Lee, 5th, the best boar that the 1 Grand Champion Hopeful Lee, 2d, ever ] sired. The sum of ,500 was paid fol | che sire, Hopeful Lee, 2d. His dame ] Hopeful Duchess, No. 92986, is the i grand dam of the grand champion boar | at the Panama Pacific exposition il 1 1915.
 i There will be probably in the ex- ] hibit ten pens of pigs, and a hand i sorner bunch Of hogs has never beer i shown at the county fair.