The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-02-18
Overlook hogs should certainly

Wonderl, who weighed 500 pounds
when three days over q year old
and who now, though he weighs q
full half ton, stands up on his toes
like a sprinter on his spiked shoes.
His sire was Crimson Wonder Again,
grand champion at the Iowa State
fair, and possessor of the record of
having produced more prize winners
than any other Duroc boar, living or
dead. His dam, Rose Advance, now
nine years old, weighing $40 pounds
and still a prolific breeder, was sired
by Proud Advance 23549, the great
est sire of brood sows in the history
of the breed.
Such breeding produces hogs that
grow fast, are disease-resistant, and
that go to the market early. The
general run of Overlook pigs will
weigh from 225 to 26O pounds at six
months of age; saw a bunch Of
more than 100, averaging that
weight, in October-and some Of
them not six months old. To sell that
kind of stock for the price of razor
backs is certainly philanthropy that
ought to warm a mans heart, even
II it cannot be disassociated from the
possibility of future incidental pro-
fits.
The Hampshire sheep are handled
in the same helpful spirit. There Is
a typical farm flock of about 200
kept to demonstrate what can be
done with sheep as a sort of side
line. For all the country around
Jerome was, ten years ago, a vast,
open range, and the larger sheep
owners believed that 1t would be i'm
possible to make sheep raising pay
other than on tremendous scale and
as complete, separate industry. To
disprove this idea, Mr.. MacWatters
imported a groud of registered ewes
from England, intending, wisely, to
start with the very best blood that
could be had. His Overlook Laddie
has since been grand champion over
all breeds at the Utah, Idaho and
Oregon state fairs, and at the Inter-
national Show at Ogden, and Over
brook Honey Girl the grand cham
pion eve at the same shows-which
suggests again the soundness Of his
reasoning. Moreover, he has shown
and is showing that sheep do pay
on the Idaho farm. They will clean
up any kind of refuse anywhere on
the farm-graze off the ditch banks
and fence corners, eat the straw left
from threshed clover, fatten on beet
ops, and, in general, carry the
Golden Fleece" wherever they 60.
With wool at Is cents a pound, and
mutton growing in popularity every
year, it is worthy charity to set
before embryo stockmen and farmers
he example of making such profits
and to give them the chance to start |
heir fiocks with profitable blood, as
Mr.. MacWatters does by adapting |
scale of sheep prices similar to those
described above in connection with |
he swine department.
But it's not charity" again says
he owner of Overlook. 81 make
ny farm pay me a profit. The 800
lcres pay close to $4,000 year, in
ipite of all these low prices to my
arm neighbors. have some return
or my money, as I should have; l
how them that farming does pay;
give freely to everybody every scrap
# our experiecne, every opportunity
o see just how we make it pay. If
my one wants to come and study
'ur farm, we gladly take our time to
how him all we know, and try to
lelp him to do as well-and for all
hat, we make it pay in money. 1t
5 not charity, it is plain business!"
One might go over the history Of
he registered Holstein herd in the
anne way, noting the same combina-
lon of altruistic and business meth
dis and results. But it Is unneces-
airy to elaborate further.
And If this were not live stock
tory, spac should be given to dis
ussion Of the Overlook activities
long the line Of pure seed. They
ave resulted in the production OF
trains of wheat that average "a
ushels per acre, and other gra rs
n proportion; they have turned out,
or the Jerome Field Day fair, an
xhibit of farm products that would
make many a county hang its head.
md the surplus, over and above the
arm requirements, Is available for
very nearby farmer who applies,
nd not at hold-up prices.
There are few, If any novelties on
he farm; there are no signs of ex-
no model buildings, no .
ops to personal pride. 1t is not a
laything or corporation or pub
lcly supported experiment station,
ut just a farm that is making good
18th crops and with live stock. 1t
making money--better than SIS
n acre per year clean profit as a
usiness proposition; but it has
reated ten times as much profit as
n object lesson to the neighbors
tho have seen it's methods, bought
nd used it's blue-blood breeding
took, and who have been stimulated
v it's stock and crop records to get
lore out of farming. That kind of
arming ought to make man glad
{ his trade!