Graham guardian., 1916-01-21
WHY NOT ORGANIZE
A Hog Growers Associa-
ton for the ella
Valley

EDllOR bUARDlAN' No a iSauSi
of your valuable paper, am con-
vinced that you have the welfare OF
the people of our splendid valley at
heart, and that it is your constant
desire to see them all better their
conditions, whether it is by farming,
mining or as merchants; therefore,
as farmer, | will ask that you find
space in your paper to publish few
facts that | am sure will appeal to a
large number of the farmers in the
valley.
For years have studied the hog
business. | have dealt in them as
well as raised them off and on for
the last Is years, and | think have
the distinction of being the only one
that has ever driven bunch of hogs
from the valley to Globe have
hauled them by wagon, both dead
and alive, to Globe and Clifton. l
have raised and sold four car loads
on my ranch in San Jose, and the
present time have between 300 and
400 hundred on my farm, and as |
believe the best equipped hog ranch
in the valley; therefore, feel that |
am justified in thinking l am an
authority on this question, at least
many people think so, and | would
like to get some facts before the
farmers in the valley.
In the first place we have one of
the most ideal places on earth for
raising hogs, as they can be raised
almost entirely on alfalfa pasture in
the summer months, and on the
growing grain in the winter; this
without injuring the grain crop, in
fact | believe it benefits it; but. of
course, it requires grain to put them
IN condition for the market.
Now, in my opinion, the thing
most needed is the formation of a
Hog Growers Association by the
farmers, in order to market the hogs
grown to the best advantage, as well
as the protection against disease; al.
so the building up of herds and
markets.
The markets we have, if we only
knew how to hold them: but unfor-
tunately for us, we are sitting idly
by and letting others take our mar
kets from US, because they are or
ganized and thereby in a position to
compete with us in Globe and Miami,
although they are compelled to haul
them $50 miles, then pass right
through our valley and farms in
order to get to these markets. The
reason they can do this is that the
Salt River valley has Hog Growers
Association and they know just
what they can do,
One of the reasons why they are
taking this business from US is that
the majority of our farmers depend
upon a few buyers here locally, who,
in order to make the greatest possible
profit on a car of hogs, get out and
buy in broken lots, thereby getting
them much cheaper than if they
bought them in larger quantities, and
in buying in this way, they invaria-
bly, get an inferior quality of hogs
and force the butchers to go else
where for their hogs.
Another thing that is hurting this
industry is that these local buyers
are not making an effort to handle
all the hogs raised here. This is
causing car load after car load to
go through the valley from other
points to Globe and Miami. To my
knowledge two car loads has gone
through this valley in the last two
weeks, while we have hundreds of
head that are going begging for
market.
Now, Mr.. Farmer, if we, as
farmers, had ordinary hog sense, we
would get together and form an as
sociation; and would then get out
look up these markets and, after
getting the market, to then see that
we keep it. This l think can be
done very easily.
For an illustration, | will take my
own case. Since | started into the
hog business, little over two years
ago, | have sold four car loads off
my farm, at an average price of 81
cents per pound delivered in Globe,
and these sales have been made with
no further outlay than a couple of
stamps one for inquiry and one for
returning a signed contract. This
latter fact would indicate that salts
faction was being given. contend
that if this can be done individually,
it can surely be done on larger
scale.
There are thousands of dollars
that go out of the mining camps
every year for hogs that this valley
should get; but owing to our indif-
ference in the matter the money is
going elsewhere. Every car of hogs
that is bought outside Of the valley,
means anywhere from 81 1,200.0 to