The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-06-30
FARM DEPARTMENT
Pip-Club Results.


on by the Bureau of Animal Industry
of this department during the past
year In cooperation with the State
Agricultural Colleges of Alabama,
Arksnsas, California, Georgia, India
ma, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachu-
sets, Nebraska, North Carolina,
Oklahoma, oregon, and Texas. Pig
Clubs were organized among the
farm children and proved means Of
afousing further interest in live stock
and at the same time furnished
profitable and instructive work to the
members. '''-.'. ''''. -''' '--''-'''
The economic object OF the pig
clube are; TO teach the members
now to raise better swine cheaply; to
give the members a means OF earning
profits; and to afford the members
practical insight into the business
side Of farming. Indirectly, the i'm
proyement of the swine of the count
~ and the general introduction Of
better and cheaper swine raising
methods are proposed.
Each pig-club member Is required
to keep a record OF hts pig-feeding
work and report this at the end Of
fhe State contest. Many unusually
successful records have been made.
These are not typical of the work,
but rather represent it's possibilities.
A summary and the averages Of the
work OF many members give better
indication OF the value Of the pig
club work, ..fz2 HSsfgrsst's--
In the Is States named, 1852
membera were enrolled last year in
the bis.eiubs. Not all We're active
AaenbHs, but most of these raised
pigs, While Great many reported
more or less completely on their
work, members from IL States, with
q membership Of 11,0S2, reported
completely on weights, values, gains
In weight, costs of gains, and profits.
No figures are available from Call
fornia and Oregon, except as to the
number OF members.
The figures following are complied
from the complete records. Seven
teen hundred and eighty-three pigs
were reported, or an average Of IL
pigs per members. The majority of
members took weanling pigs TO feed
in the spring and reported their re-
suits in the fall The average weight
per pig at the beginning of the feed
ing period was 39.2 pounds. At the
end OF the feeding period, which
averaged 166 u days. the pigs weigh
ed l94k pounds. This was an aver
age daily gain in weight OF 0.93
pound, at a cost of S0.O44 per humid
red pounds. This low cost of gain
can be attributed 1t is believed. TO
the better feeding methods practioed
and the wide use OF forage crops By
the members.
The original value of the pigs aver
aged 1924. The average final value
was s2l.43, gain In value OF $16.10
This gain in value cost $6.91, giving
aa average net profit per pig Of s6.91
gtving an average net profit per pig
OF S9.37 and an average net profit
per member of 5000.
These figures are a strong indica-
tion that improved swine, raised in
the right way, are profitable even
when pork values are as low as they
were IN 1915. The vast majority of
members had carefully selected high
grade and pure-bred hogs, and to this
Improved blood, as we'll as the better
feeding methods, can be attributed
the large difference In favor of the
average final value OF pig-club hogs
81 the fall-s21.43. as compared with
the estimated average value af all
hogs on farms in the United States
on January /, 1916, $40. The pig
CLUB members have shown their abih-
ty us body to raise pigs successfully
They have raised good pigs. cheap
pigs. and profitable pigs.
Many are keeping their gilt pigs
tcr breeding purposes. Some already
have found it profitable to breed as
wen as TO feed pigs. Fifty-six MEM
bers reporting on their sOws and lit
ters reported an average profit OF
slT.32. With the membership TOR
this year doubled and most of the
old members again on the rolls, the
pig work should prove OF even great.
ey economic value in the future.
Soy Beans VS.. COwpeas.