Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-11-30
SPLENDID SPECIMEN OF BROOD sow.

NO branch of livestock farming
gives better results than the raising of
well-bred swine when conducted with
a reasonable amount of intelligence.
The hog is one of the most important
animals to raise on the farm, either
for meat or for profit. and no farm is
complete unless some hogs are kept
to aid in the modern method Of farm
Ing. The farmers of the South and
West. awakening to the merits Of the
hog, are rapidly increasing their out
put of pork and their bank accounts.
The hog requires less labor, less equip
ment, less capital. and makes greater
gains per hundred pounds of concen-
trates than any other farm animal,
and reproduces himself faster and in
greater numbers; and returns the
money invested more quickly than any
other farm animal except poultry.
In the trucking and Understanding
sections of the United States hogs are
used to consume various unmarketable
substances. The value of milk is
known on every farm, although 1t may
not be fully appreciated, and any one
who has fed pigs knows the keen APP
petite they have for milk and its prod
ucts. In the neighborhood of many
large diaries pork production has be-
come a very prominent and lucrative
supplement to the dairy industry. The
hog Is also large factor In cheapen-
Ing the production of beef. Hogs are
placed in the cattle feed lots to utilize
the corn and other feeds which the
cattle have failed to digest and which
otherwise would be wasted. Hogs fol-
lowing steers in many cases have In
creased the profit per steer by from SO
to So. Farmers and hotel and restaur-
ant owners are using kitchen refuse to
produce salable pork. In fact, as a
consumer of by-products the hog has
no rival.
However, this propensity In many
Instances is being taken unfair advan-
tage of through ignorance and lack of
cere. Milk products, animal offal, etc,
which contain disease germs, especial
ly those Of tuberculosis, are given to
hogs. This practice not only results
in spreading disease but causes loss in
the hogs themselves through condem-
nation. at slaughter.
Hoo-erowIng Sections.
The first place In hog raising in the
United States is easily with the corn
growing sections, where corn is the
first grain thought OF when the fatten- |
Ing of hogs Is considered. 1t is, how
ever, fallacious to argue that hog rails |
ing will not give profitable returns out
side of the corn belt. The corn belt |
has great advantages for economical
pork production, but it also has its dis
advantages. The cheapness and album |
dance Of corn in this section have |
often led farmers to use 1t as the ex-
elusive grain feed. Breeding stock so |
FED does not thrive well and is not SO |
prolific as when given q varied ration, |
and when used for fattening. an ex-
elusive corn diet Is not generally prof
liable. The work of the agricultural |
colleges and experiment stations dur |
ing recent years has done much to |
show breeders and feeders the undesir-
ability of this practice, and the In
creasing price Of corn has forced farm
ers to economic In its use as much as
possible.
The few states comprising the corn
belt are the source of supply for q
great amount of swine products. espe-
cially hams and bacon. that are con-
sumed in other portions of the coun-
try. Yet the advantages of these corn
belt states are little, If at all, superior
TO those of many others outside of that
district. The South has an abundance
of vegetation. Cowpeas. soy beans,
velvet beans and peanuts are 1egumi-
nous crops peculiar to that section
which have great value in pig raising.
Corn grows readily in all parts of the
South. and In the subtropical sections
the experience of feeders with cassava
seems to indicate that 1t has consider
able value for pork production. In
addition there Ia generally an album
dant water supply: the climate is mild
and there Is a long period during which
green feed II available; thus the ex-
pense of shelter and winter feeding Is
greatly lessened. These conditions.
giving a long period of pasture and
outdoor life. enhance thrift and with
proper management insure great free
dom from disease.
The East is peculiarly adapted to
hog raising In view of the fact that
markets for fresh pork and cured
products may be found IN local COM
munities as well as in the larger cities
and the various coast resorts. AS re-
CARDS feeds. corn Is being grown sue
eessfully In the East, and In some sec
lions the average yield per acre In
greater than that OF the middle West.
Clover, blue grass, and many other for
tage crops especially adapted for swine
production grow rapidly in nearly
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