Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-05-09
BANKERS ASSIST
HOG PRODUCTION
Help to Form Clubs Among the
Younger Farmers to In
crease Supply.
PLAN is GROWING FAST

Since hogs afford the quickest
means OF increasing our meat sup
ply, continued and extended efforts
OF public-spirited bankers in further
ing the organization of pig clubs by
advancing to club members the
money needed for the purchase of
pure-bred sow pigs is doubly desir-
able at this time. according to. the
United States Department of Agri-
culture. .'r.,. ...
Pig clubs have increased very rap
idly during the last seven years, the
specialists point out. In 1910 there
were fifty-nine members in the United
States; today the number exceeds
10000, found principally in Arkansas,
Alabama, California, North Carolina,
Louisiana, Georgia, Texas. Oregon.
Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kentucky, In
diana and Massachusetts,. These
states contained .2l,673 members last
wear, but pig clubs are being formed
rapidly in other states. The demand
for gifts and bred gifts by club mem
bers is unprecedented, even at the
high prices at which they are held.
Introduce fure-bfedS.
Financial assistance to the pig club
members has been the means OF intro
ducing pure-bred hogs in places
where otherwise this might have been
impossible, and has helped to build
up the agriculture of the committee
which the banks serve. These clubs
stand not alone for greater pork pro-
duction. By increasing the amount
OF live stock they encourage the pro-
duction OF much OF the feed on the
farm, and as their activities are COS
incident with or follow club work in
the growing OF corn and forage crops,
they are part of a system that iavors
a sound diversity in agriculture and
a rotation OF crops that will MAINTAIN
the fertility OF the soil.
Two plans have been followed by
bankers in providing the sow pigs
necessary to enable the boys and girls
to engage in pig club work. One
method is the so-called promissory
note plan. The banker makes indi-
viduai contracts with the pig club
members. In each case he agrees to
lend them certain sum Of money at
per cent interest for one year or
longer il necessary. The member
agrees to keep up membership in
a pig club, to invest the loan under
the direction OF the county agent or
county club representatives and to re-
pay it at maturity out OF the proceeds
OF the sale OF the original stock or the
increase. As security for the loan the
banker takes the members promis-
sorry note. The members parent con-
sents 20 the contract in writing and
agrees not to claim any right in the
pigs purchased or their proceeds.
Endless Chain.
The other method is called the
"endless chain plan. This also in
wolves individual contracts. The
banker agrees to furnish registered
sow pig. The boy or girl agrees to
join a local pig club, obey its rules,
care for the sow according to instruc-
tons, breed her at not less than eight
months OF age to a registered boar OF
/, the same breed, raise the litter accord
ing to the rules Of the club and de-
liver to the banker two choice gifts
mot less than eight weeks old9 from
the first litter.
When the banker receives the two
sow pigs from the member and puts
them out with other boys or girls un-
der the same agreement the endless
chain feature OF the activities is set
in motion. This plan may be varied
in details to suit conditions. For
instance, the banker may require the
return Of only one sow pig and stipu-
late that the boy or girl must join
4 corn or peanut club, raise at least
half an acre Of green feed and ex-
hibit the sow and her offspring at
the county fair or live stock show.
Under similar arrangements boys
have received calves to raise and both
boys and girls have received eggs Of
purebred chickens for Matching,