The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-02-27

crop estimates. there are 65 O6GOOO hogs In the
United States. of which 29.651 600 animals 45.5
per cent. farms in the six corn belt states
OF Iowa. Illinois. Nebraska. Missouri. Indiana, and
Ohio while 21758.OOO porkers, 334 per cent,
are located in the IL Southern states. and the
remaining 211 per cent distributed over the
remaining % states OF the Union. Under pres
cnt conditions the South ranks second only to the
corn belt MS the leading pork-prOducing section of
the country. The remarkable fact about the
growth of the hog business in the cotton states Is
thnt II has developed rapidly during the last hve
years as direct result of the untiring efforts of
county agents to p0pularze pork production
Dramatically the South is the ideal livestock sec
tion Of this country ard present indications are
that 1t is route to come into its own.
Indicative of the rapid rise of the pork indus
try. II counties of southern Alabama, although
they did not ship to market a single carload OF
hogs during the year 1912-1913. marketed 1882
carloads of hogs during the period from April l.
1917. to April l. 1918. Mississippi exported 1924
hogs In 1914 while in 1917 she disposed of Ss,7S0
fat porkers. increase of 1924 per cent. For
the most part, the Southern hogs are developed
inexpensvely on such forage crops as soy beans
peanuts, cowpeas, chufas potatoes native grasses
and clover, while corn Is used as finish feed to
firm compact and "blocm" the flesh to the desir-
able market quality.
The hog supply has developed with the increase
in production. In 1909 North Carolina raised
34OOOOOO bushels OF corn. while in 1918 it har.
hogs. Georgia produced approximately 29.475,OOO
bushels more in 1918 than In 1909, and dur
ing 1913 handled 25O7,OOO hogs. Similarly in the
of the other Southern states, Increased yields
of corn and pork have been intimately related.
while the exigencies OF wartime production have
speeded up the farmers and largely in accord
with high market values, have expedited pork
manufacture Similarly. result of greater
hay production, more cattle have been kept in the
South. In 1914 Mississippi marketed only 1920
fat cattle, while in 1916 1t shipped 1855 o37 anf-
mails to the st. Louis market. an increase Of 181
per cent During 1915 Mississippi farmers sold
6S5O head of sheep in st. Louis. while in 1917
they shipped 1917 sheep to the same market an
increase of 232 per cent.
Reports show 47O.4OS women actively engaged
in regular and emergency work in the South
states during 1917, while 9SO272 girls assisted
along similar lines; n total of 26O6213 women
and girls worked to help win the by garden
ing, poultry production, canning and drying fruits
vegetables and meats, butter making and cheese
making Their achievements are partially pic
tured in 2OOOOO,0OO cans of fruits and vegetables
now awniting consumption in Southern store
rooms and pantries. Impartial opinion states that
during the last II months the Southern states
have canned and preserved 500 per cent more
fruits and vegetables than in any similar period
in the last half century
The G. 2o7 women enrolled in 3.S12 Southern
clubs rece>tly have put up 34.09s677 cans of
vegetables and fruits worth $7,OOOOOO. In
addition they have prepared over 2750 tons of
dried fruits and vegetables. and brined. picked
and stored 500 additional tens of vegetables. The
T33Oe Southern girls engaged In regular club
tables worth 81 5OO,O0O well canning ad-
dtional 1851 900 containers of fruits and vegeta-
bes which they did not raise themselves
Boys club work has also developed on amaz-
ing scale because of the persevering and
scientous work Of the county agents. During 1917