The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-06-25
HOME OF GATES LEADER

HUME Of ia 60 IEAOEn
We made it point to visit the farm
Of A. i. Siegner, about five miles north
and a half mile east of Vail, on last
Friday. We had often heard of Mr..
Siegner's Spotted Poland China herd
of hogs, but Friday was the first OPP
portunity we had to visit the herd. We
were lucky in finding Mr.. Siegner at
home, and after an hours visit with
him, we reached the conclusion that
what he doesn't know about Spotted
Polands would not make much Of a
book. The Siegner farm is an ideal
place for the raising of large drove
of hogs, the place Is so we'll watered,
and SO well pastured, the hogs simply
live in clover, and bathe in cool, fresh
spring water at all hours of the, day
The yards lay in such q manner that
they drain we'll, and never Get to that
point where much mud prevails.
Mr.. siegner' has 125 pure bred Spot
ted Polands, and at the head OF this
herd is to be- found Gates Leader"
purchased from the well known Spot
ted Poland breeder JsrD:s;Gates, down
in .MissGalri.s= This ailhnaE wsighs snoW
Einshis working clothes $50 pounds, apd
out of season, and with little care Will
tip the scales at 1000 pounds. For a
hog so heavy he appears to be the
lightest on his feet of any of the sever
al herd hogs we have yet seen. And
he is meat all over, one could get sew
,era1 good mouthfuls right down at his
toes, and .she commences to fill out
right at the root of his tail. and con-
tinues to fill until he is measured
where the ear begins to protrude. His
disposition is of the very best and
he is as docile as kitten, and not
withstanding his great size can put
up a pretty good foot race. We put
him down as being possibly go per
cent white although he may run $3.50.
He stands right out on his toes. and
has splendid back, and is said to
put the spots right where they belong
In all Mr.. Siegner has nine boars,
from blood lines of Spotted Big Bone,
Gates Leader, Spotted Mammut, and
Abe LOngfellOw One boar we took a
particular liking to was a March, 1918,
pig that measured full four feet, and
was built as though from plaster paris,
so round and symmetrical. Hugh Nc
Cullough has just purchased this fine
boar, paying $3.50 spot cash for the an
imal. And when we praise this par
ticular pig, we do not detract in the
least from the others on the place;
they were all fine ones, having the
size, bone, good backs. color and
breeding. AS weJunderstand it, breed
ing is all right, hut one must have the
individuality. Breeding alone will not
win the prize money. Breeding with
out size and form, and color, will not
get anywhere in the show ring. One
must have other essentials aside from
and for the Spotted Polands
the great claims are for their prolific
qualities, their size, feeding qualities
and quiet disposition. They are found
to be ready to feed from the teat and
to be as large at six months as any
hog ever fed. Admirers of this breed
of hogs recommend that after you
think they are ready to sell just keep
them another sixty days longer, they
grow on, for they have the bone and
constitution to carry much weight.
We found Mr.. Siegner had large
number of brood sows, and among
them animals that he could turn for a
great deal of money. For instance we
were shown one SOW that would not do
for the show ring, because one day
she came in contact with an automo-
bile, yet Mr.. Siegner refused thOus-
and dollars for this very SOW. Her
last farrow was nine pigs, fro which the
owner took one hundred dollars apiece
for, and she has two filters a year. The
Spotted Polands are also noted for the
evenness Of their filters, and on the
average farrow eight pigs to litter.
Mr.. Siegner was confined to his bed
for six weeks last fall with flu and
pneumonia, and his hogs did not get
the attention he would have given
them personally, yet he has as fine a
lot of young stock as one would care
to look at. All the young stuff is so
even, smooth and perfect in color, that
unless one were an expert in selecting
pigs the difference could hardly be dis
tinglrished. He is planning on having
sale, possibly the second of October,
this year, when an opportunity will be
given fanciers of this breed Of hogs to
obtain some good stuff
Aside from raising and breeding
Spotted Poland China hogs Mr. Sieg-