Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-02-27

crop estimates. there are 65O66,O0O hogs in the
United States Of which 29,651 900 animals. or 49,
per cent, are on farms in the six corn belt states
of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska Missouri Indiana, and
Ohio while q, 10000 porkers or 1874 per cent,
are located in the 10 Southern states, and the
remaining 21.1 per cent distributed over the
remaining 81 states of the Union. Under pres
ent conditions iork Bath ranks second only 10 the
corn belt as the leading pork producing section of
the country. The remarkable fact about the
growth of the hog business in the cotton states is
that it has developed rapidly during the last five
years direct result of the untiring efforts of
county agents to popularze pork production.
Dramatically the South is the ideal livestock
ton of this country and present indications are
that it is en- 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 single carload of
hogs during the year 1912-1913, marketed 1852
carloads of hogs during the period from April /,
1917 to April l, 1918 Mississippi exported 1924
hogs in 1914, while in 1917 she disposed of $3.50
fat porkers an increase of 1924 per cent For
the most part, the Southern hogs developed
inexpensively, 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 "bloom" the flesh to the desir-
able market quality.
The hog supply has developed with the increase
100000 bushels of corn, while in 1918 it har
vested 64,365,000 bushels and fattened $4,000
hogs. Georgia produced approximately 29,475000
bushels in 1918 than in 1909, and dur
ing 1918 handled 2,507,00O hogs. Similarly in the
case 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 as a result of greater
hay production, more cattle have been kept in the
South. In 1914 Mississippi marketed only S6,229
fat cattle while In 1916 II shipped 156237 ami
mails TO the st. Louis market, an increase of 1S1
Per cent During 1915 Mississippi farmers sold
$3.50 head of sheep in ST. Louis. while in 1917
they shipped 1917 sheep to the same market,
increase Of 232 per cent.
Reports show 1,47O,4OS women actively engaged
in regular and emergency war work in the South.
ern states during 1917 while 9SO272 girls assisted
along similar lines; total Of 2,606,213
and girls worked to help win the war by garden
ing poultry production, canning and drying fruits
vegetables and meats, butter making and cheese
making. Their achievements are partially pic
tured in 20O,000,00O of fruits and vegetables
now awaiting 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
n the last half century
The 62227 women enrolled in 3,S12 Southern
hubs recently have put up 34993,677 cans of
vegetables and fruits worth over S7,000000. In
addition they have prepared over 2,750 tons of
iied fruits and vegetables and brined, picked
md stored 500 additional tons Of vegetables. The
3 3O6 Southern girls engaged in regular club
york rnlsed and canned SSS2,000 cans of vege-
ables worth S1,500000, we'll canning an nd
itona 3,961O00 containers Of fruits and vegeta-
les which they did not raise themselves.
Boys club work has also developed IN an amaz-
~ scale because of the perseverng and con.
cientlous work Of the county agents. During 1917