The Washington times., 1919-04-26
PLAN To SELL
D. c. GARBAGE
TOFEED HOGS
Commissioners Favor Change
From Reduction Plant SyS-
tem-May Advertise for Bids.
BY BILL PRICE.

The District government soon may
decide to advertise for bids for the
sale Of garbage of this city to feed
hogs instead Of handling it through
the garbage disposal plant at Cherry
dale, Va acquired by the city about
a year ago.
All three OF the Commissioners are
interested in this subject not only as
officials but as citizens. and Commis-
sioner Gardiner, a practical and sue
cessful farmer, long an advocate of
using garbage for hog feeding, has
been TO the Naval Academy hog farm,
near Annapolis, where splendid re-
suits are being obtained from the use
OF garbage in feeding, one being
financial gain to the Government in
stead OF former financial loss.
During the stress OF war times the
owners OF the CheT-ydale reduction
plant found themselves unable to
make new contracts for collecting
and disposing Of District garbage
and the District was forced to buy
the plant and assume operations.
The plant is an old one Not only
that, its capacity is below that
needed by the city.
So the question is about to be set
tied by the Commissioners as to
whether best results will be obtained
by selling the garbage to large and
small contractors who will feed 1t to
hogs on farms to be established
away from the Capital
Urges ID. c. Hog Farm.
Commissioner Gardiner long has
been in favor Of the District going
into the hog raising business direct
ly, as now is being done by many
cities Of the country, but this cannot
be done for at least one more year
because Congress has not made an
appropriation for that purpose. At
Occoquan, the District prison. in Vir-,
ginia, many hogs are raised on the
garbage collected there. -
Until such time as the District may
go into the hog raising business il
must either dispose of-the-garbage
in a reduction plant or sell it to the
highest bidders who VIZ feed it to
hogs. -EHE
AT Severn, Nd, not far from Camp
Meade, IS an enormous hog farm. Oper-
ated by Martin Brothers. where q
thousand hogs ate the garbage sold
from Camp Meade at 2 good profit to
the Government. The contractors
have found the business profitable.
Naval Academy Experiment.
Until come months ago the Naval
Academy paid a man $40 a month to
cart away the garbage from that in
Etitution. Then il was decided to use
the garbage for feeding hogs owned
by the Academy. Paymaster Bryan,
q District man, was put in charge Of
the experiment, and DR.. Woodward,
OF the Department Of Agriculture, also
q District veterinarian, was assigned
to assist. The Academy buys young
hogs from St. Louis by the carload, |
turns them on the farm and in three
to four months has hogs weighing
ESQ to 350 pounds. When bought they
weigh so to so pounds.
Commissioner Gardiner was told by
Paymaster Bryan and Dr.. Woodward
that the meat from garbage-fed hogs
IS excellent. The theory OF most
farmers is that garbage does not
produce firm flesh, and that TO make !
firm meat from a hog IL il necessary |
10 feed the animal on corn for three |
OF four. weeks before killing time. |
THAT theory is wholly dispelled at /
Annapolis. The meat from the hogs /
is used at the Naval Academy, and /
the husgy young cadets there have no |
complaint OF IT.
watching Experiments.
Capt F. S. Besson. assistant en-
gineer Commissioner, and Norris |
Hacker, superintendent OF Street |
Cleaning and Garbage Disposal, re-
tently have been investigating the !
Earbage question because OF the ne
Cessity of making recommendations
10 the Engineer Commissioner for the
Eext fiscal year, beginning July l.
g'hey have visited a number of places
and have been impressed with what
iney have seen and the facts obtained |
As 10 successes In hog raising.
Baltimore Is now dlsposing Of gar
Eage 20 big contractors who have hos
farms below that city. The city IL
paid an increasing sum for garbage /
as the prices Of live hogs increase. II
l. now getting about 67Ia cents a ton
f1r garbage delivered TO a wharf
= here vessels Of the contractors re-
reive IL.
u the District should sell its garb-
sze to contractors for hog raising. or
? eventually should go into hog raising
IN itg own account. the present reduc-
on plant at CherrydaIe might be done
2 way with and a much smaller but
more modern plant Installed at Deco
I usn. 20 which point some OF the
rarbsge might be sent.