The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-03-18
y TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC y. HAsKIN, Director.
Washington, d. C.
HOGS AND DEMOCRACY.

during the last rev years. nOSS-nOt
razorbacks. but high-bred, pork-mak
ing hogs-have increased in the state
of Florida at a rate which is probably
unprecedented in porcine history. At
the sam time, and as direct result
of this hog-multiplication, there has
been a great increase in the number
of that pillar of Democracy, the man
who works for himself. otherwise
known as the independent operator.
For the facts concerning this great
economic development. as well as the
philosophical differences which &C
company them, credit is due to w. NJ.
Traer, who is secretary of the Florida
State Swine Growers association, and
also of the Southern Swine Growers
association, and is easily the leading
pork propa gandist of the state.
The sensational facts about Florida
hog culture are as follows: Five years
ago there were practically no hogs in.
this state except for that character
istic and ubiquitous feature of south
ern scenery, the razorback. The razor
back. of course, is an animal not to be
despised. For a combination of sagac-
ity speed, wind. fighting qualities,
omnivorous appetite, self-reliance/and
immunity to disease, he is hard If not
impossible to beat. The objection to
him as a hog is that he produces little
or no pork. He shuns fat like a movie
star. He assays about 80 per cent
bristle, lioof, tusk and squeal. He ex-
cites admiration but does not
satisfy the appetite.
The Floridians decided that this old
time southerner would have to go.
They organized and began to import
blooded stock. The result is that there
are now nearly two million real hogs
in the state of Florida, and the num-
Der is steadily growing. The state
growers association was organized
two years ago, and it is the leader in
forming an al1-southern association.
A Florida sow, with two generations Of
Florida hogs behind her, won the
grand championship at the Interna-
tional Livestock exhibit in Chicag go.
Recently as much as $4,000 has been
paid for boar to be used for breeding
purposes in Florida. A livestock show
expected to attract five million dollars
worth of exhibits. There is a big
packing plant at Jacksonville. and two
smaller ones at Chipley and at Tampa
And all this has been accomplished in
five years.
Mr.. Traer firmly believes that the
hog IS to be the mainstay of Florida's
future prosperity. As quick pro-
Queer of wealth, he believes that the
hog has no equal. Pork production,
he says, is the poor mans best bet,
and one which he too often overlooks.
capital to get started in anything.
The days when you could start on a
shoe-string seem well-night gone The
result is that a lot of US are holding
jobs who would like to be in business
for ourselves.
AT this point we must rise from the
solid ground of fact and take a haz-
ardous little flight in the thin air of
theory. Fifty years ago when any
man could get hundred and sixty
acres of good land by going west and
building a shack on it. we had little
or no unrest in this country, and other
nations admitted that we had a lot of
democracy. Now that most of US have
to hunt Jobs in cities, We have a lot
of unrest and the people across the
water regard US as the most reaction
airy of nations. In a word. we venture
the mild generalization that democ-
racy is at bottom a matter of eco
Monies, rather than of politics, and so
is unrest. If you are working for
yourself you are inclined to be satis-
fled with things because there is no.
body TO blame except yourself: but If
you are working for some other fellow
you are sure to blame him, with more
or less reason. The labor problem is
simply this fact operating on a large
scale. In other words, as other au-
thorities have intimated before. the
idea seems to be to get get back to a
system which will give every man
some control over his means of liveli-
hood, thereby encouraging him to
fight with himself instead of with the
restof us.
We do not wish to hang any re-
sponsibility for the above windjam-
ming on Mr.. Traer. but he makes an
eloquent argument that the hog is on
OF the leading methods of achieving
that needed economic independence.
With proper eye for publicity, Mr..
Traer says to take Florida for instance.
Here it is possible to raise two or three
crops of forage every year. 1t is also
! possible to raise two filters of pigs in a
year without the use of artificial heat
A man can buy excellent land for SIS
an acre. says Mr. Traer. provided he
keeps away from the sections where
| the real estate operator is most album
dant. La such sections, he says, the
same kind Of land sells for 500 an acre
With ten acres of land and one brood
| SOW, a man can make a living. With
one hundred acres Of land and q. hall
dozen brood sows. provided he has
executive ability and industry, he can
fou1atl u fortune.
! The Florida climate and the in
credibly prolific hog magnificently
cooperate in this glorious achieve
nent. Bat main credit is due the hog
have two htters a year, and ten OF
twelve pigs at d litter. Mr.. Traer
figures out on a piece of paper with
lead pencil that>the happy owner ici
! this one old sow and ten acres of land
/ having purchased the services of q
high-grade boar. may with luck at the
end of his second year have 81 sows
and may have sold in the mean time
II boars- This seems incredible, bu1
Mr.. Traer is an authority and he die
the arithmetic. The deserving settler
will meantime be toiiing on his ter
acres, producing enough turnips, pea
nuts, oats and other crops to keep hi:
growing porcine- family alive Now
and then he will pause to shoot a dose
| of hog cholera serum into each one OF
| them He will not lead an easy life
but the limits of his ultimate wealth
are measured only by his energy anc
EgeHeYalship.