Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-11
Influences Affecting the Quality of
p0rk

in Georgia has attracted nation
wide attention. At the present time
states in this respect. We have
gone forward by leaps and bounds
in this particular industry, which
promises even greater things for the
future than have been accomplished
in the past.
There are various reasons which
have contributed to the great de
Velopment we have witnessed in
swine raising in Georgia. Among
these none has been more potent
than that of the advent of the boil
weevil into southwest Georgia
When it crossed the line from
Alabama it became immediate
ly apparent to farmers in
that section of the state that new
type of practice must be instituted:
been had in raising hogs on grazing
crops it was natural that this line
of work should be emphasized. 1t
was soon discovered that hogs could
be carried for the greater part of the
year on foods produced by nature
OF the hogs themselves. 1t was
quickly discovered that pork could
be very cheaply made in this man
ner and that the profits of the farm
type of practice was pursued as when
all-cotton farming had been fol-
lowed.
Under such conditions 1t is not
surprising that the hog industry
should have developed SO rapidly,
particularly in the southern part of
the state where the natural condl-
able to this industry.
While the raiser of hogs has thus
found the great majority of factors
with which he has to"deal accruing
L. l.
one problem which has caused a
great deal of loss and annoyance,
and about which it is desirable to
secure specific and essential data as
soon as possible.
Peanuts have naturally proven to
be the main grazing crop for hogs.
They can be produced most album
dainty in the somewhat sandy or
sandy loan soils of south and south
west Georgia. 1t is a crop which is
relatively easy to plant, fertilize and
cultivate. 1t may be planted, on sew
eral successive dates. 1t does not
take a particularly long period in
which to develop and mature. Ger
tain vari sites of the nuts will stand
in the ground for a long period of
growth on soils of a lighter type
than many other standard farm
crops. 1t is not an exhausting crop
to the soil because it gathers it's
own nitrogen for the main part out
of the air. Hogs are very fond Of
cessfully, Thus the. cost and labor
involved in handling them is avoid
ed, In other words, the principal
item of expense in connection with
this crop is the planting. 1t is a
crop, therefore, of wonderful po-
tentia1ities for the section Of the
state in question and, as can already
be seen from a review of the figures.
has become the basic factor in the
development of a great. new hog
The peanut, therefore, has be-
come a factor of national Import
ance in our agricultural economy. 1t
constitutes the means by which we
are to institute and develop diversi-
fication in the southeastern states
needs. 1t is to furnish the primary
concentrate necessary to supplying
the nation with an ever-increasing
amount of pork at reasonable prices.
country primarily concerned to
change it's practice so as to minimize
the damage the boil Reevil would
otherwise effect. There is no crop,
therefore, of greater Importance or
concern to our agriculture at the
present time.
What constitutes the factor of
trouble in so far as the peanut is
concerned? 1T is this: Hogs grazed
on peanuts produce, SO we are told, a
soft pork. Great objection to ami
mails finished on peanuts has been
raised by the packers because the
hogs thus finished shrink excessively
and produce a soft meat as well. On
this account buyers of hogs in large
numbers have established al system or
dockage on all animals finished on
peanuts. This has varied at times
from Is up to as high as cents, and
hence constitutes a serious loss to the
hog owner and has produced great
deal of unrest and dissatisfaction on
that account The true status of this
matter is still considerably obscured.
1t is claimed by man that the ten
dency toward excessive shrinkage and
SoftneSS can be overcome by feeding
hogs on various concentrates for a
certain period of time after they have
been removed from peanut pasturage.
There is no question of greater i'm
portance confronting our farmers at
this time, and any data or informa-
ton which has been accumulated rel
ative to this subject is matter OF
great concern to our land owners and
worthy of the widest dissemination.
In this connection it is proper to say
that there is no full agreement as to
the percentage of shrinkage produced
by fattening hogs on peanuts. Some
investigators even clea1m that the
shrinkage is negligible and has been
greatly exaggerated. Certain 1nVestl-
cations conducted indicate that pea
nut meal can be fed for considerable
periods of time without materially at
fecting the quality of the pork. AS a
matter of fact, we do not know just
what causes soft pork as yet. Elk
tensive tests have been made in an
endeavor. to determine this fact by
various investigators.
A summary of the results obtained
by Shut and Day indicates that
where pigs are fed on a ration rich
in protein they dress somewhat lower
than if they are fed on ration OF
corn. Where pigs are fed on rations
rich in protein they produce a larger
quantity of blood and develop heavier
liver and kidneys than those fed on
more carbonaceous rat1onS. Protein
fed hogs seem to develop larger ten
derloins or higher percentage OF
| lean meat than hogs fed on carbona.
ceous rations. Cornfed pigs yield
| more leaf lard than others, while the
| breaking strength of the bones OF
| hogs fed on protein-rich rations Is
| higher than in the case of hogs FEC
| on carbonaceouS rations.
1t is a peculiar characteristic of the
! hog to put on fat, and even where
| they have been bred along the lines
of bacon production they will quickly
assume the characteristics of the So
| called lat or cOrn-ted snOgS IL sup
| piled with the proper kind of ration
| There has been much trouble with
the so-called soft pork even in coun-
tries where the peanut does not grow
at all. In those sections attempts
have been made to feed beans ant
other legumes in place of peanuts
but strange to say crops of this char
| acter have a more marked effect lr
producing soft pork than corn.
The conclusions Of many investi-
gators indicate that lack of maturity
has something to do with tendency
to the production of softness of pork
Thin hogs show marked tendency
| to the production of soft pork
imals to market before they
Ehave been properly finished
should be avoided. Where hogs
are not thrifty they almost in
| yariably yield a soft bacon. If hogs