The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1922-01-06
Bov Winner of Union Stock
Yards Contest Gives His
Methods.
POLAND CHINA FOR START
Is Leader of Boys Pig Club Which
Is One Hundred Per Cent
Strong.
BY Robert Poison Of Montesano, Win
ner of First Prize in Union
Stock Yards Contests.

On January 10, 1921, 1 bought m
first pig. In fact it was the first liv
stock l had ever owned. She was
bred gilt ten months old, from the O
II. Murphy herd of Poland Chinal
from Hubbard, Oregon.
When she arrived 1 started feeding
her to the best of my knowledge
which l soon found out was scant
and that l was not feeding her the
right ration. Mr.. Hubbard, the state
livestock specialist, called at our place
while in the county and corrected
some of the mistakes l was making
and balanced my ration for me-
soon found out, by little experiment
ing, that his way was much superior
to mine. l am now feeding balanced
ration of ground barley, oats, millrun,
pea meal and a little fishmeal
On March IS, 1921, my gilt narrowed
nine pigs, but on the following night
she took sick and did not have milk
enough for them. 1 did not realize
this until the next morning when
four of the pigs had died on account
of cold and hunger The remaining
of the bottle for about three days.
Once they got started, they soon grew
very fast and are now nearly as large
as their mother. l weaned them when
they were nine weeks old
My start in the big type Poland
China cost me $4,000. 1 paid $4,000
for the gilt, which was bred to Muir
phys Liberator, and $4,000 for a boar
I bought the latter part of August
from l.. G. Adler of Springfield, Ore
gon. The amount from the sales of
my pigs so far has been $4,000 for a
gilt, but have two very good boars
for sale now. The cost of the feeds
such as the grain, fishmeal, mineral
foods, and green stuffs was about
$4,000.
have only exhibited once this year.
That was at our County fair. / did
not win any firsts on my pigs but all
seconds, not because they were in
ferior to the first prize pigs by any |
means, but because 1 didn't know how
to show them. That second prize,
though, did me more good than if l
had run off with Grand Champion. I
found out from the Judge lot Of good |
information and where my faults were |
and how to correct them; also woke
up to the fact that the other fellows !
had good pigs. Nevertheless l won
$500 at the fair on my pigs and $4,000 |
on all my club projects. Including the
Portland Union Stock Yards company |
prize, this makes me total of $500 |
in prizes this year.
AS local leader 1 attended all the
club meetings this year, of which we
have had nine, and are going to have
another very soon; also we have just
reported to the state club office 100 |
per cent strong, and showing profit
of S621.18.
Members of our club have been out
on four different stoc kjudging tours,
attended a sheep shearing demonstra-
ton and one county dairy tour.
Different members of the club and
myself have attended three fairs this
year: The County fair held at Elma,
at which the club took first prize for
its exhibit over all other clubs in the
county, and the Western Washington
fair at Puyallup. The chamber of COM
merce of Montesano gave forty boys
and girls free trip to this fair. Most
of the c1uh m prn hor1 uoro iupludpd In |
the number. Two of our members
Grossly Valentine and myself) attend
ed the Pacific International. Crosby
was on the judging team that went
from this county, and 1 accompanied
the team. We got acquainted with
some of the club notables of Oregon
and the Poland China breeders. met
the men from whom bought my pigs
and saw their herds. We also took in
every corner of that great show.
When we started up the club this
spring we had to rustic around and
find enough members to make 1t a
standard one. There were some boys
we asked who were we'll able to do
club work but thought it too much
work and bother; also it seemed to
take too much effort to attend meet
ings and hand in record book. We
are now getting together members for
ext year, but we don't have to ask
1lyOne to ioin nou