East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-06-07
PIGS NEVER SQUEAn

Likes Ills Business

pleasure out of his job because he
likes it than for the money he is maxi
ing and stands to make in the future.
That is way with men who are sue
cessful, however and the Hermiston
man stamps himself as a. member of
the success crew In that respect. To
watch him when he goes about his
work and handles his hogs, one could
very readily come to believe that to
be a successful hog breeder like
Strohm would be the easiest thing in
the world That impression is likely
to gain a footing in ones mind for the
very simply reason that Strohm nay
worked his business down to pretty
fine point, and now, after several
years of success, has come to be
easy to him.
The pens look to be mighty close
20 the house. he explained to us yes
terday, but there is scarcely a day
during the year when there are any
offensive odors from the runs to both
er us. / liketo have the hogs as near
as possible. At night when I'm sitting
in the house, if a sow gets on one of
The attitude reflected in that
i
statement of George Strohm may
sound to the city dweller like bit
of humor. In reality, it struck me as
the keynote of why he has won sue
cess. He knows hogs, stays with
them, works for them and their COM
fort, and they have won him modest
competence.
.Pigs Must Mt SDueaT,
About rations and other important
points in Strohm's methods as breed
er and feeder I'll confess l didn't
learn as much as / should. The rea-
son I didn't was because my interest
in red hogs was overcome by reason
of my interest in the charact of the
man who had lifted himself by his
own bootstraps and Duroc-Jerseys to
the position of q leader in his COM
munity.
But the first principle OF success
in growing pigs on his ranch is that
tn pig must never sqIieal from hunger.
They have all they want to eat from
the day they are born until the day
they leave the ranch. Shortly after
birth, he begins supplementing moth
er's milk with middlings and other
mixtures. The pigs run into a cree
where the bigger hogs can't inter-
fere. and here they start their training
in the art of eating all they want.
They form a habit then easy for pig
to form, and they never have to break
it.
He has about 10 acres of alfalfa and |
willow pasture where the hogs and |
pigs run They have all the green |
feed they need and Strohm keeps the !
self feeders full of grain mixtures
which are blent according to his own |
proven ideas Of what it takes to make |
a pig develop quickly into a market
able hog.
Wins State ITonOrs
1--WE try to turn out hogs that |
that weigh 200 pounds or a little more |
at an age of six or six and one-half
he said. THAT gives me.
two litters to sell. The spring litter |
goes to Portland during the first half |
Of September when the market is
hungry for good stuff. The fall litters |
are sold in March or April, also a time
of good demand and slack supply"
Incidentally, Strohm adds a little |
silver to his years profits by Nshow-
ing breeders in the Northwest how to !
grow championship hogs in carlots. |
He goes to the Pacific international |
Livestock exposition every year, and |
his winnings have come consistently.
Il prefer the light weight class" he
"but by the time the expo
sition is held, my best stuff is too
heavy for the lighter class. That |
makes it necessary for me to enter my
rupts i'm competition"
That reads like irony but Strohm's |
eyes held never a twinkle when he |
spoke.
This fall he will deliver about IS |
bred gifts to buyers who have engaged |
stuff from him this year.
Banker Gives Praise
I had heard F. B. Swayze,. president |
of the Hermiston bank, express his
opinion about Strohm before, but /
dropped in to see the banker on my ,
way over to eat luncheon with the
members of the Hermiston CONNER
cial club.
What is there different about
Strohm that has caused him TO make
a success here in less than five years
when a lot of men have found the |
Shedding to have some rough spots?"
[ asked Mr.. Swayze.
THAT is a hard question" he re-
piled. "but 1t is the man himself. He
Is master of detail. The little things
which the ordinary farmer doesn't no.
tice are never missed by Strohm. He
keeps books on all his business. He
is a careful buyer and gets his feed
In carlots. thus making a big saving.
He also never fails 10 have a good /
garden, and his COW and chickens keep
the merchants here always in debt 10
him.
II is usually a good thing TO agree /
with a banker. I've found, but ON one /
point I differ with Swayze. ! have a |
sneaking idea that the good garden 1
he mentioned owes big part Of its
quality to Mrs. Strohm because when /
Bennion ana I were there Yesterday. |
I noticed that Mrs. Strohm was out
wagine a quiet, hut what appeared to /
be a verv successful fight. against /
weeds. She has time to do such things |
because the new house on the ranch /
is modern in every detail. and her
Homework T. as easily accomplished /
as in the most modem house in tho |
city.
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