The Bossier banner., 1922-11-23
The Hog Made the Corn Belt
Rich-Why Not the South :?


ndT1l! IoT the NouthtIH i'i hiSi, WIZ 10
perhaps at this time wondering why he |
finds himself to-day. after years OF con-
tinous hard labor, in his present finan-
cial condition.
To one who has travelled the length |
and breadth of the cotton belt. and |
seen countless acres Of barren quilted
fields with the red clay showing plainly |
on the hillsides. and with only an oc-
sasional generally dilapidated negro
cabin to vary the landscape, the reason
is all too apparent. However. the pur-
pose of this article is not to point out
the reasons for our present condition,
nor to call to time any of our Southern
farmers for their many and wOeful sins
against the soil. Far too many words
have been written on the cause OF our
present plight with too few pointing
with any degree of clearness to solu-
ton of the problem or to way back to
prosperity Therefore. herein are as
semhled Il few we'll known and time
proven facts. which if seriously consid.
cred will surely point one way out OF
the present situation. which, according
to the writer's idea. is the simplest and
most reasonably sure means of escap-
ing abject poverty and final starvation
if we are to stay on Southern farms.
Volumes have been written, and
justly so. on the value Of the dairy COW
to the Southern farm. In her sphere
and under certain favorable conditions
70
large milk consuming centerS there is
probably no farm animal which will so
surely and quickly pay for herself as
the good dairy cow. However. the dali
ry industry is usually successfully car
ried on. only where it is developed to
high degree of perfection and sleciali-
zation. Besides that. it calls. year in
and year out. for unvarying hard work,
which is extremely distaSteful to many
farmers and regarded as il drudgery
which cannot he endured. Let us then
leave it. to lie presented in its good
lights and bad by its own advocates,
and pass to the subject of our title.
| The first line of the heading chosen
The Hog Has Made the Corn Belt
! Rich is an often repeated quotation
of the Breeder's Gazette. The second.
| Why Not he South is a question
| which every Southern farmer. who
| wishes to remain on the farm. should
seriously consider and ask of himself.
If any one should seriously doubt the
statement. The Hog Has Made the
Corn Belt Rich" let him remember
that the Gd.ettc has literally hreathed
the life Of the corn belt for period of
/ forty years. through which time it has
seen the farmers Of that section. slowly
hut surely climb from the self-sustaill-
! ing. wholly isolated -cnntEtion of "l.s
lisnrer days to the position of the COM
raratiyely we'll to do and highly re-
spected St0ckman and live stock breed
c.. of to-day. If the hog could make the
corn Eelt rich in that country of long
| winters. during which there is no pas
ture and the hogs must lie dry lot fed
and housed in mere or less expensive
buildings. then why isn't it Il logical
conclusion that he can do the same in
the South, where all year round pas
ture of the very best is easily possible
and where no expensive housing OF
equipment is required at any time II
the reader will pardon ii personal ref
erence. we will say here that during
the past winter. while our Nebraska
and Iowa friends We're buried in banks
of SHOW. with the thermometer stand
ing far below zero, our hogs were rang
| TO and al, -,
stomachs and little pigs were born il
individual farrOwing houses with the
South side wide open. and none wer,
cold enough to he uncomfortable at an,
time. Ask any hog breeder what greer
fresh pasture. exercise and unlimited
of the little fellows.
There is probably not a farm owne
in the South to-day. and very few O
the better class of tenants. who ha
not. within the past few years. had til,
lesson thoroughly driven home to them
that any permanently profitable system
OF farming must provide ii means for a
least reIaining. or better. adding to. th
fertility Of the soil There have beel
other systems tried, and with few
srecial isolated instances Of success
but the only practical, profitable an,
highly satisfactory means of retainin;
and building soil fertility is through
the proper handling and care of goo,
farm animals. Here the ho. occ,lpic
first place as not only the hardest an,
most prolific of farm animals but ais
as the most economical producer Of edi
Bile meat from farm grains. pastur
and waste products. 1t might he wei
to mention here that from accurat
data compiled through series of year
by the various government eSperimen
stations, it has been found that, on al
average. COW or steer produces on
pound of edible meat for every i
pounds of grain consumed. a sheep Pre-
duces pound Of meat for every 81
pounds of grain. or its equivalent. cor
sumed. whereas. hog produces
pound of edible pork for every fou
pounds of grin consumed. 1t is there
fore. apparent that any Of the farI