Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-06-07

The purebred hog industry in the Belt Valley is represented
by but few outfits, ~noticeably among these being the A. d. McVaS
company on Willow creek, ]. Huber & Sons on Belt creek and the
j. B. Long company under the management of A. Rutherford on
Box Elder.
The Times correspondent drifted over to the McVay ranch
not long ago to look at the hogs. He saw nearly 100 Duroc pigs of
pure breed, the oldest about 10 weeks old. The filters averaged
between eight and nine to the litter. They are a beautiful bunch
of pigs, only one runt in the lot and that one crippled.
The range is fine and with grain or chop-feed twice a day
these pigs should be in fine shape for fall trade or market. From
these pens the writer was taken to another part of the ranch
where the pigs with the %protuberant forehead and the curled up
noses-the Berkshres-were penned. These fine gbodied
black sows had slightly smaller filters than did the red ones al
though in every line one could see class. The little black fellows
shone as if they had been newly polished.
MIR. Mcvay is very fond of the Berks but said that the market
for them for breeding purposes is quite limited, Montana farmers
seeming to prefer the Durocs.
We saw the show stock which was back from the Hereford
sale. Two beautiful 1sOO-pound cows, a heifer or two and a calf
were in show condition. Shortlegged, long and wide, they showed
the purebred in every line and were a delight to the stock fancier
Two herd bulls were next inspected in whose lines and lineage Mr.
Mcvay takes pardonable pride. For the breeding of nurse cows
for the young Herefords, Mr.. Mcvay keeps a bunch of dairy stock
headed by a purebred Hostein bull.
A registered Percheron stallion was in his box stall and re-
ceived a visit from us.
The pleasure received in viewing a highly bred bunch of cattle
and hogs is sufficient reward for the trip and if a person had the
time to visit the wild bunch of purebreds ranging back in the hills,
he would return with a little bit more pride in the stock industry
of Montana, a little more faith in the Belt Valley.
At the J. B. Long ranch on Box Elder they have a fine bunch
of b~lue-blooded Poland Chinas. The nucleus of the herd is from
the Crow farm at Webb City, Ia, and is of Inspirator and Brilliant
lines. This is the new type of Poland China and is distinguished
by long back, flat sides, small heads and ears breaking just high
enough to allow the hog to see well. Mr.. Rutherford has about
10 sows with filters which vary from five to 10 in size. He also
has some boars which are bred too closely along the lines of the
sows to be of use on the ranch and any one in the market should
not fail to see them. He has hogs which will weigh 200 pounds
and some that will go well up toward half a ton. We did not see
any s~way-backed sows, any broken down feet or other defects, in
fact, anyone who can see beauty in a hog can see lots of it at this
ranch.
At the Jude Huber ranch below town which is sometimes
called the Black & White Ranch, they raise only purebred stock.
Holstein cattle produce a large part of the revenue through
the sale of cream. Some not needed are sold each year.
Light Brahma fowls furnish the eggs, many settings of which
are sold each year to those who wish to star. in this business. The
Hubbers scour the country every season to find suitable males to
head the flock.
Then, too, they have purebred Poland Chinas and each year
sell a considerable number of gifts and boars for breeding pur-
poses. Mr.. Huber has spent many years in developing his hogs
to their present undoubted standard and was the first one in this
vicinity to venture into the purebred hog business.
His success has been such that Notwithstanding the low
prices of the past period of depression, nothing could tempt him
to return to the scrub hog.
Possibly we may have missed some breeders of purebred
stock. If so, we shall be glad to mention them in a later issue.
Registered stock is an asset to the community and while MANY