Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-11
WHAT THE SWINE INDUSTRY
OFFERS GEORGIA FARMERS

OFFERS GEORGIA FARMERS
There are many reasons why the
hog Industry should be expanded in
Georgia. First of all, our supply Of
pork is quite inadequate to meet
the needs of our own people. At
the present time, we are presumed
to have about seven hogs per farm.
This is only an increase Of about
one-third of a hog per farm in three
years.
We should be raising al least four
teen hogs per farm, because we
have an urban population of about
100000 to feed aside from the 2,000,-
600 folks who still live out in the
open country The consumption of
pork products per capita in the
United States is presumed to be
around 100 pounds a year. The
average weight OF the hogs we
slaughter is about 200 pounds. The
dressing weight of our Georgia hogs
IS about so per cent. 1t would take
at least 100000 hogs to supply
our local requirements provided the
figures quoted above are approx
-nately correct. The carrying into
effect of this program would call
for the slaughter of a minimum of
maintaining at the present time.
This condition should not be per-
mitted to continue in a state where
such a variety of grain and feed
crops may be grown and where
there is such an abundance of good
land untitled.
The principal thing we need is
more faith in hogs. If we believed
III them as strongly as we do in
election, there is no very definite
y of correctly forecasting the de-
y gree of progress that would be
made by this industry in the next
decade.
Why do we not believe in hogs
as much as we do in cotton? 1t
Is more habit and custom than any.
thing else. You say, our people
nave experienced disaster with hogs
Lung worms have destroyed large
numbers and cholera has literally
declmated whole herds at times.
Probably this was due to the insani.
tary conditions under which the an.
lGals were maintained.
The diseases that affect hogs are
not more difficult to combat than
the depredations Of the boil weeviI.
FIFTEEN to twenty acres of land.
y A'ohulCu anu cIODD6Q, are
sufflc1ent to maintain ten brood
.soWs and their progeny. TO attempt
&c. raise hogs in Georgia without the
AID OF grazing crops is like carry
ing Goals to Newcastle. Through
the aid of permanent pastures we
can cut the grain ration 100 pounds
Tor each 100 pounds of gain in live
weight. AT the same time, we can
secure a desirable finish on our hogs
-tnd have them kill out hard. This
represents an economic advantage
winch we should hasten to capital
lie at its face value. There should
le grain fields in addition from which
supplemental supplies of wheat, rye,
harley, corn, soy beans, peanuts,
velvet beans, sweet potatoes, and
. ether desirable food crops can be
obtained. From twenty-five to fifty
acres of land should therefore be de-
voted to the cultivation of grain.
such an area will furnish all the
concentrated food stuffs needed to
provide the ten brood sows in cues
ton and their progeny with suffi-
Gent grain to finish them off ac-
tcptably for market at an average
weight of from 200 to $50 pounds and
n such condition as to command
:, the highest price prevailing at the
Tine they are offered for slaughter
y man who maintains ten brood soWs
tnder system of good management
should have eighty hOgs to sell. If
iaey average 200 pounds apiece and
sell for eight cents a pound, the.
income from this source would ap-
pFoX1mate $3.50. Fifteen acres of
land devoted to the cultivation of
aTt tn, i
conditions and management seven
bales. This would have to sell at
thirtyfive cents per pound in order
TO bring In as much money as will
be obtained from the hogs in ques-
ton.
1t will take no more labor orr eff,
fort to raise the hogs than it will
to make an average crop of cotton.
The cost would, therefore, be vir-
tual1y the same. There is infinite
ly less risk, from my point of view,
IN handling the hogs under existing
conditions than there would be with
crop of cotton. We need to de-
Nelop and promote both of these
types OF farm operations as never
before in our history, and fortunate.
ly, there are no two forms OF aeri-
cultural effort which we could co.
ordinate with better advantage than
those OF cotton raising and hog pro.
duction. Moreover, there is no 9th
err section of the country in which
the climatic and soil conditions will
enable both to be handled on a bet
ter supplementary. relationship than
pertains in Georgia. l am not try
ing to urge the production of hogs
to the exclusion of cotton or vice
versa. However, l hope to see these
typ agricultural industries co-ordi-
sd and handled on a basis which
Henable our farmers to greatly
e,f1s*ge the present output of pork
and at the same time utilize some
of our idle acres more advantageous
ly than at present If this plan of
action is made effective, we can then
pursue a well balanced plan of farm
ing from which a larger and more
certain income NAV be anticiDat cd