| OCR Text |
Show pfCLUBS HAVE CAUSED BIG INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR REGISTERED BREEDERS , 1 - ; - ! s Purebred Pigs Raised by Pig Club Members Being Judged at a State Fair. (Prepared hv the United States Department Depart-ment of AerrUulttire.) In some sections of the t'ouniry the n.'i'd tor bettor brooding stock was outstanding out-standing when the tinted States department de-partment of jii-ioulture began its bo s mill girls pig club work. In such casts the pig-club agents Inve practically Insisted that onl.v purebred pigs cotilil be used in the breeding projects. This necessitated tlifl importing of registered pigs of both sexes- The results of the demonstrations demonstra-tions made bv niembers handling these I nigs under instruction from the pig- club leader have caused a great demand de-mand for pigs ''just like So'..ny's." The club members' demonstrations of the advantages ar4d possibilities of well-bred well-bred swine when intelligently fed and managed have caused a great increase In demand for breeding stock from the purebred breeders. At first the breeders breed-ers were inclifled to be skeptical, as they expected the boys, to buy registered regis-tered stock, allow It to deteriorate, then offer purohred scrub pigs at meat prices thus destroying the demand for the breeders' pigs. The breeders were happily disappointed and are now-lending now-lending their atipport and backing to the work. One professor says, 'Tig- club work has created the greatest demand de-mand for breeding stock that this state hus ever experienced." Demand Registered Pigs. In some cases the refusal of club members to" accept anything but registered reg-istered pigs has Induced breeders to have their herds registered In order that they might share In the demand i for pigs by club members. A typical ! case of the influence' the purebred rigs brought in by pig-club niembers Is given by a county agent in Arkansas. When the agent began work there were two breeders in the county pro-I pro-I ducing pigs of sufficient merit to meet the demands of the club w ork. In the first year of bis work he had 35 pig-club pig-club niembers. Four of these members secured registered boars. These boars sired 58 litters of pigs from scrub sows, thereby improving the blood of 402 pigs. They also sired 47 purebred hogs for- farmers. Farmers also purchased pur-chased three boars and 36 sows. The second year in the work the club had 42 members who had six purebred boars. Thev sired 71 litters from scrub sows, producing 496 pigs. They also sired 104 purebred pigs. The agent adds, "I think I can trace seven boars and 41 sows (purebreds) purchased by farmers, as a result of pig-club work in communities, during the second sec-ond year of the club." Introducing Purebreds. Arkansas typifies the manner in which purebred breeding stock is being be-ing Introduced into sections where they are needed. Last year 1,800 purebred gilts were placed with as many pig-club pig-club members. The bankers of the state financed the members. This year between 2,200 and 2,400 pigs also were placed in a similar manner. Another instance of the Introduction of well- 4 bred brooding stock and the ro-ostab-lMiment ot a waning industry is taking tak-ing place m the free range cholera-infested cholera-infested section of eastern J exas. The pin-club agent, assisted by the I-ort Worth Stock 'Vards Co. and the state and federal veterinarians, is sending nianv car lots ol immunized sows 1o the club members m this region where the industry was being destroyed by the ravages of hog cholera. Increased Swine Population. Pcmoiisirations of the sort are of far-reaching importance. The swine breeders and swine-record associations bear witness that there is great demand de-mand for purebred brecling stock, especially es-pecially in the Southern states. The pig-club members take many purebred pigs and have been a powerful stimulus stimu-lus in creating demand among tire adults. It is interesting to note that of the four states. Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, and Delaware, reporting increases in-creases in swine population on September Sep-tember 1, 1017. over September 1, 1016, Mississippi and Georgia stand second and jhird in pig-club enrollment. These two states report an increase of 00.000 hogs while the country at large shows a decrease of 5,000,000 for the period mentioned. i |
