UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



jaJp* < $&u 



BULLETIN No. 646 v 



■>87 



Contribution from the States Relations Service 

 A. C. TRUE, Director. 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



April 8, 1918 



LESSONS ON PORK PRODUCTION FOR ELEMEN- 

 TARY RURAL SCHOOLS. 1 



By E. A. Miller, Specialist, in Agricultural Education. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 1 



Lesson I 2 



II 6 



in : 9 



IV 12 



V 13 



Lesson VI 15 



VII 17 



VIII 18 



IX 21 



Boys' pig clubs 25 



INTRODUCTION. 



Importance. — The growing of hogs is recognized as one of the most 

 important phases of the live-stock industry. The value of hogs as 

 meat-producing animals is attested by the facts that they are grown 

 on 70 per cent of farms and that they constitute so large a part 

 of the number of all farm animals. The United States Department 

 of Agriculture Crop Report gives the following interesting figures 

 with reference to the number of each kind of the leading farm animals 

 in our country on January 1, 1917: Hogs, 67,453,000; sheep, 

 48,483,000; milch cows, 22,768,000; other cattle, 40,819,000; horses 

 and mules, 25,765,000. 



Educational value. — The great importance of the subject as indi- 

 cated in the previous paragraph and the readiness with which it 

 lends itself to the teaching of the principles of breeding, feeding, and 

 management of farm animals give it unusual educational value. The 

 application of these principles in connection with hogs may be studied 

 and observed in the brief period of one year. Its educational value 

 is recognized by school officials and extension workers and it is being 

 made use of as a home project and as a phase of club work. 



It is with a view to introducing into the schools in a definite way 

 the study of this important phase of animal husbandry that the fol= 



1 Prepared under the direction of C. H. Lane, Chief Specialist in Agricultural Education. 

 Note. — This bulletin is intended for the use of teachers of elementary agriculture. 

 27820°— 18— Bull. 646 1 



