224 TWENTY-t'lBST BiBNNIAL HbPOBT 



and Swine Record Associations. These were hotly con- 

 tested for and afterwards most of the hogs were sold 

 to the packers for a premium of 25c per cwt. above the 

 top market. 



Gordon Nelson, Jr., a Christian county pig club 

 boy, not only won high honors among the boys, but took 

 the blue ribbon in the junior yearling sow class from the 

 Poland China breeders of several States with his club 

 pig, "Lady Wonderprice. " Through the courtesy of 

 the State Fair, boys had their separate classes and were 

 also allowed to enter the farmers' classes. 



An illustration of the forcible demonstrations in 

 feeding made by these boys was brought out in the ex- 

 hibit of Moser Brothers, two pig club boys of Jefferson 

 county. These boys took two pigs from a litter, and 

 the father a third one. The three were in the same pen, 

 the father's pig weighed 95 lbs., and the boys' pigs 215 

 and 220, respectively. The sons ' only cost them 4% cts. 

 per lb. to make their hogs on a balanced ration, while 

 the father has no idea of the cost of his runt, the product 

 of "com alone" feeding. 



This small demonstration was but a minor part of 

 the valuable work accomplished through the pig club by 

 County Agent Merriman, of Jefferson county. His re- 

 port shows 15 boys having fed 15 pigs for an average 

 of 88 days, the total initial weight being 1,042 lbs. ; final 

 weight 3,058 lbs.; total gain 2,016 lbs., or 1.53 lbs. per 

 pig per day. These hogs were fed balanced rations that 

 cost $114.90 for the total feeding period, or 5.7c per 

 lb. gain. The initial cost of these hogs at the June 

 market price was $70.00, making $184.90 total expenses. 

 Three-fourths of these hogs were sold at $8.15 per cwt. 

 September 15, 1915. Had the boys all sold their pigs, 

 the total selling price would have been $249.23, or a 

 total profit of $64.33 for 15 hogs fed 88 days, which is 

 slightly over $4.00 per hog. No value here has been put 

 on the manure or the higher prices procured for the 

 feed stuff. 



The value of such home demonstration work is made 

 clear in the following letter to Mr. Merriman from the 

 father of one of the boys (the original copy of which can 

 be found in the office of the Louisville Commercial Club) : 



