FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 173 



visit out there was in September, and he had the hogs in a lot 

 of about ten square rods, just adjacent to the hog house. From 

 all appearances this lot had not been cleaned up for several 

 months. The stock of his hogs looked fine, at least they showed 

 fine blood. There were some elegant brood sows, and some 

 spring pigs, which weighed about fifty pounds, and which he 

 claimed came in March. This would mean that they were six 

 months old, and if in good condition they should have weighed 

 from 150 to 200 pounds. They showed neglect in every way, 

 but how could you expect them to grow? Of course, he fed 

 them milk and slop, which was all right as far as it went, but 

 the corn he would necessarily have to throw into this litter, and 

 if it was a wet time, you know what kind of a place they would 

 have to dig the corn out of. The hog is then necessarily forced 

 to eat lots of litter which is indigestible, and which cannot be 

 eaten without injuring the vitality of the animal. 



It is in just such a lot as the one I have above described that 

 you will always hear of cholera breaking out, as the sanitary 

 conditions in connection with handling a hog are just as essen- 

 tial as the feeding. 



Now, there is a man who is not making any money out of 

 his hogs, for no man can make money and handle them in this 

 manner. My contention is this — whenever a hog or a pig is 

 standing still and not putting on pounds, simply existing from 

 day to day or week to week, that pig or hog is losing its owner 

 money. The only way that money can be made out of a hog is for 

 that hog to put on pounds, with the exception of the brood sow. 

 This is one of the essential things I want to impress upon 3^ou 

 men, for there is no profit unless the hogs are putting on poundr^ 

 whether you are growing them or fattening them. 



The growing period of the pig is the time he is making the 

 most money, for the reason that feed which will produce 

 growth, bone and general development, can be cheap feed. By 

 this, I mean clover pasture or any kind of good pasturage, rape, 

 and last put not least, alfalfa, which has come into favor all 

 over this continent in the past few years. I have bought sev- 

 eral tons of alfalfa this winter, simply to feed the pigs and brood 



