Milton Dail, a tenant farmer in Perquimans county, is feeding 69 yead of hogs in a demonstration put on by County Agent L.W. Anderson. According to the record being kept by Mr. Dail, these hogs ate during the first 28 days of January 4,253 pounds of feed worth $86.88 at market prices. “Looks reckless, doesn’t it?” asks W.W. Shay, swine specialist for the State College and State Department of Agriculture in reporting this demonstration. But he answers his question by adding that the hogs gained 1,970 pounds during the 28 days. At 10 cents per pound this gain is worth $197, giving a clear profit on the venture and above feeding costs of $110.12. This is with the provision that the hogs sell for 10 cents per pound during the latter part of March, and they usually do that, according to the record kept by Mr. Shay.
Mr. Shay states that by the latter part of March these hogs will be worth well over $1,000 and this gives an excellent weapon with which to argue tenant farms in North Carolina, but Mr. Dail seems to have found how to have it.
Mr. Shaw says, “Somehow we can’t get away from the belief that cash for fertilizer is even better than credit, no matter how easily obtained. A great many farmers have not yet recovered from the effects of the ease with which they git credit during 1919.
“What we especially like about hogs is the fact that with proper management one has two crops per year. March sales help out on fertilizer, and sales during the latter part of August not only bring the highest price of the year, but money comes as handy at that time as at any other.
“Oh, yes! Some of the land that was formerly in cotton will have to be devoted to raising corn. There should be at least 100 bushels for each brood sow kept, and 125 bushels is safer, as she may raise more than 12 pigs, two litters of six each.”
From page 5 of The Progress, Enfield, N.C., Friday, March 2, 1923.
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