September
1. Organization of the club. See plans for club organization in the appendix. The class in elementary agriculture undertaking to base its work largely upon the home project should organize as directed by the club plan. Each member of the class should become a member of the club and plan to do all the work outlined for the project. The plan should meet with the approval of the board of education, of the parents of the boys and girls undertaking the project, and should have the hearty support of the county superintendent of schools, of the teacher and of the pupils themselves who are to do the work. The state club leader at the State College of Agriculture should be notified of the organization of the club so that he may send enrollment blanks and all such literature and publications as will be helpful in the progress of the work.
2. Getting started. For the pig raising project members of the class or club may start with one or several pigs, or with a sow pig (or gilt) bred to farrow early in October, since this is to be a project for the entire year. A pig belonging to one of the breeds most prevalent in the community should be selected, provided, of course, that it is a breed which is adapted to local conditions and meets market requirements.
In making the selection of the gilt, consider the pedigree and the individuality of the animal. Unless you know the pedigree it is best to leave that to the reliable breeder with whom you are dealing. Every member of the class joining the pig club should learn how to pick out a good pig. In the beginning, however, it would be well to depend upon the judgment of an experienced man in the selection of the gilt for the year’s project.
3. Beginning the record. On the blank pages provided in [Part IV] of this book write a brief history and description of the breed of hog you select. Each pupil should keep a neat and accurate record of all operations, accounts, results, etc., on the pages provided for the pig raising project.
4. Registering the pigs. If a pure-bred gilt is the starting point of the project, the club member should get the experience of following the rules of registration for the breed. Send to the secretary of the breed association for full information and blank forms, free of charge. When an animal is sold, a certificate of registration will be appreciated by the purchaser. Fill out the registration record in the form given in [Part IV] of this book.
5. A place for the pig. The first problem after securing a good pig is that of proper care and management. Pigs need clean food, clean water, exercise and a clean bed, if they are to thrive and be profitable. See to it that your pigs have a dry, warm, clean, and well-ventilated house. Sunshine is a good warmer and disinfectant of the hog house. For the beginner the individual house of the A type or square type is recommended. A good pasture will provide cheap, clean food, exercise and a clean bed during the summer.