It is not necessary that the teacher be an expert in swine husbandry to make this project a success. The teacher may help greatly by being an interested co-worker, encouraging the boys and girls, learning with them, leading them to sources of information, and being a sympathetic friend in their work and life on the farm.
If possible, each member of the class should be induced to begin the pig raising project with a pure-bred gilt. If this is not possible, any pig may be selected, fed, and cared for according to the project directions. The home project may be carried on as an independent class activity, or it may be correlated with the work of the pig club organization. It will be an easy matter and a most desirable thing to do to organize the class into a pig club, affiliate with the state club movement, and all work together in the big business of food production.
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.