(Letter sent to the Secretary of Agriculture)
Dear Mr. Secretary:
My friend Bordereaux received a $1,000 check from the government for not raising hogs, and so I am going into the not-raising hogs business.
What I want to know is, what is the best kind of land not to raise hogs on and what is the best kind of hogs not to raise? I would prefer not to raise razorback, but if this is not the best kind not to raise, I will just a gladly not raise Durocs or Poland Chinas.
The hardest part of this business is going to be keeping an individual record on each of the hogs I do not raise.
My friend Bordereaux has been raising hogs for more the 20 years and the most he ever made was $400 in 1918, until this year when he received $1,000 for not raising hogs. Now if I get $1,000 for not raising 50 hogs, I will get $2,000 for not raising 100, etc.
I plan to start off on a small scale, holding myself down to not raising 4,000 hogs for which I will, of course, receive $80,000.
Now these hogs I will not raise will not eat 100,000 bushels of corn. I understand you pay farmers for not raising corn. Will you pay me for not raising 100,000 bushels of corn, which I will not feed to the hogs which I am not raising?
I want to get started as soon as possible, as this looks like a good time of year for not raising hogs.
Yours very truly,
Octover Brussard
