56 AGRICUIvTURE OF MAINE). 



THE PORK MAKING INDUSTRY IN MAINE. 



By Dr. G. M. Twitchell, Auburn. 



Pork making in Maine has never been looked upon as an 

 industry to be pushed as other branches of farm work have 

 been, and the common practice of growing one pig for family 

 use and one or two for market, to pay the cost of the whole, has 

 been accepted as sound and correct. A few who have established 

 hog farms and been feeding from gathered swill, have continued 

 year after year with varying success. Meanwhile the western 

 farmer has been supplying us with hams, shoulders, breakfast 

 bacon, fresh and salt pork, until the farmers have, in far too 

 many cases, come to question if there can be any profit in the 

 business. To be sure the Westerner has been shipping in young 

 pork, not over six months old, quickly grown, and has doubtless 

 smiled as he read of his eastern neighbor who has boasted, in 

 the press, of his four to five hundred weight hogs, knowing that 

 his corn has made that pork and that every pound over 250 has 

 been grown at a loss. With these facts before me, and with 

 a natural liking for a hog, I decided to make a practical test of 

 the problem, find the cost of making pork, and at the same time 

 the best and cheapest way to solve the question of profitable 

 pork production for the eastern farmer. The experience of 

 the entire West pointed to forage grown crops and pastured 

 herds instead of pen feeding common in New England. Forest 

 Henry and other well-known western growers declared this 

 practice sound for Maine, and having faith in the hog, and the 

 opportunity to test for myself, the work was commenced. Pure 

 bied sows were purchased in December and wintered on ruta- 

 baga turnips, small potatoes, clover and a minimum of grain ; 

 only what was necessary to keep them in condition. From the 

 first each pen was kept supplied with charcoal, ashes, salt and 

 sulphur as follows : One bushel of charcoal, one bushel ashes, 

 one-half bushel salt and four pounds of sulphur. These were 

 thoroughly mixed and kept either in small boxes or in the 

 corner of each pen. An abundance of water was also kept in 

 every trough, as this was seen to be a necessity for the best 

 health of the sows. In this way. with plenty of work on the 



