THE PORK MAKING INDUSTRY IN MAINE. 59 



vigor and quality of the fruit will be materially improved and 

 quantity greatly increased. In an orchard of sixty trees, twenty 

 years old, a lot of brood sows and pigs will well-nigh pay for 

 cost of forage crops grown, and for labor necessary, in the 

 benefit they will surely render the trees and the, fruit. There 

 is no way in which an orchard can be. fertilized so completely 

 and thoroughly as is here indicated, and two or three years will 

 practically free it from many of the insect pests. 



Surely no man will for a moment think of leaving so valuable 

 a lot of property alone, but will see every hog daily and, if they 

 occupy an orchard, his eye should as often take in every cret. 

 If extra attention is being paid to any one, a hoe and a few 

 kernels of corn will easily center attention elsewhere until the 

 whole ground has been fertilized and a goodly share opened 

 to the sun and rain. With this precaution the orchard becomes 

 an ideal spot for the hogs to pasture. The trees afford shade 

 and the hogs will fertilize it in the best possible manner. 



Had the experiment been continued another year, Canada 

 peas would have been sown with the rape, clover and barley, 

 at the rate of one peck to the acre. Adding this, a marked 

 increase in feeding material would be secured. In turning on 

 to any green feed, it will be found best to restrict to one hour 

 the first day, though there is not the same danger as with other 

 stock. The feeding value of rape is so great that it may well 

 be attempted by each and every man keeping hogs or sheep, and 

 the combination here given will be found to insure variety and 

 extend the season with each. Growing these crops and keeping 

 an accurate account of every item of expense, it was found that 

 pork could easily be produced for less than three cents per 

 pound. Those having a liberal supply of skim-milk can still 

 further reduce this cost, and surely these figures must claim 

 attention and provoke a test on the part of hundreds of the 

 farmers of Maine. If this be the result, the full pocketbook 

 will surely follow, for each year will witness an increase in 

 brood sows and acres in forage crops. By this simple method 

 the whole question of western corn in our pork-making prob- 

 lem may be eliminated, the home farm made to produce 

 northern corn ample to finish off the forage grown porkers and 

 put them on the market in best possible condition, and the farm 



