8 



THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



IlIVE SiPOGI^. 



) FEEDING SWINE. 



By John M. Stahl, St. IiOui^t Mo, 



The yearly slaughter of hogs in the United 

 States is aboiit 5:2,Olk),000, producing 4,000,000,000 

 pounds of meat, of which, about 1,000,000,000 

 pounds are sent abroad. It will be seen that the 

 production of pork is enormous for even such a 

 country as ours, and tliat between the use of the 

 very best methods and those only fairly good, 

 there may be a difference of millions of dollars. 



A glance at the reeeipt-s noted in the market 

 report.s, shows that the greater part of the hogs 

 are marketed in the season from November to 

 Marcii, inclusive. This is because it is most con- 

 venient and j>rofitable for the farmer to fatten, 

 and for the packer to dispose of, the hogs at this 

 time. And while summer packing is making 

 rapid strides, S5 many more hogs are fattened in 

 the fall and early winter, that I shall consider 

 my subject only as it is applicable to this time. 



■Let a person start at the east and traverse our 

 country !.• this season, and, unless he has been 

 accustomed to it by long observation, he will 

 wonder at tlie great waste everywhere apparent 

 in the fattening j>ens, and he will find this waste 

 increasing as he goes westward. We have what 

 are known as "the fall rains," which, tliough 

 not heavy, fall so slowly and find tlie ground in 

 such condition tliat they make a great mud. Yet, 

 not one farmer in ten has a feeding floor of any 

 kind. The food is thrown to the hogs in the mud, 

 increased l)y tlie manure of the lutgs and tlieir 

 rooting for'stray grains. Hy such a course of 

 feeding nmcl\ food must be 

 L«'c:t*;,?"„S°r"ru-; lost. After the hogs have 

 4 new names, und ih«t »lu been fed all they will eat 

 be our number. .Vo tiodj ((|,g common practice in 



hurt by It either. ,.,•,,. i c 



fattening) for a eoujde ot 

 weeks, they become so sated that tliey will not 

 hunt for the food in the mud and manure, and 

 it is lost. I have seen hogs fed many a time 

 when fully half of their food was lost. Not only 

 is food lost, but the eating of the hogs under sucli 

 circumstances is sure to impair their health and 

 occasion further loss. 



The ea.siest way to make profitable pork is to 

 stop this waste. 'A good feeiling floor is made bv 

 laying boanls on a level, smooth patcli of ground. 

 No foundation of any sort is used. Tliis is ap)iar- 

 ently slovenly, but the boards soon become fixed, 

 and' they do' not rot faster than when laid on 

 cross pieces. When the hogs are disposed of, 

 pull up the boards and stack them lip against the 

 fence until tlie first rain has washed tliem clean, 

 ■when they can be Jiut away in the dry or used 

 for any purpose desired. !^uch a floor can be laid 

 quickly, and the boards are at your disposal as 

 soon as the hogs are marketed. 



Some say that it is better to put the bonrds over 

 the hogs than under tliem, and in some cases I 

 am sure it is. The ground under a shed will .soon 

 become so hard and smoi>th that no grain will be 

 lost, and it can be kept clean as easily as a board 

 floor, while the hogs have the advantages of a 

 shelter from rain and snow while eating; and 

 rain and snow make the floor of board more or less 

 nasty. Often (dd sheds can be utilized for this 

 purpose; and a slieil of straw or any other sub- 

 stance that will shed rain and snow is just as 

 good as boards, and often much less expensive. 

 The gain woulil pay for the shed ten times over. 



The profits may be further increased by saving 

 the manure. It' is estimated that a-s hogs are 

 generally fed by farmers while fattening, one 

 bushel, or fifty-six pounds of corn, makes ten 

 pounds of pork. From my experience and obser- 

 vation I know that this is a liberal allowance of 

 pork, take the country oyer. As the animal takes 

 only ten pounds of matter away in its body, it 

 must void forty-six pounds tor every bushel of 

 corn consumed. H the farmer will make a little 

 calculation on this basis, he will be surprised, I 

 am sure, at the amount of manure he can save if 

 he will. In the case •( hogs, a little more than 

 half of the manure by weight is liquid ; and in 

 nine cases out of ten this is wasted in tola. 



Fortunately, hogs always have a particular 

 place in which to de[>osit their voidings. Advan- 

 tage can be taken of tliis. If they are confined 

 in a pen with a tight floor (and tlie floor should 

 be tight), the liquid manure can easily be 

 drained into the compost heap, for it will be de- 

 posited, like the solid excrement, in one corner. 

 When the hogs are eonfine<l in a lot, as is gener- 

 ally the case in the gre.it pork producing States, 

 as soon as they have selected the spot for their 

 droppings it ciin be littered with straw, which 

 ■will absorb most of the urine. But little straw- 

 should be used, and it should be changed every 

 morning. -If sawdust can be procured, it is all 

 the better. In this way the solid and liquid 



voidings can be removed to the compost heap 

 together. If the hogs are provided witli comfor- 

 table, sheltered sleeping quarters, they will not 

 lie on the straw or sawdust, which would prove 

 injurious. 



I am clearly convinced that hogs are best fat- 

 tened on a clover field, no matter how late it is 

 in the fall or even in tlie early winter. As long 

 as the weather is pleasant they «an be fed in a 

 new place each day : the feeding ground will iiot 

 become foul, and all the manure, solid and liquid, 

 will be left upon the field. There must be shel- 

 tered sleeping quarters in one corner of the field ; 

 and a shed of straw or something else, to feed 

 under in bad weather. 



A correspondent of a western agricultural 

 iournal lately attemjited to prove that corn was 

 an unhealthy food and, per se, the enemy ot the 

 farmer. While he did not jirove this, he suc- 

 ceeded in establishing the fact, that as corn is 

 commonly fed in tlie great corn-producing States, 

 it is productive of much disease. This is not the 

 fault of tlie corn, Init the way it is fed. There is 

 no better food for fattening swine than corn ; but 

 that is no reason why it^ should be fed exclu- 

 sively. The health of animals demands a vari- 

 ety of food ; and failure to comply with this 

 demand will produce disease just as surely in the 

 case of swine, a-s of human beings. 



Feed corn, but also other food. Let corn be 

 the principjd ingredient of the ration, but not 

 the only one. Turnips are a good substitute for 

 corn, aiid are better yet used, when fed in con- 

 nection with corn and other grains. I have 

 known splendid droves of hogs to be fattened on 

 boiled turiiiiK and corn meal. The turnips must 

 be boiled to be of niueb value ; hogs will not eat 

 enough of iliini raw to become fat on them. If a 

 couple of large iron kettles are jilaced near the 

 feeding troughs (for the boiled turnips must be 

 fed from troughs) the trouble of cooking will be 

 little. Either bran, slii|vst.,if. or oats may be 

 mixed with the turnips in place of the corn meal. 



Although ther.^ is not much iiutrinient or fat 

 forming substance in pumpkins, it will pay hand- 

 somely to grow them to mix with the food of fat- 

 tening hogs. Corn, es|iecially if idd, has an 

 astringent tendency, and hogs fed largely upon 

 it are apt to become costive. Pumkins are 

 gently laxative, and will correct the astringent 

 properties of the corn. Tney are best fed raw. 



I need harilly remind the 'reader that tin- b.vst 

 way of all to economize food and to make profit- 

 able pork is to provide shelter from cold and wet 

 weather. 



SHEEP ON ENCLOSED AREAS. 



Sheep will not bear confinement, which makes 

 them a |irey to dogs. Reing naturally great for- 

 agers, they stray ofl', and cause too much labor 

 and care. ' A larg- flock takes ui> quite a space, 

 and during their rambles they keep the gra.ss 

 very close and trample the fielils hard. It is 

 clai'med that sheep cannot be raised on turnips, 

 as is done in England, with hurdles. While we 

 do not have many of the natural advantages de- 

 sired, vet we can grow two crops of gra.ss which 

 enable's farmers to bunlle sheep iirofitably, jiro- 

 yided they will eonstrnet a fence that can be 

 easily reinoved, or made in such manner as to be 

 cheap. Hv sowing down oats or rye in the early 

 fall or latter part of summer, after the annual 

 drought is over, sheep may be hurdled upon it 

 until the cold sea.son is well advanced. A later 

 crop of rye may also be put down for early spring 

 use. Hv using hurdles the sheep may be con- 

 fined within limited areas until the provided 

 pasturage is gone. In the spring the early rye 

 will keep the sheep well provided until a crop of 

 peas are grown. Then, by sowing Hungarian 

 grass, and Iceeping it down with the sheep by the 

 use of hurdles, a complete and plentiful pasture 

 may be provided from early spring until late in 

 the' season. Of course, during the winter the 

 sheep must be fed, but they will do well on cut 

 straw and sliced roots, if given a small quantity 

 of oats night and morning. 



By thus hurdling the sheep the grass has a 

 chance to grow on the locations not pastured, 

 and by frequently changing them the food is of 

 a better quality, while less land is required for 

 the amount of' wool and mutton produced, to say 

 nothing of the fact that the sheep will always be 

 under observation, and therefore protectetl from 



dogs. A movable shelter may be given them if 

 necessary, but during the warm season, if the 

 weather is dry, they will only require enough 

 brush overhead for shade. When hurdling sheej', 

 the greater profit would proljably be secured 

 from the mutton breeds rather tiian from those- 

 bred principally for wool. 



STOCK NOTES. 



Cleaning the Stables and Pens. — A plen- 

 tiful use of compost, in the shape of marl, dry 

 dirt, or sod, will not only )irevent foul odors, 

 preserve cleanliness, and render the manure of 

 better qnality, but it will save labor at the time 

 of ajiplicatiou, to say nothing of the health of 

 the animals being promoted. 



Cooked Food for Hogs. — An excellent mess 

 for hogs may be prepared by cutting clover, beet 

 tops, cabbage leaves, or young grass, and boiling" 

 the mass in a wash-boiler or cauldron. By 

 adding a little salt, and thickening with corn- 

 meal, not only will the food be very nutritious, 

 dietary, and highly relished, but will cost verv 

 little." 



YocTNG Stock. — Young stock should have aa 

 allowance of corn meal at least once a day from 

 now until spring, in order that they may not be- 

 come reduced in flesh. Meal is fattening, antt 

 although the young stock may be well provided 

 with bay and grain, yet the meal should not be 

 omitted. Oats are best fed when ground, and 

 the hay should be cut and moistened. 



Eakly Lambs. — This is not the month for 

 early lambs, but it is not too soon for breeding 

 the ewes, shiuild any come in, as the earlier the 

 better. Before determining to allow the ewes to- 

 breed early, due j^reparations must be made for 

 the lambs that may be expected, as they will be 

 dropped during tiie most critical period of the 

 winter. The high prices for early lambs, how- 

 ever, amply repay for the care demanded. « 



HiNGARiAN Grass for Hoi;sI':s. — Hungarian 

 gra.ss makes excellent feed for horses, but as some 

 farmers, owing to pressure of work ou other 

 jiarls of the farm, allow the grass to seed before 

 cutting, it becomes deteriorated in quality, owing 

 to the gra.ss perfecting the seed, rendering the 

 stalks hard and woody. The seeds are not easily 

 digestible, and sometimes mat into balls, causing: 

 death. Hungarian grass which has been fre- 

 ipiently mowed, however, and not allowed t> 

 seed, is equal to any hay that can be grown. 



The Brood Sows. — Large, heavy brood sows, 

 though as prolific as those that are smaller, 

 Tisnally smother one-half, if not all. of the litter, 

 before the pigs are able to keep out of the way> 

 .\ board is no. protection for the first two or three 

 days. If the litter is a valuable one, the better 

 jilan is to have an attendant to take them away, 

 after they have fed, keeping them in a warm 

 place. They may be returned to the sow every 

 two hours, iiiid in a week or ten days the pig» 

 will be strong enough to protect themselves. 



Fall Colt*. — Mares bred in the fall will en- 

 dure good service without injury, and the foal, 

 being dropped in the tall also,' will be old enough 

 by spring to allow of being separated from the 

 diim when the busy season arrives. Colts will 

 eat grain when about two months old, and may 

 be turned on the pasture when six months old, 

 provided grain is allowed them at night. Fall 

 colts, however, will be injured in growth if not 

 provided with good warm quarters in winter. 

 During the day an open shed facing the south, 

 with a large yard tor exercise, will be found an. 

 advantage. 



The Capacity of the Udder. — It is not the 

 large udder that indicates the quantity of milk 

 that may be expected, as there are many cows- 

 vrith udders which are apparently large, but 

 composed of thick .skin, and are deceptive in 

 form. The udder should be soft and velvety, 

 with prominent veins, and milk ducts extending 

 well forward, while the teats should stand well 

 apart, be uniform in size, and well shaped. The 

 capacity does not depend so much upon the size 

 as upon the shape, and if the cow is a good 

 feeder, yields largely, and is milked regularly, 

 there need be no fear of over-distension of the 

 udder, as nature has adapted it to suit the 

 requirements. 



True , 



etock oul.v . . « 



logiae* C*U 



JERSEY 

 REDS. 



REGISTEREDSWINE 



Th..r.>ue;^i-l'rfd Chc-itter WhlU'H, Po- 



lund.Chlnas, A" Imt^ricl Berkithlres 



...J with fitTV *uinial sold. Stroog. lii'althy 



'urity guaranteed. Seml^iamp for new Cata* 



Warrlnston, Box 6-24,We«i CbeBter« Pa. 



riTi iTVAi.E fak:>i. 



Itrowii A \Vhlt<' I.ecliornn. 



& Plymouth Rock Fowls & toQt. 



SK\I> lor CAT.\LO(;rK. 

 FAKMKRS' PKICKS. 



JERSEY 



■• (lilf Eilar" 



CATTLE 



Mortimer WUiielieixl, Miilillebuili, Hew Jersen. 



Chester 'White, Torfc- 

 shire, Berkshire, and. 

 Poland-China in their 

 parity. Lincoln, Hamp— 

 ■^»^g;aj<gg":= ^n"^7» igraH shire Down, South 

 So^^eep and Scotch Collie Shepherd* 

 Spccinlly. Send for C'irculnr nnil rrires. 



T. Walter & Sons, West Chester, Pa- 



CT^Come and Bt-e our stock and select for .yourselves. 



