i^IXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART IV. 307 



you the receipt that was given at the National Swine Breeders' Con- 

 vention, and several tried it and said it had never failed: 



5 lbs. Copperas. 



5 lbs. iJlack Antimony. 



5 lbs. Sulphur. 



5 lbs. Epsom Salts. 



1-2 bu. Oil Meal. 



1-2 bu. Wood Ashes. 



1-2 bu. Salt. 



1-2 bu. Slack Lime. 



Mix and feed all you can get them to eat. But since I have learned 

 by sad misfortune to not burn my hogs up with corn, and feed more 

 muscle producing feed, 1 have not had hog cholera. But we never 

 know when our herd may be destroyed and should use all precaution 

 possible. So it is well to be prepared at all times. 



When pigs are six months old, pick out the sows you expect to keep 

 for your next year's herd, and do not feed them too heavy. But the ones 

 you expect to sell, feed all they will eat of corn, oats, barley, and other 

 muscle producing feed, but do not throw it in the mud and expect them 

 to thrive. I find you will save enough feed in one year to build a plat- 

 form that will last for years if built properly. At present prices of 

 lumber, a cement and stone floor is cheaper and better, but do not use 

 brick as the hogs will destroy it. My reasons for feeding sale stuff all 

 they will eat is because three- fourths of the buyers will pick out the nice 

 blocky fat ones, even if they have defects, rather than pick on one in 

 thin flesh, no matter how perfect he may be. This is a great mistake 

 too many make. Consequently we will have to put on the fat to please 

 the demand. 



There is one thing I had almost forgotten to mention, about mark- 

 ing your pigs. I think it is important that every breeder who is breed- 

 ing hogs for breeding purposes, mark their pigs before they are thirty- 

 six hours old, as I do not think any man has the ability to keep 

 the record of all his pigs if not marked, even if he only has several lit- 

 ters, it is impossible. I would not buy a pig of any man that did not 

 mark all his pigs, and would advise others to do the same as I think it 

 very important that we should be very careful. The best way I have 

 ever found to mark pigs is to let one notch in right ear represent one 

 and each notch in left represent three, consequently you can keep track 

 very nicely. For example, one notch in right ear represents first litter, 

 two notches in right ear second litter, one notch in left ear third litter, 

 one notch in each ear fourth litter and so on, as three and one are four. 

 If you will come to my place at Prescott ,Iowa, and I should not be at 

 home, Mrs. Reeee or the hired man can take my books and tell wliat 

 every little Chester White's mother is, and what they are sired by. I 

 always try to please all my customers by giving them the right kind at 

 living prices. I believe in honest dealing. "Do unto others as you would 

 have them do unto you." 



