652 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



rank growth of foxtail and other grasses and weeds. When sown in the 

 cornfield rape requires a fairly clean soil until the plants have begun 

 to soar and spread, when they can be depended on to smother out any 

 grass that grows, provided the soil is rich and strong. 



CARE AND FEEDING OF HOGS. 



C. E. Gaines, before Adair County Farmers' Institute. 



To be a successful hog raiser and feeder requires years of experience 

 and while the writer does not feel that he can do this subject justice, I 

 will do the best I can. 



I believe to be a sucessful hog raiser one should be particular with 

 regard to the breeding stock; also we believe that many are too careless 

 In the selection of their brood sows. Often we see men who have a bunch 

 of young hogs, all being fed together and prepared for market, that 

 :when they are ready to select brood sows, will throw out a number of 

 small and inferior sows giving the reason that they can get more for the 

 large ones on the market and that the small ones are just as good for 

 brood sows. This is a mistake, as it will pay the hog raiser to save the 

 best sows he has every year, and we believe if he has no good ones it 

 will pay him to buy some from his neighbor, or some one else who has 

 them. Better keep less sows and keep good ones. 



We believe that much harm is done to the hog raising industry by 

 breeding immature stock, as the handling of young and immature breed- 

 ing stock from year to year has a tendency to run them out, making 

 them fine in the bone and with weak constitutions. There is a great 

 difference of opinion among hog raisers, with regard to keeping old or 

 young sows. Personally I believe it will pay any man to keep some old 

 BOWS part of the time at least, and try and save your young sows for the 

 next year from the old ones. We believe this is a step in the right 

 direction to keep up a herd. 



With regard to males, you should select the best that you can possibly 

 afford. It never pays to keep a scrub. Do not be too slow in selecting 

 your male as it will pay better every time to feed a hog a while and keep 

 him in good shape and have him when you want him than it will to 

 start out to hunt a male just when your are ready to use one, and then 

 perhaps have to take an inferior one. Insist upon having the best, and 

 don't buy a male unless he is a good one; don't be afraid of a few dollars 

 if you are really getting a good animal; don't buy a male simply because 

 his breeding is good, but insist on having a good individual, and if not 

 a good individual better not buy him. We believe in buying pure bred 

 stock, but we do not believe in buying a long tailed pedigree without 

 any hog. 



