THE IDEAL HOG FARM 



oats, thoroughly mixed and ground through a steel burr grinder, 

 which is better than any other for this kind of a mixture. If 

 desired a little middlings may be added and a little tankage to make 

 a balanced ration, and a complete one. This may be fed dry in 

 troughs where there would be no waste, or can be steamed a little 

 and thoroughly mixed so that all particles of ground feed and 

 alfalfa are well mixed. This makes an ideal feed in the winter for 

 brood sows or growing sows. A little of it for fall pigs is good but 

 they should also have a feed once or twice a day of a warm slop 

 containing skimmed milk if possible, or enough tankage to balance 

 the other materials. 



Location. Further along the line of the ideal hog farm, I wish 

 to say that this farm should be located as near as possible to a 

 good shipping point or on an Interurban line leading to some city 

 where one or more railroads enter, the more the better. It should 

 also be located on a good hard road rather than on muddy lanes or 

 steep hills, so that pigs could be delivered at any time during the 

 year rain or shine. It should also have some portion of the farm 

 covered with a nice growth of trees where dry sows and young 

 hogs could be carried along on good pasture between breeding sea- 

 sons. This pasture for best results should have springs or running 

 water of some kind, but springs would be preferable rather than a 

 stream running through the farm. The farm should be large 

 enough to furnish all the grain and feed that would be used in the 

 business, as well as straw to make first-class bedding, and fields 

 should all be rather small, say from 10 to 20 acres each and all 

 fences, both outside and division, should be made of woven wire 

 with steel or cement posts, so that when once built there would 

 be no need of repairing for a generation. Suitable gates made of 

 galvanized piping with woven wire should open into every field and 

 pasture. These gates should not be less than 14 feet wide, so that 

 teams could be driven in and out when necessary. Suitable barns, 

 nicely painted and kept in good repair, should be of sufficient num- 

 ber to contain all the products of the farm, both grain, hay and 

 straw. A small building used as a shop should by all means be on 

 every well regulated breeding farm, where crates, hurdles and 

 anything along these lines could be made as needed. This shop 

 should be furnished with a complete set of tools, including car- 

 penters tools, pump, tongs, various kinds of wrenches and all such 

 tools as are constantly needed on a farm. 



Shop Equipment. If the owner has any knowledge of black- 

 smithing a portable forge, and a drilling outfit should also be in 

 the shop. Also a good heating stove so that work could be done 

 here in cold or stormy weather. ^ If the business was large enough 

 to justify, a nice small office should be on every breeding farm, so 

 that all comers would have a place where they could go and "talk 

 hog" to their heart's content without being obliged to do this in 

 the dwelling. All buildings should be built of good material, nicely 

 painted and always kept in good condition. The various Jiog 

 houses, as well as the smaller individual ones should all be nicely 



