HOGS— SHEEP. 81 



my farm until they are three or three and a half years old, 

 when I sell them to feeders to fat, and replace them with year- 

 olds again. I usually keep a " bunch " of three-year-olds and 

 some two-year-olds, so that I can sell a lot every year, and 

 can always feed my " roughness " to them, which otherwise 

 would be lost. I find that this way pays a profit for my labor. 



HOGS. 



1 keep a good stock of hogs. The Berkshire I 

 find to pay best. Keep good brood sows, which I try to have 

 well cared for, and bring their young in the Fall and Spring. 

 No trouble to raise hogs, and make them pay, even at the low 

 prices for pork, though not as profitable as a few years ago, 

 when prices were double. 



SHEEP. 



I want the best breeds. The^'^ should be kept, to do well, 

 on good dry land pastures, where the feed is kept short, as 

 they seem to do better on short tender grass, than on long rank 

 growth. Their wool pays a small profit, and the mutton always 

 finds a ready sale and pays a profit, and they are good hands 

 to keep down growths of weed and sprouts on a farm. 



I only keep what horses I need for work, as there seems 

 to be no pay in a surplus now, the prices are so low. Some 

 young ones that are growing up to take the place of older ones 

 when sold off, are profitable to me, as my rule is to sell off all 

 horses before they go down with old age on my hands. Never 

 lost but one grown horse in my life. Mules are profitable, as 

 they bring fair prices and make good teams. My motto is to 

 sell any thing when the price will pay, 



