DRAINAGE — HOGS. 141 



and the dirt thrown to tlie corn. Tliis treatment has been 

 pursued for a long- time and has given the best results in culti- 

 vating small corn. The idea seems to me far better than 

 that of employing the diamond plow. My yield rarely falls 

 below sixty bushels per acre. 



DRAINAGE. 

 This soil is mostly dry, still it has seepy or springy places 

 on it. These places are not in the hollows, but on the slope, 

 probably one-third to one-fourth of the distance from its base. 

 Considerable drainage on the farm has been done. Six thous- 

 and feet of tiling have been laid, and a pile of it is always to 

 be seen on the farm waiting to be put in when an opportunity 

 presents itself. The ditches are commenced in the Spring, and 

 finished in the Fall ; they are staked out at the upper part of 

 the wet places, and a furrow is opened with a strong, steady 

 team ; this is done in the fields which are pastured, or in grass. 

 The stock will tramp it down, or it can be harrowed. This is 

 repeated as often as Avished during the Summer, and in the Fall 

 the ditches are lined out and the bottom dug out with spades. 

 The bottom is now brought to a perfect grade three feet deep 

 from the top of the soil. Tile are then laid, the last dirt that 

 Avas taken out with the spade is returned, and tramped down, 

 or a horse put on to make it solid. A few turns with a plow 

 will fill it up. The field is now plowed, and is ready for corn 

 the following Spring. This way of ditching is accomplished 

 with very little manual labor. 



HOGS. 



The hog-pen is fifty by sixteen feet, with a corn crib ten 

 feet taken off one end. This is made use of for brood sows in 

 the Spring, for fattening the pigs in the Fall, and for feeding 

 in rainy weather. A large loft is above for straw which will 

 hold plenty of bedding for a long time. Tiie pen can be parti- 

 tioned off for brood sows. Sows drop their pigs the last of 

 March or the first of April. The young pigs are fed on soaked 

 corn and slop, until about thi-ec months old ; then corn is 

 given them, with pasture enough to keep them growing and 



