FRUITS — HOGS. 617 



not too near town where there are abundant patches of early- 

 planting, will not be troubled with potato bugs. 



My grove of eight acres is now eight years planted, and is 

 still improving, though for the past two years we have used no 

 other fuel. It is composed of cottonwood, maple, and box 

 elder. 



Fruits of the usual varieties do well here, such as apples, 

 peaches, cherries, grapes, gooseberries, currants, blackberries, 

 raspberries, etc. All these bear well, and mildew on goose- 

 berries is unknown. 



HOGS. 



I have found hog breeding quite profitable after the follow- 

 ing method. I take only hogs of good stock. Those bred 

 from Poland China sows crossed with a Berkshire boar, I prefer 

 for quick growth and early maturing. They feed well, keep 

 fat from their youth, and are ready for market at ten months, 

 at a weight of about two hundred and fifty to three hundred 

 pounds. I prefer feeding boiled feed. It costs too much to 

 grind, but boiling can be done at a nominal cost. For a boiler 

 I make sides of plank two and one-half feet deep, ends from 

 top downwards two feet deep, round the corners of the sides 

 up to these ends, and nail on sheet iron bottom, letting the iron 

 extend well up the ends. The bottom requires to be well 

 nailed on, and the box or frame well matched, so as not to 

 leak. A box of that shape and three feet wide, will boil twelve 

 bushels, and this set on brick, with a chimney about three feet 

 high, will work well. I use straw for fuel, and have a sheet 

 iron feeder, fitting the front of the furnace, to shove the straw 

 through. A few armsful of straw will boil my feed in thirty 

 minutes, when it is left to soak for one day thereafter. I find 

 that in using boiled feed for hogs, I can produce a pound of 

 pork for every five pounds of corn. The month previous to 

 selling, I gradually change to hard corn, to harden the hogs 

 for shipping, and prevent shrinkage. In these days of hog 

 disease, it is necessary to use a preventive, as well as a tonic, 

 especially when our hogs are confined almost their entire life, 

 and fed on grain. I use the following, and give it for what it 



