496 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



feeder who buys different lots each time gets a food of a different 

 composition. It matters not what view point is claimed by the man- 

 ufacturer, whether food, medicine or condiment, this is a grave and 

 serious objection. 



It has been suggested that the formula for a home-made stock 

 food be: Gentian, two pounds, cost $0.50; ginger, one pound, cost 

 $0.40; sodium bicarbonate, one pound, cost $0.10; fenugreek, one- 

 half pound, cost $0.10. Purchase these materials at a drugstore 

 and have them mixed into fine powders. Then, mix with five pounds 

 of common salt and twenty-five pounds of shorts. This compound 

 will cost about 4% cents per pound. For the pig, mix one pound 

 with every 48 pounds of grain. (S. D. B. 105.) 



The general health of hogs depends most largely upon ju- 

 dicious feeding and good sanitation. "Stock-foods" are never profit- 

 able to buy. The cost is out of all proportion to their value. If hogs 

 need medicine or a condition powder, it can be made cheaper than 

 stock food can be bought. A good condition powder is the Govern- 

 ment Hog Remedy, made as follows: Wood charcoal, 1 pound; 

 sulphur, 1 pound; common salt, 2 pounds; baking soda, 2 pounds; 

 sodium hyposulphite, 2 pounds; sodium sulphate, 1 pound; anti- 

 mony sulphide, 1 pound. Dose Large tablespoonful once a day 

 for each 200 pounds live weight. Mix well with the feed, and feed 

 in the slop. Good for dispelling worms, and for the digestion. 



Another good and cheap condition powder for general use is 

 the following: Ashes, 10 pounds; salt, 1 pound; sulphur, 8 ounces; 

 lime, 2 pounds; copperas, 1 ounce; charcoal, 3 pounds. Pulverize 

 and mix thoroughly. Keep in a box where the hogs can have con- 

 stant access to it, or give small amounts along with the feed. Hogs 

 crave ashes and charcoal. Prof. Henry found it took 629 pounds 

 of corn meal to make 100 pounds gain when ashes were not fed, as 

 compared with 491 pounds when ashes were fed. (Mo. Cir. 28.) 



Soft coal in unlimited quantity seemed not to be harmful to 

 pigs in confined pens. Soft coal, wood charcoal and a tonic mixture 

 ranked according to value as correctives in the following order: (1) 

 tonic mixture; (2) wood charcoal; (3) soft coal. The lot of pigs 

 having no corrective made smaller gains than any of the other lots, 

 but produced pork more cheaply than the lot on soft coal. (Md. 

 B. 150.) 



Salt. In the use of salt with pigs to which salt has not been 

 supplied regularly care must be taken to offer it in small quantities 

 at first. When supplied suddenly or in excessive quantities very 

 serious, or even disastrous consequences may follow. Always keep- 

 ing this caution in mind, it will be found advantageous to use some 

 salt with every mess of beans cooked, about the same amount as 

 would be used for human food would probably be sufficient. Salt is 

 an appetizer and renders the food more palatable. It also possesses 

 laxative properties. (Mich. B. 243.) The following mixture should 

 be kept constantly in supply in a dry place and accessible at all 

 times to hogs and pigs. This mixture aids digestion and tends to 

 keep the hogs in perfect health : 



