CHAPTER XII 

 SWINE 



SWINE ON THE FARM 



Importance of hog raising. Since swine multiply rapidly 

 and breed at an earlier age than other farm animals, they are 

 considered one of the most profitable kinds of live stock 

 which the farmer can produce. The prices of hogs vary so 

 often and so much upon the great markets that the supply 

 throughout the country is constantly shifting. The man 

 who makes money out of hogs is the man who produces 

 hogs each year and makes them a part of his permanent 

 farm business. A few hogs might be kept profitably on 

 many farms where they do not find a place today. The 

 hog utilizes much of the by-products of the farm which 

 might otherwise be wasted. In cattle feed lots, in dairy 

 districts, in general farming operations, and, in fact, wher- 

 ever man produces agricultural products, the hog may be 

 used to convert the waste products into an economical meat 

 supply. Experience should enable a farmer to determine 

 just how many hogs he can raise on his farm to advantage. 



Some pig history. The peccary of Central America is the 

 American relative of the pig; at least it resembles the pig 

 in habit and appearance. The wart-hog of Africa, the rhi- 

 noceros, the hippopotamus, and the wild boar of Europe are 



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