72 



i'HE I ARMORS' Il£GiS'i£K. 



RAISING PORK. 



From the Southern Cultivntor. 

 The raisins and fatiening of hogs, v\hen prooi) 

 breeds are employed, is considered a very profita- 

 ble business in the state of Kentucky. Two 

 methods are practised in raising the pige wiih ij.-, 

 both ot which are thought best by iho^e who 

 follow then). 



I will detail both methods. One plan is, never 

 to suffer the sows to breed but once ; lor this pur- 

 pose, a pariii-ular number (say filiy) of sow pitrs, 

 pissed in JNlarch or April, are selected, and one 

 boar pig of the same ase (or every eigiit sows. 

 These are separated when twoortliree montli.^ 

 old, ond the boars kept by themselves. The 

 boars and sows .«honld not lie related, on which 

 account it is best to buy the boars or exchange 

 with a neighbor. The pig.s are all to be kept well, 

 but the sows are not to l)e made loo fat. About 

 the 10th of December, the boars and sows are put 

 together, and after all the hows are served the 

 boars are castrated. The pigs will come in April. 

 The sows, a short lime before pigging, are sepa- 

 rated, so as to have but finv togeiher, and sheliers 

 tire provided sufficient for half the number of 

 pows. Some iiave as many shelters as sows. 

 These shelters are frequently made by laying a 

 rail in a (i^nce corner, and covering it vvnh boinls. 

 etraw or corn-stalk lodder. During the time ol 

 having pigs, the sows should have !ree access to 

 pleniy of water, and a careful person provided lo 

 attend to ihem ; five or six pigs are allowed to 

 each sow, and two sows to suiy together until ihe 

 pigs learn to distinguish their mothers. Some 

 keep each sow by herself After ten days or two 

 weeks, each niir will have learned to ktiow its 

 mother, and the sows are ihfMi lamed into a larse 

 lot, and ((2d Ireely whilst suckling their jjigs ; when 

 they are six or eight weeks old, the old sows are 

 spayed, and another selection made of the best 

 sow pigs for breeders. The boar pigs not inten- 

 ded lor use should be altered, and the sow shoals 

 spayed, when eiyht or ten weeks old. They 

 should be well (iid until old enouirh to turn on 

 clover; and a/ler they are turned on clover, a 

 little corn every day is very advantageous. About 

 the Isl of July they are turned into the rye-field 

 and have also the gleaning of the wheat and oat 

 fields. 



The other plan, vvht^'h is most practised where 

 I live, (Clark county, Kentucky.) is to select Ihc 

 best sows and keep ihem as breeders as Ions as 

 we find them profitable ; and when they become 

 unprofitable, kill them lor pork or spay ihem and 

 fatten them for sale, and supply iheir places with 

 young ones. These are tired twice a year, in 

 December and June. Some preler breeding in 

 October or November, for though fioin cool wea- 

 ther tficy may not save as many pigs, they will 

 make tlieir meat of those pisged in February and 

 March that fall, and so save the wintering. 



The advantage ol the first plan is, that the 

 hogs sold are nearer of an age and size ; and hav- 

 ing all the piss at once, they will be of sufficient 

 age to go through the U'xt winter belter, and are 

 not as liable to be overlaid by larger ones. It is 

 also much less trouble lo attend to sows all bavins 

 their pigs at once than at ddl'erent times. The 

 disadvantages are. killing those sows that are 

 good breeders, and having a new set of sows 



every spring, Kvery person who hag attended 

 10 the subject, knows that some sows are much 

 belter breeders than others, and that some are 

 also better nurses. 



In either case, it is important, where many 

 sows are kept, lo keep the sows from colleciins in 

 cold weather in large companies, as they are very 

 a[)tlomish each other so as to make them mis- 

 carry. 



Piss that come in Fibrunrv or March, may he 

 made to weish from 200 lo 250 pounds net meat, 

 in the November following, if the boar be of the 

 beet improved breeds. 



Whtre many sows run logeiher, when they 

 have pigs, some of the stronger ones frequently 

 take the teat of the weaker ones, and starve them. 

 This can be prevented by separating ihem. 



Very few of our farmers either srind or cook the 

 corn lied lo their sows or pigs. From an experi- 

 ment I maile last sprins, I am cnnvinred Ihat ihe 

 piss would be gieatly benefited by having iheir 

 feed made imo mush. 



Saiw'i,. D. Martik. 

 Colby vi'tle, ICy., Dec. 8, 1840. 



POOI?5 FOR WATER — ROTTING HEMP. 



From the Kciiluct<y Fanner. 

 Damnlh, Ky. I^lh Dec, 1840. 

 Mr. Drown. — The encouragement siven in 

 your paper to the hemp growers of Kentucky, 

 has determined me lo !ry the esperimeni o( water 

 rotting my next cioi> of hemp. JMr. Myerle's ac- 

 count of i!ie process is complete, except telling 

 how the pools are cnnstrucied, he gives the di- 

 mensions without felling ihe material with which 

 the pools are encased. 



Will you please tell throush your paper thn 

 best manner of constructing the pools, or the plan 

 that Tvlyerle has adnjiK^d. 



Yours, most respect fnllv. 



W. W. McDowell. 



In answer to the inquiries of the above letter, 

 it is only necessarv to say that in all Ihe pools 

 which have been constructed this season, no 

 casins has been used. The ground being found 

 siifRciditly impervious to retain the amount of 

 water necessary lo the process. The most ordi- 

 nar}' invention can suggest the siz^', number, ar- 

 rangement and locality of p: ols best suited to each 

 cultivator's peculiar circunnsiancea. Considering 

 alone tlie convenience of filling and employing 

 the pools, the best locality would be near a spring 

 or bninch ; if a spring be chosen, they should be 

 placed at such a distance as will prevent the back- 

 insof the water into the spring Irom the poo'8 

 when full. If a branch be chosen the same result 

 m,ay be cflected by raising a slisht head in the 

 stream by a lemporary dam, A very slisht (all 

 should be siven lo the bottom o( the roof, thai if 

 possible it may be suffiiiently above the water of 

 the branch or outlet of the spring to insure a per- 

 fect drainage when the [jools are desired to be 

 empty. A gentle current of water is decidedly 

 advantageous. Mr. Mverle advises that the size 

 of the pools be made 20 li»et by 40— but if neces- 

 sary to give a sufficient fall to drain ihem they 

 may be longer and narrower. If more than one 



