THE GENESEE FAEMER. 



58 



The hogs should be well salted, and have access 

 to water. From the middle of October to the 

 first of November, it is important to have a good, 

 dry shelter for them to sleep in; earlier than that, 

 they will generally sleep in the open air. If it is 

 desired to fatten hogs the first season after we 

 commence raising, of coui-se we must buy them of 

 suitable size in the spring. The number kept to 

 breed from must be suitable to the number we want 

 to raise. A good brood sow will raise two litters 

 a year, and from six to ten at a litter. A Itttle 

 experience in this matter will direct us aright. 



By a strict attention to tlie above method of 

 raising and fattening hogs, as much or more can be 

 obtained for the grain than it can be sold for, and 

 all of it fed upon the farm, which is no small con- 

 sideration. By raising grain and selling it oif the 

 farm, it will be becoming poorer. By raising and 

 judiciously fattening hogs, the farm will be growing 

 richer. This, in ten years, will make a great differ- 

 ence. I have known some farms, reduced almost 

 to sterility by bad management, by a proper man- 

 agement in sowing rye, and oats, and clover, and 

 feeding them on the ground, made very productive. 

 Feeding Indian corn upon the land is very improv- 

 ing to it. I once knew a field planted in corn for 

 four years in succession, and the last crop was as 

 good as any that preceded it. 



In regard to the worth of grain fed to hogs, I 

 made one long-continued experiment, which satis- 

 fied me that it is remunerative. Some years ago, I 

 had a lot of corn which I could sell for only twenty 

 cents per bushel. I concluded I would feed it to 

 some pigs, 'which came about New Year's. I gave 

 them two ears a day each, until April — about ninety 

 days. I weighed an average one on the 1st of 

 April, and it weighed fifty-two lbs. It was then 

 worth two and a half cents per lb., or $1.30. It 

 had eaten one and a half bushels of corn. I then 

 increased the feed to three ears per day, until the 

 15th of July — about one hundred and six days. 

 Each eat, from April until the 15th of July, three 

 hundred and eighteen ears; weight one hundred 

 and thirty lbs., and worth $3.25. They had eaten 

 each, from January to the 15th of July, four hun- 

 dred and ninety-eight ears, — not five bushels of 

 corn, which was only worth $1 ; whereas the shoat 

 was worth $3.25. While corn was worth only $1 

 for five bushels in the market, less than five bushels 

 was worth $3.25 fed to hogs. This was eftected 

 without clover in the summef. By calculating the 

 above weights at four to five cents per lb., you will 

 have the worth of the pigs at present prices. This 

 convinced me that corn can be profitably fed to hogs. 



I think now I have redeemed my promise; shown 

 how Irogs can be raised {.s a business, at the least 

 amount of labor and expense, and leave the land 

 in the best condition. a. g. mullins. 



Cheaher'a Stone, Anderson Co., Ky. 



SUBSTITUTES TOR HAY. * 



" What are the best substitutes for hay, in feeding cattle, 

 horses and sheep in winter ?" 



I KNOW of but one article that could be substi- 

 tuted for hay in this section of country, and that is 

 corn-stalks ; and I think they might be used alto- 

 gether for that purpose, with advantage and profit. 

 Some would, perhaps, add roots, but these are as 

 necesgary when stock are fed hay, and more so, 



than when kept upon cornstalks; the latter being 

 of a more laxative nature than hay, and, next to 

 grass, the most natural food for all kinds of stock. 

 I would by no m^ans discourage the raising of 

 roots for feeding stock, but there is not that neces- 

 sity for them, when they are fed cornstalks, that 

 there is when they are kept upon hay. An acre 

 of cornstalks, if well taken care of, is worth 

 nearly or quite as much as an acre of clover hay, 

 and then we have the corn besides — an item well 

 worthy of consideration in such times as these. 

 It may be said by some, that corn is an uncertain 

 crop, and liable, in many localities, to be cut off 

 with the frost and the fodder injured. But let 

 those who live in such places plant early kinds, and 

 not continue to plant the same kinds that their 

 grandfathers did, and the risk will be much dimin- 

 ished. I have raised good sound corn the past 

 season, of the King Phillip variety, that could all 

 be cribbed and saved without any sorting, which 

 was not up when the June frost occurred, and was- 

 ripe previous to the frost in September. Who can 

 estimate the advantage to' the country, had this or 

 some other early variety been more extensively 

 planted the past season ? Horses, cattle and sheep 

 are very fond of cornstalks, and they will greatly 

 mitigate, if not entirely cure, the heaves, — a dis^- 

 ease so prevalent among horses which are kept 

 entirely upon hay, and especially clover. 



If the corn crop does not furnish fodder suf- 

 ficient for wintering the stock, corn can be sown 

 broadcast or in drills, and in this way a muf'b 

 larger amount of good fodder can be obtained 

 to the acre than of hay. And it is a fact which 

 is freely admitted by all, that for milch cows 

 they are far superior to hay. The' only difficulty 

 is i;i curing them so as to keep. But if tliey 

 are cut early, bound and set up in shocks, and left 

 standing till the latter part of fall or the fore 

 part of winter, and then drawn and put into small 

 stacks, there will be little doubt of their kee[)ing 

 the stock in good condition. Let farmers substitute 

 the corn for the hay crop, keep more stock, and 

 use the greater part of the corn for fattening cattle 

 and sheep. This will enable them to increase 

 largely their amount of manure ; for the more 

 manure, the more corn, and the larger crops of 

 corn, the more stock can be kept and fatted ; and 

 they will soon find their farms growing richer, and 

 that the hay crop is the dearest crop a man can raise, 

 for the purpose of feeding cattle, horses or sheep. 



Kewfane, Niagara Co., N. Y. C. C. WILSON. 

 ^ I ^ 



GOOD HOGS. 



" What is the best breed or breeds of hogs for general pur- 



One of my neighbors (John Skaats) has made 

 some very successful experiments in regard to the 

 best breeds of swine for making good and cheap 

 pork. By a cross of the Suffolk and Byfield, nearly 

 equal, I believe, he succeeds in bringing ten months 

 pigs up to four hundred lbs., and sometimes over. 

 Having watched for " brag " porkers in the papers, 

 I have read of none that, age for age, would weigh 

 down his.* It l- s. U 



Attica, N. T, 



*This is the only essay received on this subject, and, though 

 not as full as we could desire, we award it the prize in hope that 

 it may call out further information. com. 



