THE GENESEE FARMER. 



211 



WILL IT PAY TO MAKE POKKT 



Ed9. Genesee Fakmek: — Siuce the wheat crop 

 has become so blighted and uncertain in Western 

 New York, a change of farming has of necessity 

 taken place. All kinds of stock have increased, 

 and fields of coarser grains have multiplied in pro- 

 portion ; so that corn has become the leading crop 

 — which, if well cultivated and judiciously fed (not 

 sold,) on the farms that produce it, the soil will not 

 deteriorate, nor debts increase, as many have con- 

 jectured. 



The corn crop, where it can be snccessfully grown, 

 is the farmer's regulator and balance-wheel. It will 

 make less debts and more money in the pocket; 

 less bankruptcy and more rich farms; less lousy 

 cattle and more good beef; less cords of sheep un- 

 der the fence and more good mutton in the mai'ket ; 

 less pulled wool and more to shear ; less poor pork 

 and more that will pay, than any other crop — wheat 

 not excepted. 



Then, with the conclusion to feed our grain rath- 

 er than to sell it — what shall we feed it to, cattle, 

 sheep, or hogs ? 



Pork-growing is becoming an extensive business 

 in this section. It is one of the greatest channels 

 for turning our surplus slops and coarser grains in- 

 to money. 



Then the question arises — and it is of no secondary 

 importance— will it pay to make pork ? 



From the amount raised, it would seem that the 

 question was practically answered in the affirma- 

 tive ; yet a large class complain that it is not a pay- 

 ing business — at any rate, more than what will eat 

 the house slops, rotten apples, small potatoes, soft 

 corn, and glean the harvest fields, but not to feed 

 anything saleable. 



Men differ on this as much as their pork differs 

 when brought to market — the poorer the pork the 

 more the owner complains of his profits, or rather 

 his losses ; and the better tlie pork, the more satis- 

 fied the owner is, generally. 



There can be no profit in raising a poor breed of 

 hogs, that have no fattening qualities ; nor even a 

 good quality, with no conveniences nor proper 

 care. A good hog can not be fatted, to any profit, 

 in mud or filth, nor when he sufl'ers from cold. It 

 is no boy's business to understand the wants of 

 hogs — to change their feed, and keep them healthy 

 and growing. ' 



The comforts of a hog should be consulted as 

 much as any other animal, in order to receive the 

 most profit from the least outlay. They should 

 have a warm, dry nest, and clean pen. A hog that 

 will not keep clean when well cared for is not worth 

 flatting. The best fatting hogs keep the cleanest. 

 They are remarkably neat — more so than most an- 

 imals in their pen. 



There is no way to test the profit or loss of making 

 pork but by actual experiment — counting the whole 

 outlay compared with the income; or by counting 

 the cost for any given time, and the income. 



I have fatted three litters of pigs, 25 in number, 

 dressing 7,772 lbs.; .averaging 811 lbs. each, at 9 

 months and 7 days old. They were from a sow — 

 Leicestershire and Byfield crossed — and a full- 

 blooded Suffolk boar, being very perfect in form, 

 quiet, clean and hearty. 



I tlressed a litter of eight, February, 1859, aver- 

 aging 252 lbs. at 7 months and 7 days old ; sold for 



$7.75 per hundred. Dressed two litters, 17 in all, 

 last February; 8 were 7 months and 11 days old, 

 and 9 one year and 21 days old. The heaviest 

 weighed 490 lbs., 474, 465, 454, 435, 413, etc. Tlie 

 three litters sold for $615, with the lard— 280 lbs. 

 The 9 gained 40 lbs. each in September, 47 in Oc- 

 tober, 53 in November — on soft corn and apples, 

 mostly. Estimating the 17 at 5 cents a lb., live 

 weight, December 1st, which was- the highest mar- 

 ket price, I made $75 above the cost of feed till 

 dressed — February 21st — and the manure. They 

 were fed on meal, one-third barley and two-thirds 

 corn, scalded. They had boiled potatoes for din- 

 ner. The profit put on the corn fed— 140 bushel:? 

 — would bring it to $1.25 per bushel, calling other 

 things fed at full value. The large hogs lost 14 

 per cent, in dressing. They had 9 lbs. of blood each. 



My profits were as much if not more before De- 

 cember 1st than after, on the 17. 



J. W. Brown, a neighbor of mine, who has had 

 considerable experience in making pork, considers 

 his grain worth from 20 to 25 per cent, more put 

 into pork than to be sold, when the pork bears a 

 fair price in proportion to grain. 



He has just made an experiment in fatting pigs. 

 He had a litter of ten pigs — a cross of Suffolk and 

 Byfield — which dressed 290 lbs. each at 10 mouths 

 old, and sold for $7.50 per hundred. He kept ac- 

 curate account of all they ate from the start, and 

 their first cost. He fed peas, ground' with other 

 grain, about half and half. The pea-meal cost 75 

 cents per 60 lbs., and other grain in ]>roportion. 



He made $50 and the manure above all cost, for 

 the pleasure of feeding ten beautiful, white, clean 

 shoats ten months. 



These figures are not made thinking these pigs 

 are better than many others, but to show that 

 pork-raising can be made profitable, even on grain; 

 and more so where there is a dairy connected with 

 the corn-field. 



Will it pay better to grow and fatten beef or 

 sheep, or shall we sell our grain? These are ques- 

 tions of vital importance to our corn-growing farm- 

 ers, and should be practically answered — not guessed 



at.' B. 0. SIMONDS. 



Genesee Co., K Y. 



A PROFITABLE DAIRY. 



Eds. Geneske Farmer : — I send you the state- 

 ment of a small dairy, that took the first premium 

 in the class of Small Dairies, at the County Socie- 

 ty's Annual Meeting — Edward Hott's dairy. 



This dairy consists of six native cows, of the fol- 

 lowing ages : two 7 years old, one 6, one 5, and twu 

 3 years old — calved from the 10th to the 26th of 

 March, inclusive. 



Amount of Butter made 1,230 lbs. 



« " sold 1,085 " $230 61 



Butter used in family 145" 30 45 



Pork made from milk 80 50 



Calves and Colt, raised by hand 18 50 



One Veal 5 50 



Three Calf-skins 2 40 



Milk used in the familv 10 50 



$328 4« 



Deduct expenses, fre'ght, corn, etc 20 26 



Net income from all sources $308 20 



After deducting one-quarter each for two 2-year 

 old heifers, the net profit per cow — 5^ cows — is 



$56.04. A SUBSOBIBKE. 



Walion, Delaware Co., N. Y. 



