SUGGESTIONS TO BEGINNERS 245 



Cheap Buildings. The beginner should not go in for ex- 

 pensive buildings. A few cheap shacks will answer his purpose 

 very well for a few years, and before building he should take a 

 look around among other breeders and see what kind of build- 

 ings they find most satisfactory (Fig. 66). What will suit one 

 part of the country may not suit another, so that it is important 

 to study what is giving satisfaction in his own neighborhood. 

 For cold climates, the method of making the ceiling of the pen 

 of poles or boards placed a few inches apart and covered with 

 a layer of straw is worth investigating. Of course, the straw 

 should be renewed every year. 



Cheapening Production. The beginner is urged to read 

 Chapter I, the place of the hog on the farm. Having hogs 

 on hand at the time they are most needed for consuming sub- 

 stances which would otherwise go to waste is one of the secrets 

 of handling hogs profitably. At certain seasons there may be 

 more dairy by-products to consume than at others, and on nearly 

 every farm there are stubble fields to glean and fallen fruit to 

 dispose of, or other perishable products which may go to waste 

 if hogs are not on hand at the right time. Any farmer who 

 keeps hogs should make a study of this phase of the question, 

 or he will not derive the full benefit from his hogs as economical 

 revenue producers. 



The possibility of utilizing pasture crops should also be 

 studied, and the experimental work with pastures described in 

 another chapter will repay careful reading. Even though special 

 pasture crops may not be sown, it is generally possible to lighten 

 feed bills by utilizing second-growth clover, or newly-seeded 

 clover fields, if one will take the trouble to ring his pigs. The 

 feeder must always be on the alert to take advantage of everv 

 opportunity to utilize the cheap feeds and thus increase his 

 profits. 



Promptness in Registering. If pure-bred swine are 



