42 A MANUAL ON THE HOG. 



Hogs fed upon peas, roots, and the different ground nuts, 

 until two weeks before butchering, produce a more delicate 

 and healthy pork than that fattened entirely on corn. There 

 is no question of the fact that, with proper attention to the 

 production of our peculiar hog crops, we can raise pork as 

 cheaply as the average Illinois farmer, the only difficulty 

 being the neglect of the means at our command. We have 

 a decided advantage, both of climate and productions, over 

 our more northern friend-, who supply our own markets. 



The following extracts, from reports of farmers residing 

 in different parts of the State, will serve to illustrate the 

 different plans pursued, and the economy of utilizing our 

 peculiar crops for raising and fattening pork. 



Mr. G. W. C. Munro, Buena Vista, Marion county, breeds 

 the " Essex, crossed on the Berkshire, and on the common 

 stock." He feeds his sows and pigs, after the fields are 

 closed for planting in spring on turnips and potatoes, cooked 

 with some meal, till May, when plums.and mulberries are 

 ripe ; they then have the gleanings of the small grain fields, 

 then peaches and peas, then early potatoes, then pea fields 

 jn corn, and ground peas and potatoe's, upon which they 

 grow fat and are generally butchered without consuming 

 corn. He says sweet potatoes furnish the cheapest food 

 for raising and fattening hogs. He kills at from twelve to 

 fifteen months old. His hogs average 150 pounds of net 

 pork, which costs four cents per pound. 



Mr. John T. Rogers, Reedy Springs, Laurens county, 

 breeds the Berkshire, and raises annually fifteen pigs to the 

 sow. He sows rye for winter and spring pasturage, gives 

 them the gleaning of small grain fields and orchards (in 

 which speckled peas are planted) in summer, and ground 

 peas, field peas and potatoes in the fall. After the pea 

 fields and potatoe patches are gleaned they are penned and 

 fed on meal, potatoes and turnips, generally boiled. 



He kills at from ten to eighteen months old, gets an 

 average of 200 pounds of net pork, which costs him six 

 cents per pound. He fed, in 1875, one hog, which was kept 



