A MANUAL ON THE HOG. 47 



An acre of land planted in corn and peas, potatoes, 

 ground peas, or chufas, will produce more pork than the 

 cotton raised on the same acre will purchase, although the 

 cotton will cost more than any of the other crops. Still, 

 we find farmers raising cotton to purchase pork. 



The comfort and interest of the farmer imperatively de. 

 mand the production of sufficient supplies for home con- 

 sumption. 



In 1870 there were 69,956 farms in Georgia. The 

 Comptroller General reported last year 28,737,539 acres 

 of improved land in the State. The average size of farms 

 was, therefore, 410 acres. 



Correspondents report an average of ten pigs raised 

 from each sow, annually ; three sows to the farm would, 

 therefore, give for the State an annual increase of 2,098,- 

 680, just 62,564 more than the whole number of hogs in 

 the State in 1860, when very little pork was purchased. 

 Admitting that there are serious difficulties attending hog 

 raising in Georgia, the fact that many farmers in every 

 section of the State do raise a full supply, shows that these 

 obstacles are not insurmountable. Sixty-three per cent, of 

 correspondents represent the principal obstacles as resting 

 in the farmers themselves, who lail to use the means nec- 

 essary to secure success. There would, without doubt, be 

 less disease and less stealing if the stock received proper 

 attention^ There has been a gradual improvement in this 

 regard for the last few years. The crop correspondents re- 

 port this year eleven per cent, more hogs in the State than 

 last year. The same correspondents reported ten per cent, 

 more corn planted last year than the year before, and a 

 yield of ten per cent, more than the average of the five 

 years previous. This increase, probably, exerted no little 

 influence upon the number of hogs on hand this spring. 



SELECTION OF BREEDS. 

 Each breeder must determine, for himself, the leading 



