162 FoBTT Years' Experience of a Practical Hog Man. 



As charcoal is a very desirable supplemental food for pigs, it is well 

 to know how to make a good article and cheaply, particularly in the 

 cornbelt where there are more or less cobs after corn shelling season. 



The kind of steam generator or hot water heater is immaterial so 

 long as it does the work and furnishes enough hot water for mixing the 

 feed for the herd, but I must insist that, for young pigs before and just 

 after weaning, warm feed 'is necessary for best results and is of equal 

 value for young shotes. 



In selecting a herd of brood sows, it is my judgment that the more 

 uniform in type, size and conformation the sows are, the better, and I 

 would even go so far, if I were selecting but a few, to have them all 

 from one or two litters, if possible, rather than take the risk of getting 

 such a great variety of types by the selection of individuals from dif- 

 ferent families, and I would have them from reasonably large litters. 



Judgment must be used in matters of this kind, as it is the little 

 things that are often most important and have much to do with the 

 success or failure of swine breeding. 



Nothing looks so bad as a little pig in the winter time doubled up with 

 cold and its hair pointing to its ears, but where the pigs can be prop- 

 erly taken care of and continue to grow and look smooth and thrifty, 

 then it is a different matter and they are fully as valuable as the pigs 

 farrowed in the spring, because they come to the proper breeding age 

 the fall following their birth, and there is nothing more desirable or 

 that sells better than fall litters that can be bred a year from birth. 



I am practically sure that much of our so-called hog cholera in the 

 early months of the fall or late summer, is nothing more than a condi- 

 tion brought about by overfeeding green corn when it is in the roast- 

 ing ear stage. 



Pigs that have been fed possibly on scant feed during the summer, 

 and that are in rather thin condition, would, if given too much green 

 corn in its early stage, eat much more than they could properly digest, 

 bringing about a condition that leaves the pigs ready to take any dis- 

 ease that comes along. If they are troubled with worms at this time, 

 and the worms are not expelled, they will die about as fast as if they 

 had the cholera. 



This growing and feeding of hogs for market should become more 

 common on the average farm. Too many farmers have the idea that the 

 danger of cholera is too great to make any attempt at the growing of 

 hogs for market, which is all wrong. There is nothing better than to 

 be able to ship to market at one time, a carload of choicely finished hogs, 

 which will always bring in a large amount of money vTith seemingly 

 little expense. 



