1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
47 
WHICH HOGS FOR ROOTERS? 
IN A SOUTHERN ORCHARD ! 
What breed of hogs would you select for pas¬ 
turing a young orchard of plums and peaches 
located in Louisiana ? The orchard is to be 
seeded to Alfalfa, and contains about 30 acres. 
It is not in a corn-growing country. How many 
can be kept in such an orchard? Why would 
you select the breed you do ? Is one breed as 
good as another for such a situation ? 
Almost Any Black Breed. 
It will make very little, if any, differ¬ 
ence what breed of hogs is used for the 
purpose of pasturing a young orchard 
seeded to Alfalfa. I believe that any of 
the dark-colored breeds of swine will do 
better in the South than will the white 
breeds. I have, also, observed that, as a 
rule, the breeds of swine rank in the fol¬ 
lowing order as to hardiness in the 
greater portion of the South: First, 
Essex and Duroc-Jerseys, not much dif¬ 
ference ; second, Poland - Chinas and 
Berkshires. By the way, I know that it 
may not meet the approval of a good 
many who ought to be better informed 
than myself, but I can not help thinking 
that the plan of seeding down an or¬ 
chard, especially a young orchard, and 
running it as a hog pasture, is one which 
may turn out better for the interests of 
the hogs and pasture than the interests 
of the orchard. If hogs are allowed in 
an orchard at all, I should advise that 
the owner of the orchard make frequent 
inspection to prevent accumulation of 
small injuries which the hogs might in¬ 
flict if allowed a too continued access to 
the young trees. geo w. curtis. 
Louisiana. 
A Cross-Bred Hog. 
As I have not grown Alfalfa, I am not 
prepared to say how many hogs could 
be kept upon a 30-acre orchard of young 
peach and plum trees sown to it. I use 
Stynet grass [? Eds.)] in my orchard for 
fall, winter and spring grazing. Thirty 
acres of Stynet grass will furnish graz¬ 
ing enough for 100 hogs, and will never 
freeze out even on the coarsest sandy 
soil. It also makes very fine hay if cut 
when half ripe. 
As to the best breed of hogs for this 
purpose, I would select a cross of the 
Poland-China and Berkshire or Poland- 
China and Jersey Red. I have been 
raising the three breeds for 12 years, 
have tested them thoroughly and find 
that this cross will average 50 pounds 
per hog more at a year old than either 
of the pure breeds, and I have fewer 
scrubs in my bunch. In fact, they are 
the largest from the beginning. 
Texas. J. d. ray. 
Hogs that Climb Trees. 
After trying a number of breeds, I 
would unhesitatingly recommend the 
Essex, either pure or crossed with 
Berkshire, one-half and one-half. The 
hogs of this breed or cross are easiest of 
all to fatten ; in fact, are always fat— 
quite a big item in the South, where we 
sometimes fail to grow a fair crop of 
corn. They are very quiet feeders, and 
while somewhat clumsy, they are less 
likely to rear up and tear down limbs 
with fruit, etc. I have had some hogs 
of long-legged types, that would stand 
on their hind legs and, bracing against 
the bodies of the trees or some limbs 
with their fore feet, would pick from 
all around the trees, four and five feet 
from the ground, and often tear valu¬ 
able trees badly. The Essex hogs have 
never given any trouble in this line. 
Next to clean, shallow cultivation for 
the early part of the season, I deem the 
keeping of hogs in orchards one of the 
great essentials towards growing perfect 
fruit, inasmuch as the hogs will greatly 
aid us in getting rid of worms by devour¬ 
ing all specimens affected, and thus pre¬ 
venting a further increase of the pests. 
Judging from past experience, I can 
hardly see that it might be possible for 
good fruit and Alfalfa to grow on land 
at one and the same time, mainly from 
the fact that the Alfalfa root will pene¬ 
trate to any and every point reached by 
the tree roots, one robbing the other of 
the necessary moisture or sustenance. I 
could much sooner imagine succeeding 
in a financial way in hog and fruit rais¬ 
ing by having the orchard and Alfalfa 
each by itself in a separate field, adjoin¬ 
ing one another. Then the hogs could 
be given a few hours in the orchard each 
day, sufficient to clean up wormy fruit, 
and then be turned into the Alfalfa 
again. If then a few acres of cow peas 
or a heavy-yielding sweet potato were 
planted in addition, hogs could be fat¬ 
tened ready for market very cheaply, 
and even without corn. The Florida 
Bunch Yam is here the heaviest yielding 
potato ever seen, and matters might be 
so arranged that hogs might do the dig¬ 
ging of them themselves. 
As to the number of hogs it would be 
profitable to keep on a piece of land of 
certain acreage, it depends very much 
on fertility and condition of soil. It 
might range all the way from two to six 
per acre. j. w. stubenrauch. 
Texas. 
Try the Essex Hog. 
Before I give my opinion as to the 
breed of hogs, I would need to know for 
what purpose they are to be put into 
the orchard, for it will not do to put 
hogs in there until the Alfalfa is thor¬ 
oughly established. If the object is to 
keep the ground well stirred, then there 
is no need to look for the right breed 
or kind, and that is the razor back. But 
if the hogs are not to be used until the 
orchard is well set with Alfalfa, then 
there is a breed of hogs in Louisiana 
called the Small Guinea (but what I 
would term the Essex), that are pre¬ 
eminently a grass-feeding breed. 
As to the number that could be kept 
on 30 acres, that depends, first, on the 
stand of Alfalfa that is obtained, second, 
whether the owner intends to feed some¬ 
thing else in connection with the grass, 
and third, on the breed of hogs. But 
venturing a guess, I should say, five 
hogs to the acre. The hogs that I have 
recommended according to my personal 
experience, are less inclined to root for 
a living, and feed on grass better than 
any other that we have in this part of 
Louisiana. The hog that I speak of is 
black, medium in size, small of bone, 
and naturally gentle. Joseph ryan. 
Louisiana. _ 
SHALL WE BUY OR RAISE COWS ? 
Whether to buy or raise one’s cows 
depends considerably on circumstances. 
If I were selling my milk at a good 
price, and were in a region where I could 
buy extra good new milch cows three to 
five years old at from $35 to $50,1 should 
hardly think that it would pay to raise 
calves. In a good many regions, how¬ 
ever, the cows for sale are the ones that 
the other fellow finds no profit in, and 
one would better let them alone. 
One dislikes to have calves from the 
best cows deaconed or vealed, and he is 
doing good service to humanity if he 
can raise or get them raised, as there is 
never an excess of extra good young 
cows. In raising, however, the cost 
and risk are considerable. We can¬ 
not bring them up to their first calf 
much under $30, and of the number 
raised, not over three out of five will 
prove profitable. The ordinary city 
milkman buys a cow just about at calv¬ 
ing time, pushes her for milk as long as 
she will stand it, then sells her for 
almost any price. We don’t like this 
way, and prefer to raise them, running 
all risks, and believe that in the end it 
pays best. 
We find that cows usually do better if 
kept in the same barn, and associated 
with the same cows as long as they live. 
A timid or nervous cow will hardly ever 
do as well in new places, or among 
strange cows, for the first season. 
Where one is selling milk from tested 
cows (and we believe that this is the 
proper way to do), it is better to raise 
one’s own cows, and thus avoid having 
to test an animal every few days, as one 
cannot very often buy good cows from 
inspected herds ; they are not for sale. 
Instead of buying land for dry cows 
and to raise calves, I would suggest that 
one would better try to find some in¬ 
telligent farmer (who takes good care 
of his stock), a few miles back from 
town, who has skim-milk that must be 
fed at home, and send his best calves to 
him, paying so much for each heifer in 
good condition at her first calf. A 
dairyman can afford to pay $30 each for 
them, and will get cows whose ancestry 
he knows. The farmer might also take 
care of his dry stock at less cost than 
the city man can, and enable him to 
keep many cows from one season to an¬ 
other, that he would otherwise have to 
sacrifice. h g. Manchester. 
Connecticut. 
Never let a little child’s cold “ run on.” There is 
sure danger and, perhaps, death at the end of it. 
The infantile organs are always helped by Dr. D. 
Jayne’s Expectorant and the little ones like it. 
The Family Pill—Jayne’s Sanative.— Adv. 
Horse Owners! Use 
GOMBAULT’S 
Caustic 
Balsam 
A Safe Speedy and Positive Core 
The Safest, Best BLISTER ever used. Takes 
the place of all liniments for mild or severe action. 
Removes all Bunches or Blemishes from Horses 
and Cattle. SUPERSEDES ALL CAUTERY 
OR FIRINC • 1 mpossible to produce scar or bleviish. 
Every bottle sold is warranted to give satisfaction 
Price $1.50 per bottle. 8old by druggists, or 
sent by express, charges paid, with full directions 
for its use. Send for descriptive circulars., 
THE LAWRENCE-WILL1AMS CO., Cleveland O. 
BEFORE BUYING A NEW HARNESS 
Send your address with 2cstamp for Ulus. 
Catalog, giving full description of Single 
and Double Custom Hand-Made Oak 
Leather Harness. Sold direct to consu¬ 
mer, at wholesale prices. King Harness 
Co., No. lO Church St., Onego, N. Y. 
Cows barren 3 years 
MADE TO BREED. 
free. Moore Brothers, Albany, N. Y. 
Simplest, Cheapest and Best. 
Th * CONVEX 
DEHORNER 
__ k A clean, noncrushing cut. 
Handsome and convincing catalogue free. 
WEBSTER & DICKINSON, Christiana.Pa. 
162 FIRST PREMIUMS 
The largest breeders in the world uho 
PRAIRIE STATE MACHINES 
exclusively. Send for 1G8 page cutalog. 
PSAIEIE STATE I1TCB. CO. Homer City, Pa. 
P ineland Incubatorsand Brooders 
Jamesburg, N. J., U. S. A. 
P liny thought Egyptian Incubators great 
because he hadn’t seen the Pineland. 
P ineland Incubators hatch largest and 
healthiest chicks. 
P ineland Brooders rear every one of 
them. 
P rofitable fowls, land or water, for 
Pineland patrons. 
P heasants’ eggs hatch finely in the 
Pineland. 
P ineland Incubators best in the 
world, says an English expert. 
P ineland brooders simply perfect 
says Mettler of Minorca fame. 
P rosperous Poultrymen every¬ 
where prefer the Pineland. 
; A GO LD DOI^IvAKI 
is about the actual worth o] 
, >ur new book on Incubatioc 
and Poultry. Contains a ful 
and complete description ol 
. * be Reliable Incubatoi 
« the Hrooder of same name 
together with cuts and in 
structions for build'g poultn 
y houses and much of interest and 
vhJi?., ue to the pouItryman. Sent on rec'pt of 10c 
^REUABLMNCU BATOR k BROODER CO.-QUINCY-ILLS 
THE IMPROVED 
VICTOR Incubator! 
Hatches Chickens by Steam. Absolute 
self-regulating. The simplest, mo 
reliable, and cheapest first-class Hatch 
, In the market. Cli ' - 
GEO. ERTKI. 
JIrculars FREE. 
CO.. QUINCY 
ILL. 
LIFE PRODUCERS 
THE SUCCESSFUL INCUBATORS. 
LIFE PRESERVERS 
THE SUCCESSFUL BROODERS. 
All about them in our catalogue. 
-Sent for 6 cents.- 
DES MOINES INCUBATOR CO., Box 90, DES MOINES. IA. 
JERSEY 
CATTLE 
First-Class Dairy Stock. 
Registered CALVES, 
BULLS and COWS. 
R. F. SHANNON,] 
907 Liberty St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Farm.Kdgeworth.P.F.W.&C.R.B 
Guernseys. 
SIXTY HEIFERS FOR SALE. 
Highly bred, good individuals, perfect condi¬ 
tion. Very uniform lot. Come and see them. 
ELLERSLIE STOCK FARM, 
RHINECLIFF, N. Y. 
Have you bought a Boar ? 
Willswood Herd 
Recorded Berkshire Swine. 
WILLS A. SEWARD, Budd’s Lake, N. J. 
Reg.Berkshires&P.Chinas 
choice blood; 50 young sows 
bred to farrow in March and 
April. Positively hard times 
prices. Young Boars and Sows 
not akin, all ages. 
HAMILTON & CO.. Cochranvllle, Chester Co., Pa. 
POLAND-CHINA BOAR 
for service, $10; sows bred. $15. 
F. H. GATES & SONS, Chittenango, N. Y 
PIGS 
—Poland Chinas and Chester White Pigs. 
Reg. stock. Pigs all ages. Banners’ 
prices. ALISON BAKER, 8myrna, Pa. 
Phochii > ac~ Sery!ce boars ’ sows bred an<1 
UllCdllllBS ready to breed; young pigs in pairs 
not akin. W.E. Mandeville, Brookton, Tomp. Co.,N.Y 
Cheshires 
Choice broad, deep and long- 
bodied Boars; young Sows bred 
and Fall Pigs that are just as 
fine. ED. S. HILL, Tompkins 
County, Poruvllle, N. Y. 
CHAPMAN’S CATALOGUE 
Nlne-cent Potatoes and cheap Cheshires. 
Hints on growing potatoes and History of Hog seDt 
for two-cent stamp. C. E. CHAPMAN, Peruville, N.V. 
C ockerels, Pekin Ducks and Ground Beef Scraps 
BROOKSIDE POULTRY FARM, Columbus, N.J 
□ DOWN I EnUnQIi? 3 c - cockerels, $150; 
DrlUWIl LCurlUnnO Trios. $5. Eggs, two 
sittings, $2. T. G. ASHMEAD, Williamson, N. Y. 
J. D. Souder, Telford. Pa. All var. Poultry, Pigeons. 
Eggs, SI $ 16; S3 ¥ 52. Fine col cat. 4c., cir. free. 
POULTRY SUPPLIES 
Send for 1897 Catalogue, Free. New York State 
Agency for Preiirie State Incubators. 
Excelsior Wire and Poultry Supply Co., 
28 Vebey Street, New York City. 
EGGS! EGGS!! 
We guarantee double 
the yield when hens 
are fed green cut bone 
prepared on our new 
^CUTTER. 
Only cutter awarded -^33 'premium at 
World’s Fair. Outs easier, faster, finer 
than others. Satisfaction guaranteed 
or money refunded. Send for our 
FREE circular and prices. Address 
WEBSTER Sc HANNUM, 
CAZENOVIA, NEW YORK. 
Standard Green Bone and 
Vegetable Cutter Co., 
MILFORD, MASS., 
Sue. to The E. J. Itoche Co. 
Warranted the only Manu¬ 
facturers of automatic 
feeding,easy running, dur- 
able Green Bone Cutters. 
*•<6 sizes for hand & power: 
r 1 ? No. 10, $6.75; No. 9, *7.90; 
No. 8. *9.50; No. 3. *16: No.4, 
©~ $18; No. 2, for power, *25. 
Sent on trial. Send for cat 
SC Hand Bone, Shell, and 
. Corn Mills for Poultrymen. 
Daisy Bone Cutter. Power Mills. 
Circular and testimonials Free. 
WILSON ISKOS., Easton, i*a. 
3 mm o.o.o.'Q 
GO EAKTHEK 
FAKEW0KSE 
The Marilla Incubat- j 
or is fully guaranteed i 
if It don’t suit don’t j 
keep it Cat’lg, rec’pt i 
Sets MARILLA INCUBATOR Co. i 
MARILLA, N. Y. 
m PROFIT to be derived from 
rHUrl I the poultry business 
& many things of value to poultry men, 
tngerher with a full description of the 
MONITOR INCUBATOR is con¬ 
tained in 80 p. catalog. Send 4c. stamps. 
A.F.WILLIAMS, 54 Racest. BRISTOL,Conn. 
for 50 egg self regulating Incubator; lOOeggln- 
vinciblo Hatcher is only $11). Buckeye Hatcher 
not one cent until satisfied. Send 4 cents for 
NO. 23 Cllta. lliickeye lneubator Co., Springfield, Ohio* 
ns BY STEAM- 
1 With the MOIIKL 
EXCELSIOR Incubator 
Simple. Perfect, Self-Regulat- 
iny. Thousands in successful 
operation. Lowest priced 
Orst-claaa llatchcr made. 
GEO. II. 8TA1IL. 
22^bd2^i^6tl^itdJtihi(^Jl|. 
OLENTANGY INCUBATOR. 
1 his machine will hatch every egg that can 
be hatched. It is the best. Absolutely 
self-regulating. Olentangy Brooders only 
Is. Send stamp for catalogue. Address, 
GEO, S. SINGER, Cardington, O. 
