254 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 25, 
HOG AND HOMINY IN INDIANA. 
A Money Crop. —There are few far¬ 
mers in this section who do not 
make it a practice to put a number 
of hogs on the market at some 
time during each year.' Many look ahead 
to the definite expenses that they must 
meet during the year, such as taxes, inter¬ 
est, fertilizer bills, etc., and then make 
their plans to have a drove of hogs ready 
for market at the time these bills wiW be 
due, knowing that their capital is practical¬ 
ly safe in this way, that ordinarily it will 
produce a fair rate of interest, and that it 
can be converted into cash at the very 
time it is required. The majority of the 
larger producers and feeders, however, 
have decided that there are certain seasons 
of the year when they are likely to secure 
larger profits, because of market condi¬ 
tions and lower cost of production, and 
make their plans accordingly. As a rule 
these successful feeders adhere, in a gen¬ 
eral way, to a definite plan year after 
year, each individual following the method 
that he has found to be best in his particu¬ 
lar case. This careful adherence to a cer¬ 
tain well-defined system has brought suc¬ 
cess to many a farmer and when we find 
a prosperous looking farm in our commu¬ 
nity, and ask the owner the cause of his 
prosperity, his answer is likely to be “hog 
and hominy,” for it is pretty generally con¬ 
ceded that the two go hand in hand, as it 
is a pretty serious problem to try to prod¬ 
uce fat hogs profitably without an abun¬ 
dance of this, the cheapest source of the 
fat-forming elements. 
Primitive Pastures. —We find that 
these successful hog growers, while fol¬ 
lowing a definite system, have not been 
slaves to that system, but have changed 
their methods in detail from time to time 
to comply with the changed conditions 
which they must meet. One of our older 
farmers who took up this line of farming 
there was not much left for the hogs. 
The fclover crop came to his rescue. He 
found that it furnished an abundance of 
pasture, and that his pigs would eat it 
and thrive. Thus experience helped him 
solve the problems of his new conditions. 
Improved Stock.— He no longer breeds 
the long-nosed “elm peelers,” whose pe¬ 
culiar mode of life among the roots and 
leaves of the fore..' made the long snout 
an important part of his equipment, but 
on the contrary, the best blood of his 
choice of breeds is in his stock, so that he 
no longer needs to grow his hogs a year 
before he fattens them, but his pigs far¬ 
rowed in March and April are ready for 
the market in October at 175 to 200 
pounds in weight. He has laid aside his 
former idea that it made his pigs strong 
and healthy to root for a living, and now 
he regards their labors in that line as so 
much wasted energy, which might more 
profitably be converted into lard and meat. 
Selection of Breeders. —He selects a 
brood sow that is long in body, large in 
chest, quiet and a good stickler. She is 
kept in good condition, given reasonable 
range on pasture if possible, and after 
farrowing is fed sparingly at first with 
milk and a little mill feed, and her ra¬ 
tion is gradually increased. The little 
pigs are allowed room to exercise in the 
sunshine and in a dry place; are fed reg¬ 
ularly and moderately of milk with shorts 
or similar feed added, and at about eight 
weeks of age the sow is taken away and 
they a,re kept on clover pasture during 
the Summer, but given a little grain each 
day, increasing the proportion of corn as 
the fattening period approaches. They are 
given comfortable sleeping quarters and 
plenty of pure water. The wallow is not 
regarded as an essential, but rather as a 
source of danger. When ready to put on 
the finishing touches the hogs intended 
for market are usually confined to smaller 
BILLY BERKSHIRE AND HIS FAMILY. Fig. 109. 
here a number of years ago, found himself 
at the start in possession of land of only 
moderate fertility, with a considerable por¬ 
tion of it in native timber and underbrush, 
while the fields that had been cleared and 
cultivated for a number of years had the 
appearance and the reputation of being 
worn out. The small fields of bottom 
land along the creeks were not sufficient 
for his requirements, and as he then con¬ 
sidered the barren, yellow uplands almost 
past their productive usefulness but one 
thing was left for him to do. So his tim¬ 
bered lands were cleared, the logs rolled 
in piles and burned, the bushes and sprouts 
grubbed out; then the soil was stirred 
with a jumping shovel, bis corn dropped 
by hand and covered with a hoe. Then 
came a Summer’s warfare against weeds, 
briars and sprouts, then the harvest,—the 
stalks in the field, the grain in the crib, 
and the crop was ready for the hogs. In 
the meantime his pigs that were farrowed 
the Fall before had been at liberty in the 
woods, where they picked up a comfort¬ 
able living from the roots and mast, and 
grew into good-sized shotes. ready to fas¬ 
ten on the corn that was given them. Thus 
the season’s labors were converted into 
cash. 
Changing Conditions. —This was a 
simple system of production and feeding, 
and possibly under like conditions we would 
not evolve a better one, but year by year 
the farmer was making inroads on his 
timbered land, the supply of mast was be¬ 
coming smaller, the fields that he first 
cleared failed to produce as they once did, 
and gradually he realized that he was face 
to face with new conditions which he 
must meet or surrender. There was no 
more new ground to bring abundant har¬ 
vests, but he found that a little stable 
manure had helped some of his old fields; 
then he learned the use of commercial fer¬ 
tilizers, so that again lie was able to raise 
fair crops of corn, but he missed the mast 
for his shotes. He tried turning them 
into the stubble fields, and that helped 
lor a while, but when the binder came 
quarters, and corn is made the main part 
of their ration, although supplemented by 
some kind of mill feed to make up the 
right amount of protein, and in a few 
weeks they are ready for the market. 
Other farmers differ in certain details 
from this system, but those who have been 
most successful have followed methods 
something similar to this in essential fea¬ 
tures, and the hog has generously re¬ 
sponded by lifting many a mortgage, 
building many a home, and educating 
many a boy and girl in southern Indiana. 
Indiana. f. j. heacock. 
“Is it true that you and Bliggins no 
longer speak?” “Yes. He is one of those 
hopelessly disagreeable people. He insist¬ 
ed on calling attention to how much bet¬ 
ter time his dollar watch keeps than my 
two hundred dollar chronometer.”— 
Washington Star. 
The jackass to the camel said: “This 
question answer me: How can you bear 
that great, big lump so very patiently?” 
“ ’Tis easy,” quoth the camel, “for I’ve 
had it all my years. Just so your stupid¬ 
ness you bear and those long hairy ears!” 
Fliegende Blatter. 
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* * ** * 
, 
Crop Bankruptcy 
NEVER occurs 
where StocKbridge Manures 
are used 
T HE farmer who has his living to make and his 
bills to pay will not depend upon the potential 
or natural fertility of the soil to help him over 
a tight place. Neither will he depend upon the 
single element doctrine of fertilization,—viz., trying to find 
out whether he can leave out any of the three leading in¬ 
gredients of plant food (viz., nitrogen, phosphoric acid, or 
potash), or how little of each he can get along with. Such 
a course will end in crop bankruptcy. No method has 
yet been devised whereby we can determine the amount 
of plant food in the soil. This year’s crop tells us what 
it found, but not what was left for next year’s crop. Even 
if the crop was a sure - guide, do we wish to leave the soil 
the poorer for our having occupied and used it ? Sup¬ 
posing we do get a good crop this year without applying 
potash, are we sure there is sufficient potash for next 
year’s crop? The only safe plan for the up-to-date 
farmer is to supply the crop with what it requires, and in 
forms best suited to the crop, utilizing, of course, what 
definite knowledge science has gained along this line. 
It costs but a trifle more per acre to insure the crop by 
applying the Stockbridge Complete Special Manures. 
We are obliged to take great chances with the weather. 
Why take unnecessary chances with the soil ? 
It will pay you to read our large illustrated catalogue (which we send free) or 
to consult our nearest Local Agent before you buy your fertilizers this season. 
RftWIfFD FERTILIZER COMPANY 
L, ££ Boston New York Buffalo Cincinnati 
(Kindly address office nearest to you) 
Harness 
We sell custom made, oak- 
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0 Lake St. 
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wmm 
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For Every Variety of Work. 
Have conical shaped grinders. Different 
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7 »lze»—2 to 25 horse power. One style for 
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21 
years’ 
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