206 
frame on his animals before the problems of cov¬ 
ering this frame with flesh is encountered. If the 
introduction of British blood lines into our herds 
would temper and regulate the size of the litters 
produced without modifying too greatly the age of 
maturity, this alone would justify the extensive use 
of imported sires. 
AMERICAN BREEDS.—It must be remembered, 
however, that there are several breeds of swine in 
America that are not popular in Britain. The Duroc 
Jersey, the Chester White, the Poland China and 
the Hampshire are all distinctly American products, 
the Berkshire, the Yorkshire and the Tamworth be¬ 
ing the major breeds that trace to English origin. 
For the past several years a few Berkshire breeders 
have been using imported sires with only limited 
success, and the Yorkshires and Tamworths are 
largely confined to sections of the country outside of 
the corn belt where butter is produced, and where 
the skim-milk and buttermilk is available for finish¬ 
ing the bacon type of hog. We must appreciate also, 
that the feeders’ popular selection is not the Berk¬ 
shire nor the Yorkshire, nor the Tamworth, but 
rather the Duroc Jersey or the rolaiul China, if we 
accept as a determining basis the relative percentage 
of fat hogs of the various breed identities that are 
rounded up by the packers at the leading stock 
yards. 
CHANGES IN POPULARITY.—Tt is indeed re¬ 
markable to note the rather extraordinary changes 
that have been made throughout whole districts in 
the corn belt within the last few years in selecting 
the feeder type of hog that is believed best suited to 
their own use. Each breed has had a popular craze, 
and in turn has been discarded for failing to per¬ 
sistently qualify as the most economical agency. 
For years the Poland China predominated, yet when 
early maturing qualities were emphasized to such a 
degree that small weak litters were forced upon the 
fraternity, this breed lost favor and following. The 
Berkshires at this stage were eagerly sought after, 
being more prolific and yielding a carcass of leaner 
meat and less offal, but when it was determined that 
they did not possess the feeding qualities desired, 
and that their growing period was too extended and 
their fattening period less exact, they were grad¬ 
ually cast aside. The Duroc Jersey and the Chester 
White had persistently gained in numbers and in 
popularity during this era, and the red hog is today 
far and away the most popular pig in America as a 
feeder and producer of pork products. The Poland 
China breed has regained much of its former popu¬ 
larity through the modification in type resulting in 
the so-called “Big Type Poland.” and it is difficult 
to wean the farmer from a breed of swine possessing 
such remarkable feeding and fleshing qualities. 
IMPROVING THE AMERICAN TYPE.—It is evi¬ 
dent, therefore, that if the English breeder of swine 
can prove to the American stockman that an infus¬ 
ion of his blood lines will re-establish popularity and 
efficiency in any one of the breeds that have stalled 
by the wayside, he will at once engage a generous 
patronage, for the cycle of popularity in breeds is 
constantly revolving in America, and does not sta¬ 
bilize itself as it does in England. The American 
farmer is keen enough to appreciate the notable 
achievements of British breeders, yet somehow he 
has always felt that the American type of hog was 
superior to the British type, and that this one breed 
of live stock is quite distinctly an American product 
and so far he has been rather slow in introducing 
imported seed stock in his swine-breeding operations. 
For this reason, relatively few importations have 
been made, and our stockmen have not felt the need 
of new blood, perhaps because the industry was 
clearly profitable, and competition did not require 
them to scan the horizon for new ideas and ad¬ 
vanced practices. I believe the American type of 
lard hog would find favor in England, and predict 
that the red hog will invade the black and white hog 
district, and that American breeders who continue 
to produce the same breeds of swine that hold forth 
in England will gladly turn to British pedigree pigs 
for improving their herds. 
Possibly the new era following the war will modify 
previous objections, and surely some of the Yankee 
soldiers will bring back definite ideas as far as Eng¬ 
lish pork production is concerned, that will have a 
distinct bearing and influence upon their practices 
when they return to our farms. Let us hope that 
nothing will be left undone that might increase the 
popularity or the efficiency of that animal, the pig. 
that has enriched more American farmers than any 
other animal, and whose ability to serve as an effi¬ 
cient transfer, machine ranks second only to the dairy 
f. c. M. 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Artificial Lights and the Hen 
I have seen at times pointers on the care of poultry. 
The one that I took notice of more than any of the 
others was installing lights in the poultry house _ to 
make the days longer, in the Winter, with the intention 
of increasing the egg yield. It takes so many hours 
for a hen or a pullet to form an egg, and the hen or 
pullet will not lay till the egg is perfect. The light will 
not change the nature of the chicken. There is a 
certain amount of feed that goes to making eggs, and 
to keep the bird healthy and strong. It is the same 
with a beast and a man. If you work a beast or man 
10 to 15 hours a week overtime he will soon be run 
down and weak ; same with a hen or pullet. There is 
so much time for work and so much for rest.. Can 
anyone explain to me how they, can gain anything by 
increasing the length of the day in the henhouse? How 
long does it take to manufacture an egg? If a man 
tends to his chickens in the right way. from seven A. M. 
till 4 :30 1’. M., gives them the best, of feed, grit, shells, 
charcoal and fresh lukewarm water twice a day, and 
keeps the poultry-house clean and also chickens free 
Seeds Sown in Plant Bed. Fig. 53. (See Page 209) 
from lice and mites, he will receive his reward in eggs, 
without going to the expense of lighting his poultry- 
house and making more work for himself or his help. 
Montgomery Co., Pa. moxroe reeves. 
W HETHER or not Mr. Reeves is under tlie 
impression that the lights cause the hens to 
lay at night as well as day I cannot determine. 
From his statement “it takes so many hours for a 
hen or pullet to form an egg,” I think he is. That 
was the impression formed in this vicinity when I 
first used the lights. Several persons asked me if 
my hens were really laying two eggs per day. This 
of course is absurd. 
He states that “a certain amount of food is used 
for eggs and to keep the bird healthy and strong.” 
Certainly there is a large amount of food used for 
bodily maintenance in the Winter, and as bodily 
maintenance comes first it is only the surplus that 
can be used for eggs, and it is to got this surplus 
Effect af Top-dressing on Wheat. Fig. o.'i 
that wc use the lights. I know by observation that 
liens going to roost at 4 :30 or 5:00 I’. M. with a full 
crop will have the digestive organs practically 
empty' by three or four o’clock in the morning. 
This leaves three or four hours for the hen to wait 
until daybreak to obtain food; meanwhile the giz¬ 
zard is empty, and the hen deprived of heat obtained 
from the muscular energy of this organ must draw 
on her store of fat for warmth. It was this con¬ 
dition that led me to use lights. By lighting the 
coops at 4 A. M. the hens are able to get their supply 
of food and exercise when otherwise they would be 
shivering on the roost waiting for daylight. 
He also states a hen cannot increase her egg 
yield, because it is against nature. Now I take 
exception to this, for the original jungle fowl laid 
about 13 eggs and then proceeded to hatch them, 
and perhaps did this a couple of times a year. Now 
compare this with our present-day strains, laying 
well over 200 eggs per year., Have we not increased 
her yield? An individual hen is capable of producing 
February S, 1019 
just so many eggs, some more, some less, but are 
we able to reach this limit of capacity without a 
little pushing? I think not. As for the hours of 
rest, a hen naturally works about 15 Vj hours per 
day in Summer, while with the lights in Winter she 
works only 12y», leaving 11 hours for rest, which 
I think is ample. wm. v. r. case. 
New York. 
Effect of Top-dressing Wheat 
HERE has been some discussion about the profit 
in top-dressing Winter wheat with manure. 
Some farmers report no benefit to the wheat, but 
most of them agree that the seeding of grass and 
clover is greatly improved. The picture at Fig. 54 
shows this in a striking way. The dark space in the 
wheat shows the young clover as it appeared after 
the grain was cut. This dark part also shows where 
the top-dressing with manure came to an end. Be¬ 
side it, as we can see in the picture, there is little 
or no clover—not enough to show any color in the 
wheat. This shows it plainly, and every farmer 
knows the importance of pushing the clover crop 
along. 
Two Sides of the Farm Problem 
T is hard for the average reader to imagine half 
the plans that are being proposed in the great 
national desire to bring land and the man together. 
The ending of the war has brought all sorts of 
schemes to the surface. Land owners seem to think 
there will be a “boom” in real estate values, and 
they want to sell. Others want help in working large 
tracts of land, and will make liberal terms. Work¬ 
men, men in towns, want to get back in the country 
as land owners. Tenants and former hired men have 
the same desire and they, with many of the soldiers, 
are looking for places where character and industrj 
will serve as assets. Everyone, except the long¬ 
headed and practical farmers seems to think that 
farming offers unlimited opportunity for anyone 
who knows anything about the business. On one 
thing, at least, sensible people are coming to agree. 
The land now available for use in the old settled 
part of the country should be utilized before labor 
and money are spent on the Western deserts or un¬ 
available swamps. Let any increase of food be pro¬ 
duced within reasonable distance of the present 
thickly settled districts. We want to print two 
letters here—just at hand. They are typical of two 
distinct efforts to bring land and the man together. 
The first is from a man with the needed farming 
outfit, but lacking the labor: 
I have noticed that you take an interest in your sub¬ 
scribers and help them in their difficulties, so now I 
am going to ask you for a little of your help. I have a 
large farm in Southern Maryland, on the Potomac River; 
700 acres of cleared land, and no one to work this 
farm for me. The land is fertile, good hay', and small 
grain farm, besides corn. Plenty of room to raise all 
kinds of stock , large fields that can be worked by trac¬ 
tors. Of course, this land has only been partially cul¬ 
tivated for a number of years on account of scarcity of 
competent farm help. This is just a good chance for a 
man who is interested to build up and improve. What I 
would like would be a hard-working practical farmer 
who would be willing to take this place now', with the 
cattle, sheep and hogs that are on the place, and acces¬ 
sary machinery, and work uo, adding more as tln#place 
yields enough to pay for same. Either marriet^pr sin¬ 
gle co-tenant, taking share crops. We ar*^^^ miles 
from the boat wharf, but sailboats can laj^Pm a num¬ 
ber of places along the creek shore. Tigris work for 
a man every day in the year. I have 8(a, acres of tim¬ 
ber to be cut, and about 150 acres marshes which bring 
in quite a sum. o. D. w. 
Charles Co., l id. 
Now follows an entirely different proposition from 
a man who desires to start a community enterprise. 
We print these as evidence of the many plans which 
are being suggested for starting farm operations. 
Could these two propositions be combined? If not, 
what is the reason? In theory the community plan 
would seem about ideal, but though it. has been at¬ 
tempted again and again, there are few' if any su> 
cessful communities left. Perhaps the war has made 
it possible. 
Your editorial on the soldiers and the land occasions 
this letter. A friend and I arc discussing a community 
proposition. He has 500 acres in Massachusetts, be¬ 
tween Springfield and Worcester. It belonged to his 
grandfather, who had gone into beef raising when West¬ 
ern competition put him out of business. I have had 1!) 
years’ practical experience on a farm, and have been 
purged of all my sentimental delusions about farming. 
But I have the capital to join a community enterprise; 
I believe in land ; I have four children, some of whom I 
would like to be settled on the land, and I would like to 
make my home with such a one. 
With these two interests to btnld on, is it not possible 
to find a sufficient number of soldiers and others to form 
•i thoroughly sound and strong community corporation 
to establish a going enterprise? Successful farming de¬ 
mands long credit financing. In promoting such a 
scheme we would need the advice of an expert in finance; 
in soils, in markets, in farm engineering, and in com¬ 
munity welfare. Could not The R. N.-Y. bring some 
such collection of interests together for a conference? 
Sullivan Co., N. Y. tiios. j. lloyd. 
cow. 
