FARM JOTTINGS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1051, 18 September 1883, Page 4

FARM JOTTINGS.

liaising Hogs.

[“CHICAGO TIMES/’] Notwithstanding the large losses by ■ the swine disease, ordinarily known as hog cholera, the alarm-about : internal parasites, the growing prejudice in many sections against the use of pork, the substitution-ot cottonseed oil and beef ta|low for genuine lard and the pfqhibition against all American pork p|c|ducts of several European Governthlraifeibg of hogs continues to be profitable in almost: all sections of the country. What is more, thi;s is a profitable industry for both large and small farmers., -Much has-been written about the profit of keeping large numbers of cattle and sheep, is practised in places ’’ where larid; is cheap,, but an ecjually good showing may be made by those who have engaged very extensively in swine raising. Perhaps no person in .the country has realised a very large fortune by raising hogs for the market, but a very considerable number have accumulated respectable fortunes by so doing. Many who have made.the production of beef a specialalty have derived much of- their profit from the hogs they have kept in connection, with bullocks. The like is true of those farmers who have devoted most of their attention to the production ot milk.- They have used their whey and skimrdeH ,railk to good advantage in feeding pigs. Small farmers, who ha'd the/land and capital tQ €ti|ble them to keep large flocks of sßeep _o/Jhttle. have prospered in consequence ot raising and feeding pig?.;’ T:hey have,produced the pork and lard "for their own families and have had some of both-to .sell. The pigs have cost them - ' but little, as they were principally raised on articles not readily sold or' utilised. They ate ;slops, freeds; and damaged corn and small grains.

In most respects hogs are very profitable animals to raise. They breed at an early age and are very prolific.' Hogs will mature or be in good condition for the market, with proper feeding 1 and management, in one-third the time required., for cattle and sheep. They, reqiiiice less shelter, andthat afforded them rpay he of a, cheaper character.,?; A'farm{designed for raising hogs cari -.be'fitted up with Suitable buildings at a fourth of the expense of one devoted to raising-horses or cattle, and for a much smaller sum than, one designated for raising s.heep. Hogs utilise a larger proportion of the food they consume than any animals kept on farfos. Sir Jphn ,Bennett Lawes esti-

mated as the result of careful experiment that hogs utilised 20 per cent of the food they consumed,'while cattle did but 8 per cent. The manure made by hogs is very valuable. It is especially rich in amonia, which is wanted on soils of evefy;' description. Hogs, if rightly tended, will convert many substances that they do not eat into manure. Old hay, straw and many other things of no direct value are, converted into excellent fertilisers by being., incorporated with the droppingS/pf swine apd-trampled under their feet.' Hogs -are the-only animals kept on farms that will subsist on weeds and wUd l nut&. They can be. marketed to better advantage, as a smaller proportion of their bodies is waste. Hogs are the most-profitable animals to raise With^a^view 11 of slaughtering and curing ihs> meat for a home market. There is Venerallv a good de-

riiSnd : f6r Edit pork. uauiV side paeon, arid' lavd at some season of the year at the places where hogs are raised. With ths ...present fanner of ; marketing hogs, when alive, hot enough pork products remain in most sections of the cbu&tty’'- to Supply : the ’ inhabitants. Generally live hogs are sent to the city in the fajlj .andloured meat .and lard sent Jjabk in’the spring. Hoggs have long been raised cheaper in the United States thani in any other country in the world, principally for the reason that .corn is so easily, produced. It is likely thabcorn wilt long continue to be the principal food employed to fatten hogs, but the time has come when other and cheaper substances should be employed as much as possible for feeding them while they are growing. While corn commanded hut a very low price it was the cheapest substance that could be used to feed hogs at any period of their growth. It was for a long time so cheap and plenty as to prevent farmers from giving'tnu’ch attention to other materials. All feeders acknowledge that there is no profit, in raisirig Cattle and shieep on corn ; albhe or by the aid of only so much grass as will insure health. It is profitable to raise, hogs: entirely on; corn, and this that hogs utilise a much larger proportion of it than cattle and sheep do. .Ibis much more,profitable,, however, to substitute cheaper materials as far as possible, • Hogs may be raised as cattle, and sheep are, largely on grass 40$ ,cjpver x The hpgjjs a grazing animal, and if provided, with suitable pasturage will gain during five months of the on .vegetables that do not liarfosted..; The, testimony of many experienced feeders is that five 'hogsrdf average size can be kept dUrihg! the'growing'season on an acre of good clover pasture. In places where redclover does not do well a good substitute for it may be found in orchard grass. A pasture for hogs should contain- some shade and an abundant supply.-bf water. It should be convenient to fields where food is raised that can be taken to the pasture in case of grass or clover is short on acedtmt of drphght or other causes. A pdttidp pt. it, af least, should be quite dry, so that the hogs may have a comfortable' place to sleep on during damp weather. (,

,Much has recently; been written on the'advantages of soiling hogs over the 'them to feed .in a is ; twenty hogs the gfpen produced by an, acr® of ground. , Ofcomrse, considerableilaboroia>required toi.Cut the food and hfing it to lhe -yard where the hogs are By having the feedingyard, fields where the iodder is raised, the labor of moving may, .be made smalh. A sled or low waggbflf is recommended for moving the grega.fgdde£,fFffW 1 1h>® £ e,d l Pi the y a . r< V The crops recommended for spiling bogs are rgd -clover, orchard and passes' 'sweet corn, and climate .-iwill determine the plants thatvil«i^ most/economical to '*iand most ! of

the southern States alfalfa is superior to any of the plants mentioned, as it stands the prevailing droughts better. Cabbages have been found to be cheap food for hogs in many sections of the country. In France the farmers are giving attention to the raising of leeks for hogs. They are said to be especially valuable for quite young pigs. Like onions and garlic, they are known to be very wholesome and to act as preventives of many diseases. In many places pumpkins and squashes are easily raised and they make excellent food for hogs during the period of good grass and ripe corn. The profitableness of Jerusalem artichokes is acknowledged by nearly all who have raised them, but their culture is not as general as it should be. They are easily grown, very productive and ceedingly wholesome. The economic feeding of hogs has not received the attention it deserves. In fact, the value of our hog,products is not appreciated. The hogs of this country supply most of the meat eaten, while the pork products exported bring 105,796,779 dols into ithe country.