The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-03-13
IEor The Gazette.
HOG 7. AW.

HUG LAW.
Nir Enrr,x. noticed Ia the Gazette cf the
9Th inst, an Article signed J. N. Z. in favor o.
Hog, being kept up. would like through your
!, Der 10 offer few reasons why think they
should no, be confined. The first that ! will Of
far i, this, that il will check the growth Of one Of
the best staple articles Of the State We canno'
afford to give our Hogs their entire living in hard
grain. Tony certain knowledge It would cost
more than four dollars per cwt. II you take
piu aud coniine him until he is 10 months old ne
win have eaten 90 or Is bushels Of coin; then say
i, will take ten bushels more to TAT him, this Will
amount 10 30 or IS bushels which 1t 20 cts. per
bushel would be worth six or seven dollars Now
the trouble OF feeding and watering that hos
twice 4 day would be worth two or three dollars,
to say nothing about cost Of pen, butchering and
taking 10 market, which would make the aggre.-
gate cost four OF Eve dollars per cwt., counting
the hog It 200 lbs. weight-and he would be a
likely 10 weigh under as above il. am satisfied
that this is a correct statement. Now you are
aware, Mr.. Editor, that this would not set very
well with your town friends who have to buy
their pork.
When, on the other hand, If you let hog run
out YOU can raise him with less than one-halfthe
hard grain that it would take 10 keep him up.
Hogs get large proportion Of their living from
grass and weeds; they also eat great many wild
ar,ichoke roots; then there are the nuts and the
acorns which hardly ever tail in this country and
the most Of the timber in this county Is Of those
kinds. Now know that il would pay . man
well to fence his own felds-well fenced 10 that
he night turn his hogs in alter be has taken of
bis wheat and corn which gives hog good
siEt before falling time comes. Iwould ask why
not fence your fields well, seeing that it would
pay you well, and then you may derive the bene-
fits from these running out.
Then would ask what will the renter do, will
he carry the fencing required for his pasture lots
with him! He must do il or go without, for |
can assure you that i, will not be furnished him.
The main object Of those in favor Of this law ap-
pears TO be in saving Of fence. Now contend
that il is not saving Of fence, unless they quit
raising pork, for the reason that il will require
more lumber TO fence your pasture lots than you
will save from your fence. Make calculation
and you will find tina, am correct. Now il there
is no saving of fence and the gleanings OF mans
field will pay him for making good fence, why
not make it and enjoy the benefits of letting your
hogs run out Then these half-iences will pre-
sen. such prospect 10 strangers as TO be dis
grace 10 the county, and this law would have a
tendency TO make a farmer fence so much land
that he will not be apt TO cultivate his land so
we'll
As regards sheep they are an animal that re-
quire large range aud il they are closely contn-
ed they will not do well, they will become I'M
healthy and will lose their wool before shesring
time and would be no profit 10 their owners. On
the other hand il they are permitted to run on our
healthy prairies they will thrive and produce q
much better fleece than those penned up. There
can be no better country for raising sheep than
Iowa and this is destined to be a great WOOL
growing State. II this &C, become law you
may depend the farmer will quit growing wool.
To those who have the privilege Of voting on
this act would say, il you wish 10 crush the
growth Of two Of the best staple articles Of the
State, vote for it; il not vote il down.
AN OLD FARMER.
Prairie Land, March 10th, 1851.