Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-10-10
a9rltQlt1ral am Dualesttr.
From the American Farmer.
,rANAcEnrENT OF HOES

that to raise ones own pork, and to save
ones own bacon, is an expensive luxury.
We do not think it is necessarily so, and
will give our young friends and others
who want advice few practical hints on
this subject.
A good breed of hogs you must have
to start with, and thanks to the improve
ments of the day, you can easily get
No matter how good the breed, however,
never suppose he is to live and thrive
without proper and sufficient food. The
more artificial the breed, and the more
highly improved, and the more capable
OF yielding profit TO good management
and proper treatment, the less capable
they will be of shifting for themselves
If you want hog that will take care of
himself, tear your neighbours cornfeld to
pieces. and yield you no profit, get the
land shark, with his nose, back, and belly
exactly suited to carrying out the intelli-
gent designs of an animal which, from its
earliest infancy, has been thrown upon its
own resources.
Having got II good breed, have gen
erous confidence that he will repay your
have a permanent fixture, lot of one or
two acres, according to the number you
keep, and in this have good lodging pens,
where in all weather they may have dry
beds Of leaves, and make themselves quite
comfortable-these may be had of logs,
as is very common on large farms, but
made of posts with plank on the most
economical scale, are cheaper, perhaps,
in the end. Give him any amount of lib
crty which may suit your convenience
let him roam in the woods in winter, or
in the pasture in summer, but have your
lot and your houses where you can at
your pleasure. bring them under proper
protection. This lot will be very useful
likewise to put your pen hogs into for a
week or so, in antici patton of their closer
confinement in their feeding pens, that
the change may not be too sudden from
their larger liberty"
MANAGEMENT OF A SToCK OF Hoes
The usual practice in the management of
hogs is to keep the whole stock for the
fall killing, through tho previous winter.
In this practice lies perhaps, the secret of
want of success in hog keeping. The
most economical method, we are inclined
to think, would be to keep sows enough
to have the whole stock of pen hogs come
about LIST Of March to be we'll prepared
with Ruta-baga turnips, or other roots, a
lot of rye or other early pasture. and clo-
yer field, to furnish both sows and pigs
with full supplies of succulent food from
the start, and throughout the season, and
such other food, as may keep them rapid
ly growing throughout the season. Such
management may bring any tolerable
breed to a weight of $50 lbs. by middle
of December.
This plan would require for q pen of
forty hogs, ight brood sows. These sows
with the boars, would be the whole stock
to be wintered. They should be so man
aged that they would bring their pigs by
the LIST of March, and allowing for mis-
carriage or other accidents, might be re-
lied on to average FIVE to the sow. The
sows being allowed to breed again, would
have as many or more pigs about LIST Sep
TENDER. These in good pasture would
cost very little to raise them, and might
be disposed of in the fall, leaving only the
stock of sows and bears after the annual
killing. OF the eight sows, four might
go into the taItening pen annually, to be
substituted by four young ones, SO as to
have always one-half the number, old
breeders. When this is done, it would be
advisable not to allow the four which are
to go into the fattening pen, to breed in
the summer.
Another arrangement, n compromise
between this plan and the common me-
thod would be, for pen of the size men
toned, to have four brood sows. The
August and September litters of these,
being kept in good condition, would go
easily thro' the winter with proper care,
and with the four sows and boar would
constitute the stock to be wintered. Then
taking the March litter as before, force
them rapidly forward, and unless the fall
litter has been particularly we'll kept,
these will rival them in the killing pen.
We think either of these suggestions, un>
der judiciOus management, would take
the balance of the hog account from the
loss to the profit side. True economy in
the management of all animals requires
that they be carried as rapidly as possible
through the chances of life 10 that point
Of development at which they afford re-
turn, and lie is the best manager who APP
proximates this in his practice. Old hab-
its and old prejudicos will fight against it,
but we will come to it by and by.
FEEDING.-A corn and cob crusher the
man who keeps twenty hogs must have
that is settled, A boiler we think he will
have. if he is determined to make the
most of his means. He should grind ev-
cry ear Of corn, and soak number of
hours at any rate, if he does not steam or
boil. If he only soaks, he should have
two tubs, to. be fed from alternately, and
whenever he empties one, fill it again.
If it ferments somewhat, it will be the
better. Boiling, however, would be much
better, and ensure the appropriation of
the whole nutritiYe matter. This food