Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-02-01
OBJ 9armsr.
Breeding, Rearing and Fattening
Swine.

There is abudant room for the ex-
ercise Of skill and talent in the br eed-
ing, rearing. and fattening of swine
OF all na,i,Ds the United States have
the greatest facilities for prosecuting
this branch Of hasbandry in the
most economical manner,by reason Of
the fact that Indian corn may be
grown by American Ermers on which
to feed hogs, cheaper than in any
other country. 1t is our superior
natural advantages for keeping this
class of animals that makes the swine
of American husbaDdmen excel their
sheep in numbers nearly ten million.
Tennessee has four times more hogs
than sheep; and the business of pro-
ducing pork, lard, and bacon for for
eigu consumption, extends much
more rapidly than wool-growing; al
though pretty high tariff has been
brought to bear in favor OF the lat
ter.
Less attention is paid to the breed
ing ofhogs, generally speaking, than
any other domestic animals. This
neglect leads to their deterioration
ia many districts, particularly where
pork or bacon is not a staple of ag.
ricultnre. The remedy lies in keep.
ing a smaller number, selecting both
males and females with the greatest
care as to form, quiet habits, tenden'
cy TO take on flesh, and the females
should be good nurses. Breeding in
and-in, or in too close relationship
is a common error with farmers who
allow their hogs to run in large herds
and with little regard to Males
Carelessness in the propagation o
swine cannot be too severely cen
sured; for beyond all question it i'm
poses needless loss on the country
of many millions Of dollars every
year.
Oae should breed large, or small
or medium sized hogs, according t.
the market, and the cbeapness with
which they can grow the food con
sumed by this kind of stock. AS {
general rule, hogs Of medium size
we'll fatted, are most desirable, al
though Instances are not rare where
packers and hog buyers pay a pre-
MUM for heavy porkers, They are
: sad to cut up to a better advantage
and yield a larger cash return pei
100 pounds. The intelligent farmer
will readily learn what his market
calls for, and meet it in the most
economical way. Having wisely Sc.
lected that breed which suits bis Cir.
cumstances best, he will not allow
his SONS to bring up more pigs than
they can fairly supply with milk,
unless he has the milk of COWS to aid
in pushing them forward in the first
two months of their existence. =
Where hog raising is prosecuted on
an extensive scale, pigs are wholly
dependent on their mothers for nu.
triment for some weeks when young;
and then'is the time when their con,
stitutional powers and habits are
mainly fixed Cor life. A pig once Sc.
riously stunted is irreparably dam
aged; and we cannot too earnestly
insist on the policy Of attempting to
rear no more than one can feed well
all their days. Cheap meat-thai
is, meat made at small cost to
the producer, is that which is the
product of cheaply grown food, not
that obtained from half starved pigs
shoats and stock-bogs. 1t is all-im.
portant to the farmer who makes fat
hogs his principal crop. that he un'
derstand the art of producing clover,
peas, oats, and corn in the cheapest
possible manner. Fresh clover fields
are exceedingly valuable as ranges
for largo herds of swine; they may
even be wintered on good clover hay
although corn, peas, oats and roots
are cheaper winter food. To pro.
duce meat at the cheaper minimum
cos, whether pork, beef or mutton, one
must have rich land. The farmers
of New York and New England can.
not compete successfully with those
Of the richer portions Of Ohio and
Indiana in producing fat hogs, be
cause they neglect to improve their
lands with view to have them to
equal the best on the Sciota and Wa.
bash rivers. To make millions Of
fat hogs on lean land as cheaply as it