The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-10-17
AGRICULTURAL,
HOG RANGES.

WHEN you speak to a cotton planter
about raising his own meat, and enough
tosupply his doctor, merchant, blacksmith,
DC, he will, without hesit ton, tell you
thati will not pay. He can make more
by planting cotton, even If he has to buy
his own meat, or the greater part oft. This
we admit is true, when cotton ranges at
better prices than at present, provided, he
has to feed his hogs exclusively on corn
and peas. But we do not admit
the necessity Of this process of ma
king bacon. There is a much cheap
er process than this opened to all the
planters of this country, and a better one
than to make cotton, and ply freight to
Savannah, and then pay freight on hogs
from Tennessee. Some Of our cotton plan.
tiers have long since got partial insight
into this plan, and the result has been that
they are much better off than those who
buy their own bacon. The most thrifty
planters in Hancock, arc those who raise
their own -four and pork, at the risk Of
raising less cotton, and yet there is a
plan by which they can raise it much
cheaper than they d..
Every farmer should have a hog range
attached to his farm. 1t shonld have
good stream Of running water, and might
embrace from ten to one hundred acres,
according to the amount of pork to he
raised. The major part should be forest.
which would answer the double purpose
Of raising timber for wood and acorns for
your hogs. All the underground should
be cut and burned. The dead trees cut
down and split for wood and rails, as well
as all the thick growth of sapling, pines,
gums, dogwoods, and in fact all bat oaks,
hickories, walnuts, mulberries, persimmos,
dc. The oaks should not stand thick.
but let in plenty Of air and sun, and they
will bear much better. One oak standing
thus isolated will bear as much as half a
dozen crow ded Particular attention should
be paid to persimmon trees. in saving all
that might bear. They will prove of i'm.
mense value.
Now for the orchard part. As many
rs you please. Plant plum trees that will
ripen in May, June and July and some
even later, in squares six feet each way,
and they will soon cover the ground. Set
out peach trees tenfeet each way, of such
kinds as will ripene from June to Octo.
Der, and try and plow them twice year
if possible, and you will have fruit that
will gladden. the heart Of poker. Far
mers who will begin this fall BY trans
planting all the volunteer peach trees
about their premises will, in three years,
have fine orchard for their hogs.
With such hog range, the farmer
would have but little need to make drafts
upon his crib, only in quantities to keep
his hogs tame. Tne acorns, hickory nuts,
&c, would keep them during the winter
and spring, and peaches. with the cleaning
Of the oat and wheat fields, would keep
them till Iall. Then the pea Gro, and the
pcrsimmous would bring them up to acorn
time again. Potatoes, ground peas, turn,
ips, mulberries, blacberries, muscadines
d., would help, and the result would be,
instead Of sending off hndreds annually to
Kentucky and Tennessee for pork, it would
return into your own pockets in various
ways. You would not only save your ba-
con, but you would increase the not only
bacon, but you would increase the value
Of your farm, the amount Of such farm
with no such appendage. Who will try
itl-Central Georgian.