The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-04-23
From the Cotton Planter and Soil
FEEDING HOGS Upon COTTON SEED.

From the Cotton Planter and Soil
FEEDING HOGS Upon COTTON SEED.
DIR. CLoUD-Dcar Sir: AS have been
a constant reader of the Soil of the South
for the last five years, and an overseer for
the last eighteen years, without any inter-
mission, with the exception of two days
during that time, and have been raising,
iattening and killing hogs, more or less, all
the time. Therefore, if you will allow mo
small space in your valuable paper, will
give you and your readers my experience
in feeding hogs upon cotton seed, and the
Weights and average Of my hogs for the
last three years. There las been great
deal said about feeding hogs on cotton
seed /; great many people think that cot
ton seed will kill them. l am much of
their opinion, if they let them 60 to the
seed before they have been heated, they are
sur6 to kill them. The way l manage
thenis this: haul my seed out after
theyjhav been thoroughly heated, and put
them in close pen, SO that the stock can
not get TO them any more than they can to
my corn, which is in the crib. AS haul
them out, put about one gallon of salt to
the wagon load; have the salt sprinked
all through the seed as throw them out of
the wagon. They are then ready for feed
ing to the hogs-I mean to hogs that I in
: tend to kill at the expiration of the year.
never let my sows, pigs nor shoats have
any cotton seed. I commence feeding nv
pork hogs about the lst of February
feed them about six months in the year,
once day, upon cotton seed.
For the sake Of convenience, I feed them
in the morning with the seed, at night with
corn. give them from one to one and
half ears of corn day per. head, all the
time that I am feeding them with the
cotton seed. They keep fat and growing
all through the summer and fall. Now, to
prevent my sows and pigs from the cotton
seed, | have lot Of about one half acre,
made close and strong, with ig-pen made
inside of this lot; also have good strong
gate to let my sows and pigs through into
the lot.
Now to get them separated, and 10 their
places. The first thing the hog-feeder does
IN the morning, he goes and opens the gate.
The sows being accustomed to being fed in
this lot, they all run in, the hog-feeder
Knocking back such as he does not want to
60 In the lot. He then feeds the sows and
P'gs-the pigs in the pen, the sows in the
lot. The gate is made. fast so they cannot
get out; this is all done with very little
trouble to the hog-feeder. He then goes
to the seed pen, throws out about as many
seed as he thinks the pork hogs will cat up
clean, (the hogs have followed him from
the regular feeding place) lie then re-
turns back to the lot, opens the gate, and
the sows and pigs 60 out at their leisure
but before they can get to the seed pen. the
pork hogs have eaten all the seed; so thew
get none.
put my pork hogs up invariably by the
hrst or the middle of September; 1 put
them in lot of about two acres, where
they have plenty Of water to drink and
wallow in. feed them three times day
with corn, in the usual way, for some time
then, to change their food little, boi
enough for one feed once day. boil i
husk and all-tArow 10 few ashes and .
little salt, which they eat very readily;
will also occasionally cut off few greer
potato vines and throw to them, which i
a considerable treat. By feeding them II
this way, they grow and fatten all tn
time. kill them about the first of De
osmber,
Now I will give you the weight ani
average of my hogs for the last three
years:
In 1885,, killed g. g, weight 217s7 average
1886, (" 1o4, 25,7is, s4s 4s
These begs were about eighteen month";
old, upoh an average -nene of them ove
that age, but some q little under.
Now, MI. Editor, there are a great man,
farmers in this prairie country who have t.
b"y pork or bacon nearly sil the time, ant
pay upon an nsayerage for pork, g as2 cents
bacon 10 1-2 cents, which amounts "a
something worth saving, which cansbe don,
with little trouble and care, and few
cotton seed properly managed. a
Yours respectfall5,
E. sANDERsON.
Columbus, Mss, Feb. ~, 1857.
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