Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-02-18
From the American Stock journal
ALL ABOUT HOGS.

Hoes, The high price of pork, and
its universal use, makes hogs a subject OF
special interest now, in the United States.
BREEDS. The best of the large breeds
is thought here, to be the Berkshire
Amoag the small breeds, the Suffolk, the
Essex, and the Spanish are the favori,es.
l have tried all these but the Essex, Of
which l have the promise of fine pair
now FOR an experiment My objection
to the Berkshire is that they are too
1 large for family use. The Suffolk has
too little hair for this climate, and our
method Of treating them. The Spanish
hog which now breed purely, is the best
hog ] have tried. They weigh over 500
pounds gross, at maturi,y,-are covered
well ssith long, curly, red hair, few or no
bristles, very deep bodied, thrifty, and
tatten well at all ages. The bacon is
very juicy and superior. They are a
pure breed, and prevail in Portugal,
Spain, and Mexico, where l have seen
very fine specimens. sell numbers Of
them, north, south and west.
4 BREEDING.-The sow goes with young
about one hundred and fourteen days
Some breeders insist on their being
twelve or fifteen months old before being
| put to breeding, but l am of the opinion
that six or ten months will do well where
5 they are forced by high feeding, and not
? allowed to run down whilst suckling.-
/, And therein lies the great evil of early
S breeding the fntus takes so much of
: the nourishment of the fJui that the gen.
= eral development is injured permanently,
p or greatly retarded. While with young
: they should be allowed exercise freely.
: As the time Of bearing approaches, they
n should be put in separate lots, of one, or
}, not more than two together. The bed
: should be covered against rain, with
e thateh, or boards, and made of forest
y leaves, or short hay or straw, but so light
e as not 10 impede the locomotion of the
n youns pigs; for if they do not move
a nimbly about, the sows viii oyerlay them
C For the first day the SOW should not bC
I 5;-,.,r},oJ not o,s, % (oaJ -. -,
a should they be removed from the plac,
is of birth till the pigs begin to follow he
4, about, otherwise they will return to thei
l. original beds, and be there starved. a.
g soon as the pigs begin to toiloa0, and seel
N food, as soon as ten or twenty sows MAJ
T, be put together, provided the weather j
le not Geld enough to cause them to "pil
ly up" Now rail pens should be made wit
ly holes for the pig, but excluding the sow;
J. where corn, rye, wheat, milk, or othe
n food should always be kept by them
oy If pigs are of different sizes, there shoul
be be several pens with holes to suit th
several sizes, else the large ones wi
ry drive off the small ones from the food.
st- WEAVING AND SPATING. AT two G
- three months old the pigs should be wear
ed. II the sows are to be fed for porl
:. instead of the barbarous method Of spa,
!, ing, with sharp sheep-shcars, cut off III
-, extreme points Of all the teats, when the
viii at once dry up. If the sows are r,
- moved to distant place, one should
NJ allowed TO remain, to herd the rigs, whic
should be called once or twice a da
Throughout the year, and fed a little,
- keep them perfectly gentle. The be
:, method here is to let April pigs go to Il
boar in January, have pigs in April, ar
then 90 to the butcher the same fall,
that is now my practice-except with n
thoroughbred hogs, the cid ones Of viii,
" cannot afford to go to pork. By tt
means there Is great economy, as y
''5 Hc=II winter an Olu hb8' OiS mon
me before killing they should be turned to Il
son boar, as they fatten better, and are n
hat injured.
les FArrENNG. Hogs at all times shou
Ca have a water-tight trough, filed vi
md wcod ashes and salt in equal mixture.
In twenty years / have never lost TWEEN
80, hogs by disease, sometimes having fatt
= huadgeds year for the droyers. B
- wien the hogs are put up in close p
=. to fatten, they require especial care
Il. reference to their health. In tile spri
,ha they should be put upon red clover, a
no. if convenient, have a little grain I
~. them once a day. Prom the clover
-. them go to early oats, or wheat, or r.
in fhe field. then give them old corn
.ble the pen until the new IS hard, as J
tive save much by not feeding the corn til
ia is perfectly matured. Corn should not
the fed down in the Geld, unless water Is 81
EN- convenient, and then few acres Of
air should be accessible al time, 70 pres,