Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-09-12
S~Ts : From the Iowa Homes tea
u. y vi PRIZE EssAY ON SWINE.


II practical Essay on, the breeds, Reariag and
Enlargement Of Seine, md the Curing and
Marketing Of Porh,, dc. <%,6s J [.Ss+@
by DIR. G.. spRAGUE, BUTLER CO., IOWA.
(coNoLrpEo) y1.yf 81
- 8, The Wight Of the Different Brpels.-In
the preceding remarks, twill be not c d that
nothing has been said about the weight that
each breed named can be expected to attain
to. Any of the large breeds may be made
to weigh at sixteen or eighteen months, 800
to 450 pounds nett, the weights varying very
greatly according to the treatment the swine
have received from the time Of Throwing up
to killing To illustrate A has SOW, large
breed |, she drops her pigs in the lane, tho
barn-yard or the woods, lives on grass and
roots, and perhaps an occasional feed Of corn.
She weans her pigs whenever she is ready,
or when her milk ceases to afford its scanfv
flow. The pigs weigh twenty pounds each
y at six weeks old. They learn to eat roots
and grass like the mother. They pass thro'
4 the first winter on little dry corn, and with
e. sout shelter or bed. These pigs may attain
to 800 pounds at eighteen months. r has a
SOW Of precisely the same breed, and the pigs
1 from her of the same parentage on the sire's
side. She has good pen or yard, is fed on
boiled potatoes, midlings, milk and other ac-
ceptable food. Her flow of milk is free. At
two weeks old the pigs eat with her of her
mess At six weeks old they weigh forty
pounds each. At ten months they weigh 800
. pounds each, at eighteen months, $50 pounds
o nett. Now, when you would ask what pigs
Of given breed will weigh at ten or eighteen
months, you cannot expect an intelligent an
swer, except the mode Of feeding be stated.
But you qualify by saying, with ordinary
treatment. Now ordinary treatment with
81 you, may mean little milk, all the refuse of
the kitchen to three or four pigs, and a little
addition OF corn. "Ordinary treatment" with
your neishbor may mean none Of these things.
Now yougwill readily appreciate what the diff
ference will be to the pigs
20 Br~1ing-The, male,hog should not be
bred from till ten or twelve months old. II
very valuable, he should not be used till Of
the latter age. Many fine young boars are
rendered entirely useless, bxrattemptiug to
get PIGS fonf tlludat sty n0pths old. The
female should not produce her first litter till
twelve nopthssold. sSows carry their. young
about sixteen weeks, the variation being gem
orally sys qf e writer bred from about bout fort~
sows. None of these farrowed inside Of six
teen weeks-nearly all Of them over tl,is time
from one to three DAYS. Young sosys that
hats not attained lheir growth should be fed
literally till within few days of pigrinr -
: Aweek or ten days before her time Of prer-
nancy has expired, she should be confined in
pen having smooth floor, with but little
bedding there on. Many entire ltters are
lost from the sows being allowed to pig in
pens with earth floors. They are very sure
to root hole into the floor of the pen, get
all the bedding within their reach, and in this
trap many Of the pigs are sure to be laid up
on and destroyed. IT the SOW has suitable
place, and is left free from disturbance, she
VIII generally not move her position after the
first pig. is dropped, till some considerable
time after parturiition is completed. thus civ.
Ing the pigs time 20 dry off, and fill them
selves with milk This accomplished they
are generally active enough to keep out Of
harms way Sows fed on corn, even liber.
ally, during the sucking process, will fall of
in flesh, and the pigs will not thrive. From,
somewhat large experience in r.aring pigs,
we have come to the conclusion that for sows
suckliagn end for young pigs, there is nc
feed equal to midlings. If, however, pigs arc
being raised only on a small scale, and milk
boiled POTATOES, and refuse from the kitchen
can be afforded, the result will be satsfacto.
ry. Oats are goed~feed fersows during suck,
ling, and sisrwoaaing II place oats. Young
pigs will h4l them carefully, and masticate
them thoroughly. J The time thus consumed
in eating, is a sure preventive against indi
gestion, and the large bellies which little pigs
atsweaning or after, are too apt to carry
When the pigs are two or three weeks old
they should be provided with a small trough
to viii h thu mother cannot get access, IN
which there should be kept milk, boiled pc