The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-03-14
From the DcKalb County New $
Lam farmers Club.

The Club met at the usual place. and after
making some interesting examinations of vari-
Gus microscopic objects through the bottom OF
their beer mugs, proceeded to business Tho
President, seated on an empty beer keg, with his
feet on the stove, and holding glass of some
colored fluid in his left hand, which he occasion
ally stirred with spoon, discoursed as follows
The subject for discussion this evening is the
hog, and hope no member of the club will take
my remarks as in the least personal
The hog according to Linnaeus) is of the class
Mammalia, order Pachedermata, genus Suidal
or Sus This highly important domestic animal
is no doubt derived from the wild boar, formerly
a native of the British Islands, and very common
in the forests until tho time of the civil war in
England. The hunting of these animals afford
ed great amusement to the old Saxon, antil his
attention was called to Fenianism and other
kindred subjects. The wild hog usually lives to
be thirty or forty years old. This is not so with
the domesticated animal, which no doubt is owing
in a measure to the high price of corn and the
universal demand for hams and sausage.
The hog was held in high esteem by the Greeks
and Romans, but the Egyptians thought them
such vile beasts that should a man touch one by
accident he would hasten to the nearest river
and plunge in, clothes and all and be purified.
Lard oil was then unknown, and it is perhaps
unnecessary to add that those ancient Egyptians
had not heard of Chicago packing houses, or
they would have changed their views on these
subjects on once shifting the sweet ordor from
these delightful summer resorts. The Jews also
are not partial to hog meat, and had rather deal
in old clothes from some small pox hospital than
the best pork that was ever in the Chicago mar.
ket
There are varieties of breeds of hogs, among
which are the Sorrel Pike, which was the kind
raised by the first settlers of Illinois; the
Chinese; the Berkshire the Suffolk the Essex
the Chester etc. As each of the varieties have
their particular friends among the members of
this club, with this introduction shall close my
remarks.
From the discussion that followed we gather
the following facts of interest to the farmer:
A hog that can't make his own living is no
hog at all. Let tho hogs run around the house
as much as possible. If you have no cellar, let
them run under the house. Great care must be
taken to have the house floor we'll nailed down,
as it is very uncomfortable to wake up in the
morning and find that the hogs have come up
through the floor, and devoured your breakfast,
and appropriated your clothing Always have a
rope HANDY to pull dead hogs out of the well, as
they are apt to spoil the water after being much
over week in, in the summer time. Plant poor
potatoes deep, or the hogs will be sure to root
them up. Cut off your pigs ears and tails when
quite young, otherwise the neighbors dogs will
be sure to do it for you, when the hogs get older
Hogs are not raised much for their wool as
sheep. Always buy hogs when scarce and high,
and sell of your stock when they are cheap and
plenty. Any person who should pursue the OPP
posite course should be expelled from the club
In fact the same may be said of all farming
operations. Always SOW barley, oats, etc, when
the price is high, and you will have the produce
to sell when the price is low. This rule seldom
fails on the prairics. Hogs are not SO easily
skinned as. sheep, which may account for the
fact that the pelts not reported in the market
reports
After voting to hold county hog shearing
some time in the spring, the club adjourned.