The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-08-12
!GIle Gazette;
rHE HOG.

Hon. Elmer baldwin, before the
Illinois Industrial. University, we
nakeSthe following extracts:
During the year just ended, Chi
cago- alone received /, ,sss,s73 hogs,
estimated to be worth $4,000, 900.
Onsthe breeds and breeding the
lecturer remarked that. the, Berk.
shire has retained the good d'opinioD
ofthe public longer than anyuther
breed, and the improved Berkshire
is probably our best breed. The
Berkshire was first obtained by
crossing the Neopohtanswlth: one
of the large English breeds. ~
The Suffolk is esteemed the
best breed in England, and is a
cross between the large coarse
English hog with the fine and del
icate Chinese. 1t is of fair size,
and Of good. fattening- qualities.
The pure Suffolk is almost destjs
tute OF hair, aud istoo. tenderstor
our Western treatment, but in
fattening gives good return for
all food consumed. ~
There arc several American
breeds that have attracted s'atten.
ton, as the Magic hog Of Ohio, and
Chester White of PennsylVapia,
both good hogs. but hardly yet
entitled to be called distinct breeds.
It.requires a long continued
breeding in one direction to form
q distinct breed, so that all pigs
wiIhbe Of q uniform character, size
and form. The tendency isito
breed back to the most defective
progenitor.
The lecturer strongly condemned
the practice offarmers' ipdiscrimss :
mate crossing. There seems to be
a mania for mixing all breeds,
when the aim should beto preserve
each broed distinctsand pure.
Both parents should be at least
one year old.before being allowed
to breed and if the female could
be kept until FIVE or six years old
for that purpose, it would matters
ally improve the size and vigor Of
the pigs.
The period of CESSATION is 112
days, and the sow should have
such food and exercise as to secure
perfect health. April pigs are
tho best, worth one.third more
than July pig, one halt more than
September pigs
The Hog must arrive at matur.
ity before it can be easily fattened.
A growing pig should never be
fed corn to any ,amount., II con
taiustoo much oil and not the
elements Of growth. Bran, ,.shorts;
grass and succulent vegetables
should be their food,
After Eeaning the pig, it should
never be made extremely fat. 1t
checks tho growth and Injuries its
thrift afterwards. Nor should
pigs be allowed TO, become thin,
in flesh. 1ikoa hill of corn, II it:
once becomes feeble and sickly,
no after culture can undo the in.
jury
The hog is impatient Of both
heat and cold, and unusual exer.
tion during the heat Of Summer,
especially in full flesh, will fre.
quently cost him his life
He must be sheltered from the
burning summer sun, and also
from the winters rigorous cold
else the credit side Of tho pork
account will suffer. / do not be.
lievc any good Christian can say,
his prayers and sleep easily and
quietly while the whole neigbborr,
hood is made vocal by the cries Of
his freezing pigs, '.t. .
During the summer before fat.
tening, q clover or timothy pas
ture is indispensable to tho success.
ful and economical production Of
pork. Condning in small pens,
and feeding of corn is tho most
expensive preparation for fatten;
ing in the fall that can. we'll bo adop.
ted. II fed on corn through the
hot weather, their teeth Become
sore, and the animals are general.
ly diseased, and it will bo found
impracticable to make them put
on fat. Ono autumn when corn
was worth 20 cents a bushel, n
neighbor Of mino Inquired ofmo,
why his hogs would not fatlon,
and said most Of his neighbors
made like complaint. 'st i
replied that tho reason was
obvious-ch cheap corn wuS the trouble
mot that "ten cent corn is less
nutritious than ono dollar corn,
but II was fed too literally, and
neither man or hog can stand
high feeding on corn alone but q
few months and remain in health.
The object is to keep tho ami
NAL during tho summer in healthy
and thrifty growth, slightly gain,
ing In flesh SOFAS 10 prepare for the
tattsning process, which is always
moro or loss q health destroying
process. Sudden changes from |
succulent TO solid food should be
avoided, and vice versa. The
bange should bo gradual. There
is ono primary rule in iattenlng,l
that shonld never DO violated --thc
change offeod should always be
from lighter. 10 heavier, and ney.
er IRON heavier to lighter. Nor
feed TO sufett; give just enough.
for the healthy, and full action Of
the digestive organs. Ascertain
tho exact amount by measurement
The old pdago--tbat tho lazy
farmer who leaned upon tho ienco
while his hogs finished their meal,
always had the heaviest pork, has
much significance. II
. Plenty of water, with occasion.