The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1870-01-27
Ght Gazette.
RAISING AND FEEDING
SWINE.
An Essay Read before the West
srn New York FarmeFs' Club.

ern New York FarmeFs' Club.
Ata recent meeting of this club,
the Chairman, Mr., Dewey, read
The results Of his experience, at
follows:
HThe raising and fattening oi
swine Is q subject Of great impor.
tance, even greater than is gener,
ally considered by the farmers OIL
Western New York. The pork
barrel is one Of the indispensables
Of the farmhouse. and the filling
oft, cheaply or dearly, should be
as much . matter of economy as
any product of the farm. If the
farmer. after keeping debt and
credit with any crop, should find
after successive years loss, or at
bcst mere compensation for the
labor bestowed, with no positive
gain, he would abandon the cul.
ture. Now, few farmers are care
full accountants, but were they 30,
many would have found them.
selves baokrupts il the whole of
their capital had been invested ir
swine. This is q truth apparent
and real to every one who chooses
to investigate; namely, certain
products in every branch Of indus.
try are less profitable than others,
even with the greatest care in pro.
ducing them. Thus the merchant
receives bat a tenth per cent. on
some Of his wares, while be may
receive one hundred per cent. on
Others with much less labor. So it
is with the farmer, and one of the
least profitable products of tho
farm may be, and frequently is,
the swine. If especial care can
not bo taken in raising and fatten.
ing, there will DO o decided loss;
but with proper management there
may be q gain.
"Every sound economist is anx.
ious to have the whole.o of his capi.
tai profitably invested. He who
acts otherwise is either ignorant
of the principle Of production, ,indo.
lent, or is sIovenly. Tho farmer
should be careful in investing q
portion of bis capital in swine, to
get tho very best breed, and keep
them SO. The finest pom Of York.
shires, crossed continuously in the
same family, will degenerate to
lean, gristly landshorks. Having
procured what is known to be
good stock, the farmer should se-
lect from tho brood what he Judges
to be the best for future breeding,
never crossing the pame family
moro than once, or twice at most.
Any farmer can afford TO be at the
trouble and expense Of using
breeding stock kept expressly for
the purpose, rather than re.cross
with his own, or use what Is too
common to be valuable. In select.
ing breeding animals, due care
should bo exercised as to their
proportions. Extremes should be
avoided. The animal should be
compact, with as little superhuity
Of ears, nose, and legs as possible
The points Of a good blood hog
are as plainly visible in hog as
in those Of bullock. The coarse.
rind swine are far lees valuable
for pork than the thin. skinned,
and tho shrowd farmer will 70.
serve the latter for home uso and
carry the former to market.
But, Notwithstanding tho great.
est caution in selecting tho breed
and tho preliminaries for breeding,
much labor will bo lost, or the
profits greatly lessened, If care il
not taken with tho brood SOW, be.
fore and after coming in. 1t is q
common idea that she may easily
be made too heshy. l believe thit
to be erroneous. But she may be
kept too poor, the common result
of which will be, the young will be
untbrifty. Aft6r coming in, she
should be lightly fed at first, in.
creasing her feed daily for about
ten days, she may be fed all shc
will eat of the best food. The eff.
feet Of this will DO soon, not only
in tho improved condition Of the
SOW but also IN the rapidity of tho
growth Of the young. At this early
period should commence tho fat.
tenning process. Feed tho brood
SOW unstintingly, and thus feed
her young.
"Not an unimportant item in
the raising of swine, Ia the ago to
which they attain before slaugh.
tering. Some have preferred from
six 10 ten months, whilo others
have regarded from twenty
months to two years not too long u
time for the animal to mature.
Others still have preferred from
fourteen TO sixteen months.
"Now let us examine tho three
ages, with their respective advan.
tages and disadvantages. Tho first,
OF from six 20 ton months, may
have this in its favor. Tho flesh
is tender and palatable, but tho
lightness of weight may ovcrbal.
ancc the advantage mentioned.-
Tho second ago, that Of twenty
months or moro, has decided dis.
advantages. In tho first place,
there must be tho trouble and OK.
ponsc Of keeping for four months
or moro-which Is a very import.
ant item to bo considered. Tho
swine intended for fall or winter
pork nocd, in order to thrive we'll,
tho same sustenance that the spring
pig will require after n few weeks
old, Thus the iattening hogs will
DO deprived Of what can not we'll
be dispensed with. WcrO tho pius
to como about the middle Of Al.
gust, IL is time 10 begin 10 feed tho