Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-07-01
SIMMER CARE OF HOGS.

The hog crop, compared with the
other products Of the farm seems to
increase in Importance every year.
While the prices of everything else
Neutrality-suspicious. going SD low
as to make their production loss to
the grower--pork is constantly quoted
as "steady," or " firm and the de-
mand active A few men have
made small fortunes in hops. but
many more have lost money. The
like may be said of those who have
turned their attention to the raising of
sheep, or the production of fruit.
There is little danger Of Cutting the
market with pork, at least for the
present; and while the expense of
sending thousand dollars worth o
pork to market is scarcely more than
that of sending hundred dollars
worth of grain, there is an obvious
advantage in favor of producing the
former article.
We believe one of the reasons why
many fail in realizing what they might
from their swine herds. is that they
devote too much attention to the corn
field and too little to the hog pasture.
In their eagerness to produce an abun-
dance of feed for their hogs in autumn
and winter, they are negligent in pro-
viding them with sufficient food during
the earlier portions Of the year. Hogs
that are stinted during the summer
will not take on fat readily on the APP
proach of cold weather. A good
healthy growth should be kept up all
the season. Too many farmers I'M
tate to some extent, at least, the
practice of the honest Hibcrnian,
who having learned that ten bushels
of corn would be sufficient to fattcn
his shoat, bought it, fed it all at once
and sent for the butcher to come next
day. They work early and late in
their corn fields, the product Of which
is mainly designed for their hogs in
the fall; while their hungry pigs run
squealing about in q scanty pasture
with hardly weed to satisfy their
hunger, or drop of water to slake
their thirst.
Now, the truth is, an acre of clo-
YER to be fed off in June Is worth
more in making pork than an acre of
corn that Is to be devoured in Novem-
Der. The first can be producecd by
little labor, while the latter is only
raised at tho expense of patient and
continued toll. The grunting hog de-
lights in fat pastures no less than the
bleating lau,b and the lowing COW.
Pure cold water is as grateful to the
one as the other. In fact the hog has
greater need of it than either of the
other animals, because he requires a
bath every day, and would take il too
IL he had the facilities.
Many farmers who are in the habit
Of fattening their old horses and
young steers by turning them into
good pasture. wellsupplied with water,
seem TO be unaware that the hog is a
grazing animal, and that he, too,
could gain flesh if treated in the same
way.
August is ordinarily hard month
for hogs; the coming August threat
ems to be peculiarly severe. The hog
pasture unless it is of unusul size, is
likely to become short and much of
the ground rooted over. The soil is
otten parched; the vegetation dried
up the water scarce, and nothing
abundant but heat and flies. At such
time, of all times, the hog requires
attention. Generally we have had an
abundance of corn to feed out at this
season; but the the present year
the majority of the farmers have seen
the bottom Of their corn cribs at this
early day. Don't think your pigs will
grow standing on a sand bank and
looking through fence on a field of
corn that will ripen in October. The
hog is notan imaginative animal, and
il he was he could not live long on
hope.
Ii you have not already made pro-
vision for supplying your hogs with
food during this part Of the season,
give attention to it now. A crop of
peas, IL sown even at this late day.
will be ripen early in the month of
August. Two bushels sown broad
N"SN VA ui hlNtc VI Ncll pItpdIcu
landS should produce Mt least thirty
bushels of shelled peas, to say nothing
OF pods and vines
For growing swine in the warm sea-
son OF the year there are few kinds of
food that will compare with peas. They
do not need to be havested-the
hogs will do thst--will eat them, if
they are not too dry, stalks, leaves
and oil. IL peas will form less fat
than corn. they will produce more
heshi and that Is what is wanted at
the period that prccedes fattening.
lhey arc asy TO raise where the soil
AMI climltc are suitable for them; do
not exhaust the soil like most crops /;
and come in just the time they are
most needed. In England, where it
Is impossible to raise corn. farmers
rely largely ON peas to fattcn their
hogs while in Canada. where thew
can raise very fair corn, hold that more
hog food can be raised from an acre
al peas than from an acre of corn :
IrIirie Farmer.