Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-01-16
PRACTICAL HINTS ON HOG
RAISING.
With some Sensible Suggestions, TO-
garding Farmers Correspondence
and List Of Topics for Dis.
cussion

anu q AxSC Oh 4OyACS AOA DAs-
QUESTION
BRANDON, Jan. IA, 1874.
Ed. BuLLETIN:-I notice that you
keep standing request at the head
of the Agricultural columns OF your
paper, for the farmer readers to
write for it, which request seems to
be entirely overlooked by them, ex-
cept during a political canvass; you
are, hence, under the necessity Of
clipping from other papers. to fill
the space. These extracts of course
arc interesting, but not so much so
as if they were home productions.
Now, if such practical farmers as
Curtis, Brintnall, Pierce, Sanborn,
Dean, Peck, and scores of others
would write us short articles giving
their own views, experience and OBJ
servations on the various questions
pertaining to farming, over their
own signatures, it certainly would
be interesting and we might gather
ideas that would be beneficial to us
all. For there is no occupation that
we can be engaged in that furnishes
such n wide field for discussion. OK
change of views and experience as
farming.
With the farmer, such questions
will arise as: Which is the best
method of sowing wheat on corn
stubble land? Is it best to pillow
the ground in the spring, or plow
out the rows and cross harrow be-
fore sowing, or SOW first and cult
vate with a corn cultivator? Is it
injurious to pillow land in the spring
as soon as the frost is out, or 6
inches deep, and the surface wet
and heavy? How long should the
same seed be sown or planted on
the same soil? Does it pay to feed
two-year. old steers to turn off for
beef in the spring, when they are
three? Should our present fencing
law be repealed? What kind Of
fence is the cheapest and best? Is
there any virtue or reliability in
water-witching with forked stick?
Which is the best time to pillow corn
ground; in the fall or in the spring?
Which is the best and most practi-
cal for this country, to fence in a
hog-pasture, or SOW clover to cut up
and feed hogs? Are hogs moro Ii
able to the cholera and other dis
eases, that have been rung or cut
to prevent them from roofing.
The above questions with many
others might be profitably discussed
through the BULLETIN, making our
paper more interesting, and at the
same time obtaining the views and
experience of others.
will set the ball to rolling if |
can, by calling the farmers atten-
ton to the Importance of
GRASS FOR HOGS,
during it's season.
The price of wheat, corn, oats, in
fact, all farm produce, is advancing
to somewhere near its true value.
Hogs especially have advanced be-
yond any of our expectations. So
that those who were fortunate
enough to hold on to them until re-
Gently, have received good prices
for them. Thus as farm produce
advances, it brightens up the farm
er's prospects, making him feel
more cheerful and hopeful for the
future. In view of these considera-
tons many OF them are contempla-
ting making more or less improve
ments on the farm, and as every
farmer keeps more or less hogs, the
improvement of first Importance,
and the one that is overlooked and
put off by a majority of western far
mers, is hog-pasture. Now, it is
fact that in order to raise pork
cheap and make hog-raising protita-
BILE, they must be SO provided for
that they can have free access dur
ing the summer, to grass, fresh
earth, exercise and sunshine.
The three great elements for ma :
king pork are
CORN, GRASS AND WATER.
We should grow them on grass, and
fat them ON corn; if we attempt to
grow them on corn and afterwards
fat them on the same, we will find
as experience has taught us, that it
is uphill business; for corn is fat
producing food, and if fed to excess
to young, immature pigs, confined
in close pens, their bones and mus
cles become contracted, they lose
their natural appetite, and the whole
system becomes degenerated and
unhealthy, In fact, there is no bet
ter way to make pork-raising un-
profitable, than to feed dry corn
from the time they are pigs until
they are full-grown hogs, without
exercise and grass, while young.
Then when we come to market with
them we will have Just reasons for