Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-01-29
Moro Hogs and Less Wheat"

mongrel stock does pay? If any,
have yet to find out"
more Hogs and Less Wheat"
a correspondent of the Farmers
Union (Iinn.) writing on the above
topic, says some good sensible things
and has evidently walked up to the
fact that Iowa farmers are now fully
realizing, viz: the necessity Of sub
stitu.ing corn and hogs for wheat
His emphatic style of dealing with
the subject is so good that we give
the entire communication. He says:
Pork at six and seven cents a
pound, and Minnesota is not pro-
ducing enough for her own consump-
ton; consequences are, farmers are
hard up. The tight grip Of debt is
upon us. Wheat, our main stay, and
beet-how are the mighty fallen!
Look at the pork districts of Iowa,
Wisconsin, Illinois, &c.;-forty mil
lions of dollars there being distribut-
ed, and the report comes that money
is easy, and the farmers with fat pur-
ses and jolly faces.
Why cannot we raise pork? We
all know, Mr.. Editor, we can-and
corn, too; as much corn per acre as
Iowa and Illinois. That fact has
been demonstrated by the experience
of many of my neighbors from Hi
nois. Only cultivate it as it should
be. Why don't we raise pork? l
cannot tell, unless it be that the god
dess Ceres has so fascinated and
blinded us by her charms that wheat,
and wheat only, could we sow and
reap on our virgin soil. But the god
dess suffers terrible eclipse this
year, and let us quietly break up her
leading strings and discuss the pros
and cons of raising swine for profit
after the example Of our thrifty
neighbors.
1t must be admitted the price of
wheat fluctuates greatly, but none
can doubt it will bear a good price
for two or three years. Besides we
should at least supply our oacn rapid
~ increasing wants at all times. 1t
is burning disgrace to us farmers
that we have to import pork, bacon
and lard. We believe on the contra
ry that it would be wise and pru-
dent policy for our own farmers to
go into the business largely and ex-
port this product by millions of dol
lars annually. The large and increas-
ing export to Europe will keep up a
fair market, and we can ship pork,
bacon and lard much cheaper than
we can wheat. But let us pass to
the next question:
HOW SHALL WE RAISE THEM:
First, how not to do it. Don't at
tempt to hang up high hopes and cx-
pectations upon the big-boned, long
legged, lean, slab-sided, two-forty
racers; or even the common scrubs
of slow growth, but ravenous, Aide
eaters. Don't keep only the
breeding hogs over winter. Don't
freeze them by cold, wet, unlittered
pens, and don't starve them with
wishy-washy, homeopathic doses.
Commence with the best well-bred
grade of pigs you can easily find of
any of the early maturing Breeds
These are SO widely ditfused there is
no excuse for keeping inferior ones.
Breed to a thoroughbred male Of the
most hardy and early maturing blood
we would choose Berkshircs, and
be sure you are not deceived by UNI
principled men who sell grades for
pure breds. The young pigs should
be dropped in March or early in
April, and give them without fail
well-littered, dry, warm pen. Give
them the best start in life you can.-
They will pay you well for all care
and good feed. Have a clover lot in
early summer to turn them in. In
August turn them into the corn field
where you have planted some early
fencing off small area by
hurdle fence. After harvesting this
lot move the fence around another
lot, unless you choose to follow up
with the store hogs. Keep changing
as necessary your hurdle fence, and
watch the porkcrs grow fat. You
may give the finishing touch to them
in your pens if you keep into Deem
Der. Kill, cut, barrel, smoke and try
out the product yourself, and learn
to do it well. You then reap the
whole harvest, and save the middle
mems profit.
Two hundred and fifty or seventy
five pounds of the sweetest, incest
quality, turned when eight or nine
OLE, will swell out the pocket
book to 4 greater rotundity than
wheat or beef-and think Of the little
labor and expense. Try it, farmers
of Minnesota! But remember the
keystone of success is the use of
male of one of the i'm
proved breeds, and generous care and
breeding.
Give your milch COW plenty of salt,
is very common advice to dairymen.
The philosophy Of feeding salt to
mich cows is doubtless rarely inquir-
ed into; few persons care to know
the why's and wherefores. Give them
a cause that will produce, as 4 rule, u
certain sought for effect, and they are
content. The most plausible reason
we ever heard for feeding salt to
mich cows, was the very natural one
that it makes them drink large guam
titles Of water, and hence more milk
will be the result. One dairyman
says the mich COW should drink six
pailfuls 4 day. He would thus fol-
low the by no means uncommon Gus
tom of mixing water with milk,
though he thinks the mixture should
take place at an early stage of the
milk-forming process.