The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-05-21
FARM AND GARDEN.


The management of swine is one
which concerns and interests the gen
eral farmer in the west to q greater ex-
tent than almost any other department
of farm industry /; and as TIE time is
drawing near when so many sOws Will
be coming In, brief statement of my
mode of treatment, before and after far
rowing, may not be devoid of interest.
1t Is of great importance that every
thing be made ready in advance of the
time that the sOws are expected to far
row. A few hours time spent in
making the sty comfortable will often
save a valuable litter of pigs which
might otherwise be lost. 1 am satisfied
that a very large proportion of valua-
bic stock IS lost annually through care
lessness in this particular. After the
pigs have come in safely, the success of
the farmer will depend in a great meas
ure upon the after-treatment of the SOW
She should be carefully fed and watched
uDtil the young pigs are at least a week
old. I do not recommend high feeding
before narrowing neither the first week
after but should have a light, succu-
lent diet for the first week or ten days,
with plenty to drink after which her
food should be gradually increased in
strength until she becomes accustomed
to it, the great object being to prevent
her from becoming clOyed. A SOW thus
carefully fed until she can safely eat all
she wants of a nutritious, succulent
diet, will give a large quantity of nu-
tritious milk
If the SOW has a large litter of pigs
they should be taught to eat as early as
possible. They should have the very
best of feed. Indian corn, ground and
cooked and mixed with skim milk and
the waste from the kitchen makes the
best feed for young pigs. If it is not
convenient to have the corn ground,
It can be shelled and boiled until il
bursts open, in which shape it is almost
as good as when ground. When the
weather Is warm it will answer almost
as well to soak corn until soft. Young
pigs should have all they can eat and
digest, and should occasionally have
salt mingled with their food. A good
supply of charcoal should always be
within their reach, and in its absence
ordinary bituminOus coal should be pro-
vided. They should, if possible, in the
proper season, have the run of a clover
field, as I consider it the best hog pas
ture for either young or old. Where
clover is not raised, an ordinary grass
lot is the next best thing.
If pigs are well formed, and of good,
thrifty stock, having the run of the
clOver6eld or good grass lot, and care
fully fed three times daily what they
will eat of good, sound corn. they can
be made to weigh from $50 to 300
pounds gross, which is large enough
for practical purposes at eight or nine
months old. If farrowed, therefore,
tue last of March or early in April, they
can be marketed the next December,
weighing as much as there is any use in
having hog weigh.
[ would not, however, recommend the
too early narrowing of pigs, as it is at
tended with too much risk from cold
storms. L have usually managed to
have my pigs narrowed about the Goth
of April, and by the exercise of little
extra care have had them weigh 200 ID
by the middle of September / am sat-
lstied that the largest returns for feed
and time can be made by adopting a
liberal system OF feeding and manage
ment, and that whoever adopts this
method of handling it will find it's pro-
duction a paying business. have been
engaged in the rearing of swine for a
number of years, and my experience
has taught me that liberal treatment
pays much better than the common
practice. s. DragOO, IN National
Stock Journal.
CULTURE OF PEANUTS.
J. @. d. asks for information relative
to the culture of peanuts. 1 will give
him our practice. We first get our
land into the best possible condition by
piOWing and narrowing. finishing with
the smOothing-harrow. Then we lay IF
rows with a marker drawn by two
hnFGng 1rIU no
marker and driving to stakes, so as to
lay a straight row. The marker makes
two rows, 3 feet apart, and attached to
each runner Is a small wheel, which
makes a sign or mark 10 to Is inches
apart. Hands follow Immediately,
dropping two kernels at every mark.
Then follows hand covering with hoe,
to J. inches deep, and pressing the
back of the hoe down solid on the hill
after covering. The plant will be up in
six to twelve days. As soon as the row
can be seen We throw the dirt away with
turn-plcw. When the plant is we'll up
We work the ground around the plant
with hoes, aud cultivate between the
rows with cultivatOrs.
The ground should be kept mellow
and free from weeds by constant use of
cnltivator and hoe. Four hoeings are
disturbed after the LIST of August. In
this section we plant from May 10 TO
June l. It is better to have all planted
by 22d May. If crows or mOles arc
troublesome, use tar on the seed, as
yOu would for corn. Seed dug after a
heavy frost is not reliable. 1t will take
about three bushels of seed to plant al
acre. Great care should be taken in Sc
Letting seed, and none planted but
smooth and plump kernels Stiff soil
will not produce a first class nut. The
soil should be sandy loan, and well
lined. Chocolate colored soil produces
the most desirable colOred nuts. II
dug before frost the vines make excel
lent fodder for cattle and horses, but
the nuts are better filled and heavier il
dug a few days after frost
To dig the nuts, use one-horse
Dixie" pillow, with peanut blade at
tached. We run the pillow deep enough
under the plant, so as not to cut off the
nuts-say five inches deep, using two
horses to the pillow, and run once on
eacn side of the row. We let a hand
follow, lifting the vines and shaking the
dirt off, Each hand can shake two
rows. We throw the vines into heaps
as we shake them, placing them care
fully oue on top the other, for cOnven,
/. I.