The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-10-05
PASTURE FOR SWINE.

Too little attention is given to this
matter by many farmers; and in this,
they stand in their own light. The
hog is a grazing animal, and during the
season when grass supplies food for
stock, he will do better when kept on
it than when fed On almost anything
else. On this topic Prof. Rodney
Welch of this city, says in the Times -
"A hog is as much entitled to grass
during the Summer as a COW is, and
will profit quite as much fromit As 4
dairy-nan studies how to have a good
pasture for bis milch cows, so raiser
of hogs should study how to have a
good pasture for his breeding and stock
hogs. Too many farmers give very
little atter tion to the food their hogs
receive Ill il comes time to commence
fattening them, when they are impat-
lent 10 stuff them with all they can de
vour. They seem to think that it is
only necessary to give them enough to
keep them alive up to that time.
A good hog pasture should contain
an acre of land for every five hogs. TAX
ng them as they come. Glover will
produce the most food ard the kind OF
green food that is best relished by
swine. As it does not come forward
very early in the spring, and as it is liza
bic TO suffer FROM the protracted
drouth that usually occurs in mi6sum-
mer, hog pasture should contain a
plat Of one of the true grasses. Orch
ard grass Is highly praised by those
WHO have raised il for hog pasturage.
II starts early, grows till late in the sea-
son. bears frequent groupings. while it
is exceedingly tender. In Kentucky
blue grass is the favorite grass for hog
pasturage, as it is we'll adapted TO the
sol! and climate. Glover does not do
well in the South, owing to the open
Winters and the extreme heat during
Summer. A hog pasture should be
sown SO that the grass will be cut one
year before the hogs are turned in, SO
as to insure a tolerable strong soil.
"A good hog pasture should contain |
living water. In the absense fittl |
should be well and pump. 1t is by no
means essential that hogs have mire TO |
wallow in, but it is an excellent plan
to have pool of water in which they
can wade during the warm weather
Ifthis cannot be furnished there should
be large trough from which the ami
mails can drink at any time. A good
shade is of great Importance in Raising
hogs. They cannot endure the hot SUD
without suffering from the conse-
quenees. Several large, speeding
trees, thicket of bushes, or spot GOV
cred by bushes which are covered by
vines will afford an excellent retreat
from the rays of the sun. 1t is cruelty
to put hogs in a pasture in which there
Is no natural or artificial shade. ifl
there are no trees, rude sheds should
be erected and covered with poles and
straw. In laying out place for hog
pasture, provision should be made for
shade. The sheds may be erected for
purposes, but trees should
De planded for use ia the future. Cot
will grow so fast that they
will afford excellent shade in q few
7ears They thrive well on any Of our
prairie soils. and may be easily obtain
ID in any portion of the West. A
,rove of erab-apple trees affords a
most delightful shade, while the fruit
will be of some value to the hogs.
rheie is nothing like a good run
Lmong large forest trees such as grow
IN the bottom lands of the West for
he production of healthy hogs. In
III the reports of cholera that have
cached US, we have heard Of no cases
on farms where the hogs had
! chance to run at will through for
st and enjoy the advantages of shade,
mast, and the clear water Of running
treams.