The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-01-03
Swine.

spend en- the farm Poultry Revie1O.
suIne.
Having just delivered my last lot of
hogs, which | sold for eight cents per
pound for all those about 200 pounds and
under. and for seven cents per pound for
those above 200 pounds, and having also
bought some young ones for another year.
feel free to write a few lines on swine
in general.
1t is astonishing how much improve
ment has been effected in the whole swine
of the country. The Berkshire breed is
the most fashionable and, as is the case
with the short-horn cattle, extraordinary
prices are paid for them 10 those holding
particularly fayOrite strains, and though
there is much borderingon the ridiculous
In the absurdly high prices, 1t is not
altogether folly, since, beside giving
greater renown to this particular breed
it causes a general respect for pure bred
stock. There are several other really
good breeds. and much of the excellence
OF the best types has been attained by
high feeding followed up through success
slve generations. By this remark there
is no reflection intended on high feed
ing; for, on the contrary, it would be of
the utmost benefit to farmers if from the
| birth OF every animal on the farm they
would all feed in way to force growth
and secure the very best quality.
Tnefe is no doubt about the Essex and
the white breeds being possessed of all
good qualities, as also the Magic and the
red breed. In relation to the last men
toned, L can remember when there were
| hundreds of thousands of the reds. or, as
they were tilen called, sandy pigs. They
were decidedly much more prolific than
hogs In general are nowadays, for it was
rare to see sow, after her first litter.
with less than twelve or thirteen pigs,
| Fiity-seven years ago my father lad a
sandy SOW killed, which weighed forty
scores, 800 pounds Thirty-eight years
ago | was steward for large landowner.
and had a young SOW slaughtered, after
she had only had two filters, and her
weight was 0 pounds. Her mother. 4
Yorkshire white sow, was killed pre-
viously, weighing 500 pounds. The
mother was nine feet long, and the
daughter not eight feet, but she was
thicker and deeper. The last mentioned
had her pigs by an Essex boar, and won
a great many premiums at agricultural
fairs from this cross, the offsprino oi
which were not large when full grown.
|
came quickly to maturity The progeny
OF this cross between the large Yorkshire
white and the small black Essex was
very good for fattening at any age, Tor
! from the age of two months they would
be only just able to waddle about, till at
the age of ten months the show pigs
became totally blind from an accumula-
ton of fat, and were fed with balls OF
barley-meal put into their mouths as
they sat upon their Launches.
1t Is very certain that it will not pay
TO keep pigs running around in what is
called store" condition, but which is
often half starved state; for, although
they cost but little for food, they paw no.
thing at all Tor that little; whereas, when
fed well from the first, they pay all the
while, and by being kept in styes they
will so enrich any farm with their manure
as to bring it up to bean heavy crops.
Indeed, their droppings are richer in
iertilizng properties than those of any
other animals excepting those fed on
great deal of oilcake. Swine are fattened
| by great proportion of the best tenant
farmers in England on account of the
prodigious crops which the manure from
| f@ttening hogs produces. So we'll is this
understood there that farmer is we'll
| Se+ei0uCu - ChO MANURE is iii ne gains 1Or
the trouble; that is, if the hogs when
sold make enough to pay for the feeding
the farmer thinks the manure a good
profit.
The worst of hog feeding in the west
and south is, that the cultivated land is
robbed and impoverished by giving the
corn TO the hogs either in the woods or in
| places where the manure is all lost, and
| If the present generation of western
| farmers could be allowed to revisit the
earth century hence, they would find
its inhabitants at that period lamenting
the ignorance and terrible selfishness OF
themselves, the spiritual visitants, when
they were in the fesh.-GeO. Gardner,
| IN Rural NetO Yorker.