The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-04-05
FARM AND HOME.
Pasture for Swire.

Too lttls attention is given to this
matter by 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 anything else. On this topic
Prof. Rodney WEIGH says in the Chicago
Times: " A hog is as much entitled to
grass during summer as a COW Is,
and will profit quite as much from 1t.
As a dairyman studies how to Lave
good pasture for his mich COWS, so
raiser of hogs should study how to have
a good pasture for his breeds end stock
hoes. Too many farmers give very little
attention 10 the food their hogs receive
till it comes time to commence fattening
them, when they are impatient to stuff
them with all they can devour. They
seem to think it is only necessary to give
them enough to keep them alive up to
that time.
"a good og-pasture should contain
an acre of land for every FIVE hogs, tax
ing them as them come. Glover viii
produce the most feed and the kind of
green food that Is best required by swine.
As it does not come forward very early
in the spring, and it Is liable to suffer
from the protracted dTouth that usually
occurs IN midsummer, q hog pasture
should contain plat of one of the true
grasses. Orchard grass Is highly prized
by those who have used it for hog pas
tursge. 1t starts early, grows till late
in the summer, bears frequent groupings,
while it is exceedingly tender. In Ken
lucky blue grass is the favorite grass for
hog pasturage, as it is well adapted to the
soil and climate. Clover does no do well
in the south, owing to the open winters
and the extreme heat during summers.
4 heg~pasture should be sown SO that the
grass will be cut one year before the hogs
are turned in, SO as TO insure tolerably
strong turf.
&c good hog pasture should contain
live water. in the absence of it there
should be well and pump. 1t is by no
wai.ow in, but it is an excellent plan to
have q pool OF water which they can
wade during the warm weather. If this
cannot be furnished there should be a
arge trough from which the animals can
drink at any time. A good shade is of
great Importance in raising hogs. They
cannot endure the hot sun without suf-
iering from the consequences. Several
large, spreading trees, thicket of bushes,
or spot covered by bushes which are
covered by vines will afford an excel
lent retreat from the rays of the sun.
1t is cruelty to put hogs in pasture in
which there is no natural or artificial
3de. If there are no trees, rude sheds
)uld be erected and covered with poles
straw. In laying out place for a
.og-Pasture, provision should be made for
shsde. The sheds may be erected for
temporary purposes, but trees should be
planted for use in the future. Cotton
woods viii grow so fast that they will
afford excellent shade in a few years.
AHoE I1A4Fo ncI Oh any VI OuI prairie
soils, and may be easily obtained in any
portion of the west. A grove of crab
apple trees afford most delightful shade,
while the fruit will be of some value to
the hogs. There is nothing like a good
run among large forest trees such as
grow on the bottom lands of the west for
the production of healthy hogs. In all
the reports of hog cholera that have
reached us, we have heard of no cases
occurring On farms where the hogs had a
chance TO run at will through a forest,
and enjoy the advantages of shade, mast,