The Portland daily press., 1879-10-20
AGRICULTURAL.
Pigs For Next Year.


We find the following extract credited to
the Iowa Register:
At this time when farmers are determin-
ing what hogs they will fatten, is the prop
er season to determine what to do for next
years crop of pigs. Too many fatten all
the sows which had pigs this season, and de-
pend upon this years pigs for breeders next
spring. But it is not the best policy to kill
any SOW which has proved herself to be
good breeder and safe sucker. Trouble
and defeat of the whole years crop of pigs
often occurs by relying on young and reck-
less sows. And there is another good rea-
son why good and safe breeding sows should
be saved another and probably several years.
They bring stronger and better pigs, which
start off better, and keep ahead in the race
of fattening. The price Of a good SOW,
which has been well tried, is a small matter
in comparison to two large and thrifty filters
of pigs per year.
1t is not time yet to breed sows, but it is
time to prepare for good lot of breeding
sows for next years crop. The farm-r
ought to raise all his own pigs, calves, sheep
and colts. This is the legitimate, safe and
sure process CT farming. If the farmer has
warm and comfortable quarters for his sows
he can safely breed them in the month OF
November. so that they will farrow in
March. But il sows are expected to try
their luck by running in pastures Or wood
lots, at such times, they should not be bred
until the middle of January. 1t pays well to
have the most ample preparation for brood
sows. If they have litter in March. they
can have another litter in August or early in
September; but if they farrow the last of
April or first OF May, it is almost impossi-
BILE to raise another brood in the time before
cold weather. A SOW will have pigs six days
less than four months from the time she is
bred. Every farmer should know the exact
time when his sows are to farrow, then he
could make preparations accordingly. They
should be put in their apartments at least
week before fsrrowing, so that they will get
reconeiled with their quarters. Cut the
straw fine for their bedding. Donot disturb
her for day or two, for when she wants
food or drill k she will get up and call for
them. She will appreciate kind treatment
Increase her food gradually for five or six
days, then give her all the rich food she
will eat. Teach the pigs to eat as soon as
possible. Push them by all reasonable
means, and make them weigh $50 pounds at
six months-then sell. This is the safe way.
No time for cholera; no time for Idle capt.
tai; no time for the officer to harrass; in
fact, there is no danger of an officer being
after a man who prepares his pigs for mar
ket in six months.
The Merits of Light and Heavy Wheat as
Seed.
A. A. Freeman gives the following sensi-
BILE views On the seed wheac question in a
late issue of the La Cross Chronicle:
have just received the article in your is
sue of March 10, on seed wheat, and must
ask for space in your paper to reply to what
I can not help but regard as a dangerous
heresy. In the first place the purport of the
article is to convince farmers that light and
shrunken wheat is as good for seeding pur-
poses as heavy, plump No. l. True, Mr..
Hunting is somewhat inconsistent on that
point if he is reported correctly, in claim
ing that the sprouts from As to Al pound
wheat were equal to No. 1 wheat; but adj
hitting that it is a matter of experiment as
to how the light wheat will produce, is not
that great risk for Northwestern farmers to
take, when two bushels of average light
wheat will buy one bushel of 81 to 60 pound
wheat from the upper Pacific railroads? A
large amount of this choice wheat has been
in store at st. Paul all winter, and could be
obtained at about $1.10 per bushel, and
think can be had yet to a certain extent.
But in any case farmers should select the
best that can be obtained near home.
/ don't think that most of this light wheat
will terminate. A recent Chicago circular
of very respectable firm quotes expert
ments with "wcll-selected specimens" in
hot houses, and 20 per cent, failed to sprout;
but the main question is, what will it pro-
duce, both in yield and in quality. If the
theory of the gentlemen named in your arti-
Gle is correct then all the experience Of, for
instance, English farmers, for generations
goes for nothing. While their immense
yields are, of course, largely due to close,
careful farming, yet the careful selection Of
aaI ton. hos 1no oil
to do with it, as well as the large, plump
berry obtained. Breed small mare to
small stallion and continue it for few
years, and you get All animal the size Of
Shetland pony. Reverse the order.
In conclusion, if these gentlemen believe
their theory, will wager them anything up
to $500, either on our own account or to be
devoted to some good charity, that if an
equal quantity of 80 pound wheat and of 45
or AZ pound wheat be sowed on given space
of land, side by side, the former will produce
more and better wheat and bring more mon
ey, after allowing for the extra cost of the
heavy seed, than the light wheat will.
Put On Flesh.
The Prairie Farmer has consistently held
that the prime integer in the fattening OF
cattle, is to put on the utmost muscular de-
other words, the greatest
possible quantity of lean flesh, consistent
with an uniform and constantly increasing
daily growth. This can only be accom-
plished by taking the steer calves, and feed
ing from calfhood up, giving plenty of flush
pasture in summer, and keeping them going
right along during the winter. Thus at
three years old they may be turned off as
heavy and as fat as they would be at four
years old on what might be called good win
ter keeping, and as heavy as they would be
1T five years old ON fair keeping, or such as IS
usually given summer and winter with one
winters full feed.
Here is just where improved stock breed
ers have the advantage. They know full
well that it will not pay to breed improved
stock and starve them. The man who i'm
AGNES that improved stock will grow fat
where common stock will starve, is vastly
mistaken. Yet this is the presumption
that many ignorant men go on, and in the
end declare that there is no money in any
thing but scrub stock. Reading men know
very we'll that this is not true, but on the
other hand that high feeding of improved
stock paws far better than the same feeding
on common stock. The improved animal
has greater powers of assimilation, but is
more delicate in constitution, has not so
much hair as lily bred stock, and conse-
uuently pays well for warm shelter. We do
not propose to argue the question of shelter
for either common or scrub stock of the
That it will pay, any man can
satisfy himself of, by taking two similar
punches of steers feeding both alike as to
quantity, one sheltered, and the other al
lowed to take storms winter and summer as
they come. The one will make money for
the feeder, and the other will as surely lose
money if correct account of debit and
credit is kept.
Facts about Flour.
Flour is peculiarly sensitive to the atmos-
pheric influences, hence it should never be
stored in room with sour liquids, nor where
onions or fish are kept, nor any article that
taints the air of the room in which il is
stored ANY smell nercentible to the sense