Smyrna times., 1881-03-16
Profitable Pork Packing.

The comparatively high price of pork
thls winter and Springis directing attention
10 breeding hogs. There is already an
active demand for young pigs, and sows
nearly ready to farrow will bring a biob
price. The fashion in pigs has changed
within a few years. The heavy WEIGHTS
are no longer in demand except at n re-
dnced price. Pigs weighing not more
than 250 pounds sell best, not onlv to
private families but to shippers. it is
not difficult to make spring pigs welgh
TINS by the time they are ten months old.
Ii pred OF improved early maturing kinds
III VIII not pay to keep these over a wear.
The rapid forcing which the small breeds
VIII bear is apt to lmpar their digestion
Inc coarSer larger breeds should be kent.
II hogs are to he killed ut eighteen months
to two years Old When this i, done.
coarSer, poorer food should be riven tho.
hrSt year-a summer run in clover with
just enough corn to keep the pigs in GOOD
thrlit. Mix, with oat or barley meal. or
even bran, Is better than corn. The Oh
Ject Is not fat, but thrift and gronth ol
frame, and plenty of lean meat. For
tins purpose food that abounds in nitro
genouS rather than carbonaccouS matter
Is needed The man who fed his uir
llbera.ly one day and starved it the next
to hcvc "a streak Of fat and Il streak OF
lean did not accomplish his purpose.
I'll he could succeed in would BE- in max
ing Il poor thin hog with poor meat. AMI
the lat stored inside where it would be
most available in the times of need to
which 1t had been accustomed This !,
not the way to make good pork or m ut
OF any KIND. or to make it profitable
Forcing the feeding to the extent oi max
ing the fat from the time it is born till it
goes to the butcher, is the method for
greatest profit, and to do this. concen-
trated food Is essential. The objection to
this is too much fat in proportion to the
lean. Some of the improved breeds.
notably the Essex, have greater nropor-
ton OF lean, and Il cross with these vii
show tins pccuiiarity in the oil, ,prinr.
1t will neel gool MANAGEMENT for Ea,-
t1n farmers to make porl, in competition
with the West On large scale it can
not he perfectly done High prices Of
pmk are always coIncilent with propor
uonaily higher prices of corn and other
grain. We can only afford to kccp 4 few
hogs to utilize what would otherwise be
wasted. Perhaps sugar bcrtS or the sup.r
cane Will enable us to feed chpaplv on n
larger scale; but the trouble will he that
these are not concentrated foods. and hoes
cannot eat enough to max them grow rs
RAPIDLY as they should for profit I'm al
dItlon the manure question comes in
Cattle, sicep and horses may be profit
ably kept on hay, cornstalks on even
straw, with the addition of some Grain
IN thlS way the coarse fodder is ma,l,.
INTO manure. and where corn. bran or
meal are added To the feed, the manure
VIII be OF excellent quality. Ii farmer
has a large stack of straw or piles of
coTnSaIkS. feeding the corn to hogs
leaves his coarSer feed to remain unused
The same quantity of grain fed to cattle
or sheep Will bring the straw to the
ground, and fill the barnyard with a
great many loads of excellent manure
Perhaps the droppings of the pig are a>
valuable III proportion to his food as
those of other stock. but the pig sub>ists
exclusively on the more costly and con
centrated food With 100 hogs in the
bhrnyard, not one-halt' as many loads of
manure will be made as with the same
number OF sheep, and the latter will have
iIr less gram The sheep, also, are grow
ing wool, which itself is often an e0niya-
lent for the extra grain fed, leaving the
keeping through the winter to be creli-
ted exclusively to straw and cornStalks
that could not otherwise be used.