Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-06-30
Profit in Pigs.

Pigs must be made to take care Of
themselves. A farmer cannot afford
to wait on them only so far as such
labor Will tarn to profitable account.
III pays farmer 10 make the pens
warm, to give the pigs plenty Of bed
ding and TO shovel out manure. Adj
vantage must be taken also of the
season to make the gain on them
while the weather lasts, as wintcr-fat-
tening is nearly always done at
discount, and always requires stimu-
lating or hardy food, which is the
most expensive. A pig will gain as
fast again on the same amount Of
food in warm weather. | have learn
ed this by experience, and it also ac-
cords with the philosophy Of the
case. | last season slaughtered a
pen Of pigs which did not gain any
thing for a month. They were fed
all Of the cooked corn they would
eat, but they would not eat any more
than enough to hold their own.
consider the months feeding total
loss, except the manure which they
made, and that would not more than
compensate for the labor connected
with them. The rise in price which
was hoped for did not come. 1t may
be set down as Il general rule that
pigs should be put into market be-
fore cold weather. In old times
holding pigs till late in the season
was good economy, as the price in
variably went up. But nowadays
such instances are rare. as the sur.
plus Of the West fully supplies the
market. | question the economy in
this direction of wintering shoats.
There is no possible profit in them if
wintcred on corn, as the growth will
not be equal TO the cost. 1t costs as
much TO winter a pig Of this class as
it would breeding SOW.
Breeding sows are the kind OF por-
cine stock upon which a farmer
should calculate profits. They should
bear young twice year, and should
be kept for n number of years. An
old mother is more profitable every
way than young one, as she will
bear more young, of better size, and
take better care of them not only at
the time Of birth but during the
period of sucking. When properly
trained or educated, an old dam is
not half the trouble 10 take care Of
rs a young one. \ pig designed for
this purpose should be educated, and
II there has been painstaking TO fit
her for her maternal life, the care Of
herself and young will be materially
lcsscned, and the risks or losses will
amount 10 little or nothing. She
should be made tame and used to
handling, as wild and refractory
mother will be constantly doing dam
age 20 herself or her offspring. She
should be taught to follow her own.
or anywhere. She should always be
kept orderly TO avoid the risks Of
jumping fences or other unrulv acts,
The most important thing is not TO
allow the breeding SOW TO get her
full growth; that condition should
only be had when fitted for slaughter.
What | mean is. that a breeding SOW
is not a porker TO be made fat and
heavy, but rather to be kept lean and
simply in a thrifty or strong condi.
tion. When fat and heavy she will
not take sufficient exercise TO be
a healthy breeder. and moreover,
when she has young she will be clum.
sy and liable TO tread on the little
pigs or lay on them.
\ fat, oyergrowu SOW will not get
up when she feels or hears young
one on which she is lying; whereas
one in lighter condition and not TO
so lazy or sluggish would jump up be-
fore the little one was sofiocated or
crushed A fat SOW is Liable TO be
more feverish at the time of yeaning
and hence an unnatural mother liable
TO destroy her young neither will
such one have so good a supply OF
milk. ! have spoken of double crops
in the economy of pig raising. This
idea | make practical by first raising
a crop Of early sweet corn which is
fed to the pigs, being cut up green
(stalks and alb. On the same land
crop of turnips is produced, tho
seed being sown after the last cult
waiting of the corn. After n crop OF
clover has been taken off, the same
ground may be turned over, and hav-
ing been thoroughly cultivated and
put in good order crop of turnips
may also be produced. If the clover
should be of an early variety, Swed.
ish turnips, more nutritious, may he
grown. A crop of turnips may be
made to follow Barley. A few acres
of turnips grown as supplementary
crop, to which the pig must be made
to help themselves, will make a basis
for a plentiful supply of feed which