Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-09-23
The Pigs.


One of the greatest difficulties with
which hog raising in the United States
has had to contend, is the haste of
breeders to get their hogs into market,
haste which resulted in the forcing
process, on the wrong kind of food, to
which we believe much of our hog dis
ease is attributable. Breeders proceed
to build mountain of fat upon moth
ing, the animal often having neither
bone nor muscle to support the load.
Necessarily there must be collapse of
greater or less character, for it is ut
terly impossible for a hog that has been
neglected to the utmost in some partic-
ular, and forced to the utmost in some
other particular, to be in that robust
disease. Our swine breeders will never
until they pay attention to the develop
accomplish this the animal must have a
to suggest in this connection that while
some hogs are confined in close, or COM
paratively close quarters, stubbles are
| lying idle, and the insects which the
swine might disturb and destroy quiet
ly resting for operations next year.
Turn the hogs into these fields, and is
sue orders in that vulgar but forcible
sentence, ''root hog or die.' They
will not die, and will not root to do any
harm, but they will pick up all that can
be converted into bone, sinew or fat,
and will get the necessary exercise in
doing it. The man who fails to give
the growing hogs sufficient field room
in the summer and autumn, upon pas
ture and stubble, will never raise as
good hogs as the man who does. If
swine are raised to any considerable eX-
tent upon the farm, careful provision
should be made for this, and fences
should be provided for its accomplish
ment, with as much solicitude as they
are provided for the cattle inclosure.
There are farms, too many of them by
all odds, where the hogs are prevented
from enjoying sufficient range for the
want of fence. This is all wrong and
very Improbable, Whatever fence is
adopted, its fitness to turn hogs, where
they are kept in large numbers, should
be kept steadily in view. Nothing is
more certain than that, immense as are
our hog products, they might be vastly
increased with the same number OF
nO8S, IL all tue uLJlc uebdilS cOHnccJcu
with hog breeding and raising Were
attended to. The difficulty with a
great many of us Western farmers il
that we are satisfied with a portion ol
what we might accomplish II we were
more careful. The stony land of New
England, by careful and economical
cultivation, is made to produce every
bushel that it will produce; while oul
land does not, produce SCARCELY hal
, what it might, and we are satisfied
, Perhaps we are not poor enough, al
, though the prospect is that we shall b'
unless we do something pretty quickly
TO stop the extortion OF monopolies
e In the matter OF hog raising we can d'
: much better II we will, and to do it w
d must study the laws of swine nature ant
o shape our methods to them.
9 Our views are fully understood, witt
I reference to the feeding of swine, hay
d ing been frequently stated in these col
It umns. Until the hog is ready to fatten
d it should be fed with quantities OF phos
IS phatic food; when fattening, carbopa
ceous foods. - Westsrn RgrG,