The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-06-22
for the farmer.
ALL ABOUT THE HOG.

At the recent Farmers Institute, held at the
Illinois Industrial University, DIR. Stetson read
naner upon swine The following is an abstract
Of his remarks furnished us by Mr.. Wait, OF the
College of Agriculture:
Al this time the value of hogs is deprecated,
and there are many causes why this is 80. but
give MS a little more hog cholera and plenty Of
money, and prices will again rise.
The wild boar from which all species of hogs
snruug. is still in existence. The great contrast
10 different breeds is mostly due TO the changed
conditions and the different aims OF breeders-
The hog of China is, perhaps, the most perfect
animal for fat that We have, and from crosses
with this animal we have secured our most val
uable breeds From which breed can j make
the most money. From which breed realize the
greatest profit on the money invested J are ques-
tions the breeder asks himself. We must give up
aesthetics in hog breeding, and aim for the great
est amount Of hesh for the least food, coupled
with early maturity.
In naming the various breeds, hrst take the
Poland china, because in my estimation II Is the
best breed we have. Where this breed origina-
ted is in much dispute, but this is a fact, it con-
tains A great amount of the blood Of the China
hog. The name of the Poland is a missioner, for
we have no evidence that any of the breed ever
saw Poland. The Poland-China and its crosses
predominant in the Chicago market, thus show
ing the popularity as q breed. The animals OF
thi. breed have a quiet disposition, are good
feeders. are good mothers, lay on fat readily,
and come TO maturity early. II has been motto
ed that pigs with hollow backs and dish faces
fatten easily, while pigs with narrow heads ana
thin faces never fatten.
The Berkshire, as now bred, is the most syn
trical hog in the world, and is emphatically the
gentleman's hog The Essex is small black
breed and have been very much Landed, but l
believe the one excellence il lays claim to isthat
of its value for crossing with other and larger
breeds.
The Yorkshires are of two sizes. the large and
the small breeds. They might do to keep for a
corncrib, where lumber is scarce and corn Is
| plenty and not wanted for fuel. The Suffolk Is
| a gentieman's breed, and will never pay the COM
mon man what he costs. The Chester Whites
| and several other breeds may be left out of the
catalogue. because they have been tried and
| found not to supply the needs of the farmer.
Whatever breed may be selected, / say stick to
| your integrity, and don't expect cross-breed TO
| do better than its narents. 1t takes long time
to establish breed, and only by care can you
keep your animals mp to the standard. Ii is
| worse than folly for you to attempt to establish
new breed, for you will lose money and fail in
| your attempt.
FooD FOR HoGs.-Com is prominently the
| food for hogs; it never killed hog, nor ever
| will. How to dispose of the surplus corn, was a
| question with the early settlers, but the raising
Of hogs has helped greatly in settling that ques-
ton.
The value of hog depends on the fact that he
| is hog His digestive organs are never out of
order, Tor who ever heard of hog having the
Many experiments have been made to deter
mine how many pounds of por% . bushel of corn
will make, but these experiments only prove
/ that under certain conditions a bushel of corn
| will make so many pounds of pork. The fact
| has been established that young hogs lay on fat
| the fastest, so what want is early maturity,
| together with good size.
When to buy, when to feed, and when to sell
| are questions beyond the reach of mortal ken.
Will it pay to cook foodi think il will, at least
for milk sows and young pigs Make their drink
palatable for all animals fatten faster if you
| get them to drink an abundance of fluids. Corn,
| if merely soaked, is more digestible, and in all
| feeding il must be borne in mind that il is not
| the quantity ate but the quantity assimilated,
| that fattens the animal. The value of the hog
| over other domestic animals is: /. Because the
flesh can easily be kept a long time. ,. Because
| of its remarkable fecundity, often producing as
many as twenty eight pigs at a dropping. And
J. Because he will eat whatever is set before
\ him. and not grumble if Their els plenty of it. A
| hog should never be allowed to squeal. Give
| hog plenty to eat and drink, and when sold,
| guess at the profits, is my way.
The hog is naturally the most free from dis
| ease of any of our domestic animals, and is val
liable on that account. The great enemy to hog
raising is what is known rs hog cholera. 1t APP
pears in many FORMS but think il is a kind of
blood poisoning, caused chiefly from sleeping toe
gether in unwholesome, badly ventilated stys. /
think it is the poison of the crowd, and might
be called the sty fever. do not think that the
raising of hogs is demoralizing in itself, but it is
fact that no attention is paid to ventilation.
To those that are losing many hogs, would say
look TO your sty.
To all farmers would say, keep no more hogs
than yOu give good food TO, and furnish
with well ventilated stys.