The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-08-16

spring he has sown On a piece of land
that was mown last year, but not salts
factorily seeded, clover and timothy,
and narrowed the ground to cover this
new seeding and help out the partial
catch of the old.-American Daruman.
Economy and Hog Management.
1t is evident that q change must soon
take place in the manner of keeping
and feeding hogs in most parts of this
country. In the New England and
other Eastern States they were formerly
fed on potatoes, apples and some corn
and grain. and were kept in pen. In
most of the Southern States they we're
allowed to range pretty much at will in
forests and along the banks of streams,
and subsisted during the summer on
grass. In the fall they ate mast, which
is quite abundant in most places, while
on the approach of cold weather they
we're allowed to devour grain in the
fields where it grew, and to harvest corn
in the manner common to swine. In the
Western States hogs were kept almost
entirely on corn, which was in many
places so cheap that it hardly paid to
send it to market. Sometimes they
ate the corn in the fields, as they
do in the South, and in that
way saved the trouble of harvesting.
Ali admitted that it was a wasteful
practice to allow hogs to 90 through
fields of standing grain and corn, and
to trample into the earth the portions
they did not eat, but the low prices that
then ruled justified the method. In
few sections was the attempt made to
keep hogs during the summer on green
! fodder, or to hasten their maturity by
high feeding. In the South. where
pork is the principal meat consumed,
little or no attempt was made to i'm
prove the breed of hogs. In many
places hogs were allowed to live until
they were three or four years old,
although they were no larger than
animals half that age that were of i'm
proved breeds and were allowed all the
fat.forming food they could consume.
In truth but little attention was given
to the matter of economy in swine
breeding and management.
Increased population and improved
methods of transportation have given a
higher value to the articles of food that
hogs devoured than they ever had be-
fore. It is now necessary to practice
economy in breeding, keeping and
feeding hogs in order to make much
money out of it. In the first place it is
necessary to keep those breeds of hogs
that will mature early, for the shorter
time require d to reach a given weight
will result in q great saving OF feed.
Already much has been accomplished in
improving swine in the matter of early
maturity, but in many places there is
still much to accomplish. Hogs are
improved for less expense than other
farm animals, as they breed very fast,
and first class males are comparatively
cheap. It is also necessary to
give more attention to finding
cheaper food for hogs. Admit.
ting that it is necessary to employ corn
and small grains for ~fattening, it should
be the object of swine raisers to employ
as little of these articles as possible,
and to resort to other and cheaper kinds
of food for keeping hogs during the
greater portion Ct their lives. Since
the advent of the Colorado beetle it has
net been profitable to raise potatoes for
feeding hogs. The labor of raising
them has been too great, and their price
has been higher than that of corn.
There is, however, profit in raising arti.
chokes. and their cultivation should be
extended to every part OF the country.
Attention should also be given to rails
ing sugar beets, carrots, %squashes,
pumpkins and sweet corn, to be
fed with the stalks. All these
materials are cheaply raised and pro-
mote the growth Of the animals. if
they are not productive of much fat.
Most Ct them are also desirable articles
to fed in connection with cor and
small grains, as they furnish variety,
keep up an appetite, and improve the
general condition of the animals.
Many farmers seem TO have forgotten
that the hog is by nature q grazing an
imal. With a suitable pasture hogs
may DO ker 10 good condition on forage
plants alb Jut a. many months in a year
as cattle can. Among the grasses
orchard grass is best for hog pasture.
| Clover, however, is in most respects
superior to any of the two grasses. It
furnishes more fodder, and is more
readily eaten. It is more likelyto be af-
fected by the drought, however, doesn not
sta,t as early in the spring and does not
continue to supply food as late in the
fall. An acre in red clover or orchard
grass will support five medium-sized
hogs during the time it furnishes good
feed. A hog pasture should be we'll
supplied with water and shade, and
should contain some ground that is
sufficiently high to be permanently dry
even if the lower ground is quite moist.
To provide against drought it is best to
raise sweet corn or some other forage
crop OH land adjacent to the pasture
In case it is required it can be cut up
and thrown over the fence. Recently
some have favored keeping hogs
in q large lot and raising all the
green tcod for them on the out.
side. They say that much more
satisfactory results are obtained
BY this method of feeding. They raise
red clover, orchard grass and sweet
corn on land adjoining the lot, cut some
# it every day, and feed it to the hogs
in the lot. They recommended having
a large place in the lot elevated so as to
be quite dry, and having it covered with
gravel, tanbark or coal ashes. On this
they would place the feed for the hogs
during wet weather. To prevent any of
it from being wasted they would pitch
it into feeding trou2hs made similar to
those used for sheep. A roof is made
to cover a part of the high ground to
afford protection against the rain and
hot sun.-Ch!cago Times.
Farm and Garden Notes.
Brewery refuse is valuable for mich
no-, o,lr nbon fraob no ~ onoofu The