The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-08-04
About Swine.

MANAGEMENT or Sows.- Without
the hog our farmers would he short of
many a dollar they now possess. There
are many waste products that could
not be proftabely used otherwise than
as food for this animal. A good
breeding SOW is valuable property, and
should not be sent to the butcher until
at least three years old. The pigs from
old sows are stronger, for after the
mothers growth is made, all the bone
material in her food can 90 TO her off
spring, Instead of being used to enlarge
her own frame. Two litters a year can
be grown without crowding matters,
and SOW that brings eight to ten at a
litter will pay better than for fattening.
Those which do not prove to be good,
careful mothers should be thrown out.
After three years old, sows are apt to
become cross, or unruly, and may then
be turned over to fatten, which they
will do readily at any time after wean-
ing litter of pigs.
BREEDS OF SwiNE.--The following
information about some of the breeds
of swine will be interesting to our rea-
ders
"The Suffolk Is one of the small,
white breeds, originated in England,
where pigs essentially the same are also
called Yorkshires, or. Small Yorkshires,
and have been in times past, if they
are not now called York Cumberlands.
Sidney speaks of the Cumberlands or
Middle Yorkshires, as having been orig.
inally somewhat larger, but says they
have been continually intermixed, with
mutual advantage, and pigs of exactly
the same form, the result of crosses,
are constantly exhibited under the
name of Yorkshire or Cumberland, ac-
cording to the fancy of the exhibitor.
That the improved Suffolk, the Mid
dlesex, the Colesbill, and the Prince
Alberts or Windsors of England were
all founded at the Yorkshire. Cumber-
land stock, and some of them are merely
pure Yorkshires transplanted and re
ohristened. That branch of stock bear
ing the name of Middlesex was princi
ply bread and exhibited by a Mr.. Bar
Der, of Buckinghamshire, who won
prizes with them and the Smithfield
shows from 1S41 to 1856"
MANAGEMENT OF SwINE.-In discuss
ing the management of swine, Profes.
sor Knapp, of Iowa, says:
"Perhaps the radical change should
be less in the food than in the proper
tion it is fed Corn is healthy enough
when given in small quantities; wheat
is considered a healthy food, but hogs
can be injured upon that as readily as
upon corn. The hog has an appetite
beyond his capacity to digest, and so
long as that is the case he must not be
given full rations of concentrated food
till he is within few weeks of the
pork barrel. There are two practical
methods. First, in case the farmer
has no roots or pasture he can grind
his corn and mix with it wheat bran.
Half bran and half corn meal by bulk
make good mixture for all kinds OF
stock. For pigs add little salt and
oil meal, for pigs under 100 pounds
use some milk; older than this water
will do. Second, the purchase of large
quantities of wheat bran is expensive
for the general farmer corn and clover
are the profitable crops to be fed In
such cases the cheap food to go
with The corn is sugar beets in the
winter and clover in the summer. No
food can be raised on the farm that
will answer a better purpose than sugar
beets for the main dependence of store
hogs during the winter, and with sui
table machinery and some knowledge
few crops can be produced at greater
profit. Tribune d Farmer.