Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-05-09
5arnr ann 4iresiDe.
Swine Raising.
From the Southern Planter. ]

FROM the southern PLANTER
A farmer in the northwest says
he at first tried scrubs and mon
grels,' until thoroughly Disguised
be also tried the plan of keeping
old sows to raise pigs, but found
it an expensive way OF getting a
stock. 1t proving a losing business
to raise hogs except for family use,
he gave up the idea of raising them
to sell. After ten years experience
in this way he procured litter OF
Poland China pigs, and, having by
this time a good hog pasture OF
blue grass and clover, began to
raise hogs to some profit. He aban,
doned raising wheat to sell, and
went to raisiug cattle and hogs,
feeding up all the grain raised, and
after that buying what was wanted.
He stopped keeping old sows over
and soon would not be caught rails
ing more than one Ii tier from a SOW
He managed to have all the SOW
to farrow in May, and then they
will be year old by the time they
drop their first litter. The choice
SONS are selected for breeders, and
fatten all the rest with the barrow
pigs,selling at abOnt year old,
making the pigs over age from 25O
to go pounds. As soon as the
cows which raise pigs are through
sucking, they are led for winter
market, and he hardly ever fails
making them go TO $50 to 400
pounds average.
Farmers raise hogs for profit, and
the process that, will yield the great
est return is the best to pursue
No farmer can raise hogs at a profit
who does not have COCOA pasture of
blue grass or clover for them to
run III from May until November
The sows must have rings in their
noses to keep them from roofing out
the clover. As soon as the pigs
are old enough to wean they may
be shut up in pen and fed corn
until the sows are dried up, and
then the pigs can be put in the
pasture again. lie mas a feeding
lot Of ten or twelve acres, with run
ming water in it the most OF the
time. lie plants ten acres OF corn
and has one acre OF artichokes. AS
soon as he frost kills the artichokes
all Of the hogs are turned in tOgeth-
er, having first gradually accus>
toned them to a corn feed, for
their iced must not be changed SUD
denly. The rings must lie taken
from the noses of the old hogs so |
they con get the altichokes.
AS regards the value OF lrticho-
kes for eediDg hogs, he has no hes
itancy in saying that they have
been highly profitable, they keep
the hogs healthy, and that they
furnish more feed to the acre than
does corn.
In the summer and fall. a kero-
sene barrel filled with water from
the we'll, into this barrel pu! a can
OF concentrated I've, and give this
water for their drink about three
times a week, which keeps them
clear of worms and in good appetite
A pig should never be allowed to
get poor from the time he is drop.
ped until he is ready for market.
1t they once get stunted, they never
get over it. and the profit is lost.
They may pay their keeping but
they will not make money. Hogs
are not raised for the fun of if; the
farmer is after the profit.
Hogs should have warm. dry
place TO sleep in. A dry plank floor
is the best in all weather. Unless
there are but few hogs together the
sows selected for breeders should
be taken from the rest of the lot
by the middle of November, and,
as they will be pretty fat should
be put on moderate feed and on
the first OF January he begins turn
ing them in with the boar, one at
a time, as they come in season. A
memorandum should be kept of the
serving Of each one. They will far
row in from 112 to 120 days. Each
should be put by herself two weeks
before her time tor narrowing. aud
kept there until her pigs ale big
enough to fight for themselves.
Trim the males before they are
three weeks old. Keep none entire
unless you want them for sale. In
the fall or sooner, buy a good
thoroughbred boar. no kin 10 your
own stock. Ii you cross with
fine Berkshire boar every third Or
fourth year all the better. Ii these
rules are followed, you will raise
fine and profitable hogs. Nothing
is known Of hog cholera, not hay
ing seen case in all my exper-
fence.