The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1883-08-25
RAISING PICS.


Cor. AmericaR DairyHan.
The true farmer will keep pig. He
will commence with a breeder. What
breed1 In an experiment with all, or
nearly all breeds, Columbia County,
Chester White, Poland, Suffolk, Berk-
shire and Essex, settled on the last
two as the best fitted for all purposes.
The farmer wants his pig to have the
meat properly proportioned he wants
the chine and spare rib to have as little
fat as is consistent with the relish OF
eating these pieces. And while he
wants good thick middlings, he wants
some lean on them. If there is much
he can trim it off, to fry fresh or make
into sausage-meat. The ham and shoul.
der he wants strcaked with . fat, or il
will get dry and hard. He wants to
fat his hog to get as much lard as pos
Sible, and not effect the pieces designa-
ted. All these qualities are combined
in the Berkshire. The Essex nearly as
much so, with the advantage of matur-
ing earlier. The Berkshire has my
preference as the harder OF the two.-
The Berkshire is the most thoroughbred
hog in the world, from which the Essex
is an outgrowth. The pure bred Berk
shire is black, will have four white feet
with star on his forehead. The hams
will be streaked with fat I; not dry
The Essex is entirely black. There is
breed OF hogs of russell color, cross
from the Berkshire. have not tried
IL and cannot speak from knowledge
More depends upon care and attention
than on breed. While il would take 4
great many wears to breed 4 hog as
pure As the Berkshire, there is no class
of animals can be improved so rapidly
by inbreeding as-requring no science
or skill in that reSpect-as cattle. If
your sow has more than six pigs, des-
troy all over that number. \ good
foundation for six is better than 4 poor
start for more. A good start is what
succeeds at the end OF the race. Re-
member, in the breeding of animals 4
few good ones and not more than you
care and provide for are better than
many inferior ones. The care OF hogs
should not be neglected. First of all
is cleanliness. The hog is naturally
neat, unless you compel him to the
contrary. \ good, warm sty in winter,
a cool place in summer Have the yard
dry, with straw for bedding, and re-
move il every week for fresh straw
Never bed with hay, especially stale
hay. 1t is poisonous. Forest leaves
will do. BE at all times familiar with
your pigs. Domestcation is the true
| 81 I IvA,.. all l,,e. 1.
him, and so should |. When every one
shall do his share OF labor, perhaps we
will not destroy even animals. But
confess to loving chine of pork and a
slice of ham, and piece of middling
does season cowslps and lima beans;
and then what could we do with baked
beans without pork, or fry doughnuts,
or make pie crust?
was going to tell how to feed the
hogs. You had best breed your own
hogs. Do not wean all the pigs at once.
Take off 4 pair at eight weeks DID,
Don't put them in the barn nor under
the barn. Nothing is so bad for hogs
as to roo, in Garth that has been cover
cd up for years by building. Salt
petre or brine is poisonous to hogs
Have small temporary pen, wean
| them two at 4 time 1t intervals Of two
weeks, let the last one or two remain
twelve weeks. This will be the prem
ium pig, and the sow's udder will not
&C, intiamed. Feed the little pigs with
skim milk II yourpigs come in March
or April, with proper care you can
make them weigh $50 to 500 pounds by
| December. Put away At least two for
YOURSELF you don't know what may
happen. would not keep the sow but
one season; il won't pay. BE sure,
she will have more pigs the second and
third litter, after that she will decrease
in numbers. Cut the ham pretty well
on to the rump il you prefer smoked
meat. Cut the shoulder large; smoke
your hams; you will like them better.
Take a syringe, run the tube two inches
beside the bone into the ham and blow
the ham full Of strong, sweetened pic
kle around the bone. Never mind ifthe
ham does swell. When ready for smok-
ing, dig a trench in the ground the
depth OF shovel, ten feet long put
flour barrel At one end with the hams
in it. Lay a plank over the trench
| and build fire with green bark or hard
wood twigs at the other end the green
| earth draws the smoke TO the hams -
Before warm weather pack the hams in
whole corn or oats no flies will get to
them. The breeder must not be fed
too high for few weeks before breed
ing. II solid, firm pork is desired.
two weeks before slaughtering feed
nothing but dry grain, twice each day,
with all the cold water the hog can
drink at noon. During these two
weeks clean the nest out every day, and
the meat will not smell disagreeable in