Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-30
Profitable Pork Production.

hog cholera, the alarm about internal
parasites, the growing prejudice i'll
many sections against the use of pork,
the substitution of cotton-seed oil and
beef tallow for genuine lard, and the
prohibition against all American pork
products by several European govern
ments, the raising of hogs continues to
be profitable in almost all sections Of the
country. What is more, this is a profit
able industry for both large and small
farmers. Much has been written about
the profit Of keeping large numbers of
cattle and sheep, as is practiced in
places where land is cheap, but an
equally good showing may be made by
those who have engaged very extensive
in the country has realized a very large
fortune by raising hogs for the market,
but a very considerable number have
accumulated respectable fortunes by so
doing. Many who have made the pro-
duction of beef a speciality have derived
much of their profit from the hogs they
have kept in connection with bullocks.
The like is true Of those farmers who
have devoted most of their attention to
the production of milk. They have used
their whey and skinned milk to good
advantage in feeding pigs. Small
farmers who have not had the land and
capital to enable them to keep large
iocks of sheep and herds of cattle have
prospered in consequence of raising and
feeding pigs. They have produced the
pork and lard for their own families,
and have had some of both to sell. The
pigs have cost them but little, as they
were principally raised on articles not
ceadily sold or utilized. They ate SOU
milk, kitchen Stops, weeds, and dam
aged corn and small grains.
In most respects hogs are very profit
able animals to raise. They breed at an
early age and are very prolific. Hogs
will mature or be in condition for the
market, with proper feeding and man
agement, in one-third the time required
for cattle and sheep. They require less
shelter, and that afforded them may be
of a cheaper character. Alarm designed
for raising hogs car be fitted up with
suitable buildings at a fourth Of the eX-
pense of n devoted to raising horses
or cattle, and for a much smaller sum
than n designed for raising sheep.
Hogs utilize a larger proportion of the
food they consume than any animals
kept on farms. Sir John Bennett Lawes
estimated as the result of careful expert
ment that hogs utilized twenty per cent.
of the food they consumed. while cattle
did but eight per cent. The manure
made by hogs is very valuable. 1t is
especially rich in ammonia, which is
wanted on soils of every description.
Hogs, if rightly tended, will convert
many substances that they do not eat in
to manure. Old hay, straw, and many
other things of no direct value are con
verified into excellent fertilizers by being
Incorporated with the droppings o.
swine and trampled under their feet
Hogs are the only animals kept on farms
that will subsist on weeds and wilC
nuts. They can be marketed to better
their bodies is waste. Hogs are the
most profitable animals to raise with
view of slaughtering and curing TIN
meat for a home market. There is gen
orally a good demand for salt pork
hams, side bacon, and lard at som
seasons of the year at the places where
hogs are raised. With the present man.
ner Of marketing hogs, when alive, no
enough pork products remain in mos
sections of the country to supply the in
%habitants. Generally live hogs are sen
to cities in the fall, and cured meat anC
lard sent back in the spring.
Hogs have long been raised cheaper
in the United States than in any country
in the world, principally for the reason
that corr is so easily produced. 1t is
likely that corn will long continue to be
the principal food employed to fatter
hogs, but the time has come when Other
and cheaper substances should be en-
ployed as far as possible for feeding
them while they are growing. While
corn commanded but q very low price
it was the cheapest substance that coulC
be used to feed to hogs at any period o.
their growth. 1t was for q long time sc
cheap and plenty as to prevent farmers
from giving much attention to othei
materials. All feeders acknowledge
that there is no profit in raising cattle
and sheep on corn alone or by the aid Of
onlyso much grass as will insure health
1t is profitable to raise hogs entirely or
corn, and this shows that hogs utilize 9
much larger proportion of it than cattle
and sheep do. 1t is much more proiita.
pie, however,, TO SUBSTITUTE cheaper ma
terials as far as possible, Hogs may be
raised as cattle and sheep are, largely
on grass and clover. The hog is :
grazing animal, and if provided Will
suitable p%asturage will gain during five
months Of the year on vegetables tina
do not require to be harvested. The
testimony Of many experienced feeders il
that five hogs of average size can be KEEP
during the growing season on an acre
Of good clover pasture. In places where
red clover does not do we'll a good sub.
stitute for it may be found in orchard
grass. A pasture for hogs should con.
tain some shade and an abundant supply
of water. 1t should be convenient to
fields where food is raised that can be
taken to the pasture in case the supply
of grass or clover is short on account OF
drouth or other causes. A portion of it
at least should be quite dry, so that the
hogs may have a comfortable place tc
sleep on during damp weather.
Much has recently been written on
the advantage of soiling hogs over the
system Of allowing them to feed in d
pasture. 1t is claimed that twenty hogs