The Democratic advocate., 1883-09-01
RAISING PIGS.
Cor. american DairymGn.

Cor. american DdiTyn,dR.
The true farmer will keep pig He
will commence with a breeder. What
breed? In an experiment with all, or
nearly all breeds, Columbia County,
Chester White Poland, Suffolk, Berkshire
and Essex, I settled on the last two as
the best fitted for all purposes. The
farmer rants 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
middings, 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 shoulder he wants streaked with
fat, or it will get dry and hard He wants
to fat his hog to get as much lard as pos
sible, and not effect the pieces designated.
All these qualities are combined In the
Berkshire. The Essex nearly as much
so, with the advantage of maturing earlier.
The Berkshire has my preference as the
harder of the two The Berkshire is the
most thoroug ghbred hog in the world, from
which the Essex is an outgrowth. The
pure bred Berkshire is black, will have four
white feet with star on his forehead.
The hams will be streaked with fat; not
dry. The Essex is entirely black. There
is breed of hogs of russell color, cross
from the Berkshire.
More depends upon care and attention
than on breed. While it would take
great many years to breed hog as pure
as the Berkshire, there is no class OF
animals can be improved so rapidly by in
breeding as-requiring no science or skill
in that respect-as cattle. If your SOW
has more than six pigs, destroy all over
that number. A good foundation for SIX
is better than poor start for more. A
good start is what succeeds at the end OF
the race. Remember, in the breeding of
animals 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. A
good, warm sty in winter, cool place In
summer. Have the yard dry, with straw
for bedding, and remove it every week for
fresh straw. Never bed with hay, especi-
ally stale hay. 1t is poisonous Forest
leaves will do. Be at all times familiar
with your pigs. Domestication is the true
theory.
[ 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 pair at eight weeks old. Don't
put them in the barn nor under the barn.
Nothing is so bad for hogs as to root in
earth that has been covered up for years
by building. Saltpetre or brine is
poisonous to hogs. Have small tempor
ary pen, wean them two at time at in
tervals Of two weeks, let the last one or
two remain twelve weeks. This will be
the premium pig, and the sow's udder will
not get infamed. Feed the little pigs with
skim milk. If your pigs come in March
or April, with proper care you can make
them weigh 25O to 300 pounds by De
cember
The breeder must not be fed too high
for few weeks before breeding. If 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
cooking.