Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-01-03
Pigs in the Far North.

Chicago Times.
Many farmers object to locating
north of tho line where large crops Of
corn can be ordinarily produced, for
the reason that they think the raising
of pigs will be improbable. With
little doubt what has been known as
"the great corn belt' is, or at least
has been, the section of country best
adopted to the profitable production of
pork. 1t is evident, however, that in
he future large portion of the pork
ceded TO supply the foreign demand
and to meet the wants of home con-
sumption must be produced in por.
ions of the country where it is not pos
sible to raise large crops of corn. The
public land adopted to profitable corn.
.'aising has been mostly appropriated
~ settlers or given TO railroads. The
little that remains is of very poor
quality. 1t is true that there is con-
siderable land lying in the "corn
belt" that has never been devoted to
the production of that crop, but which
will be in the near future, But it is
also true that there is much land in
this district that has been planted to
corn so many years in succession that
it must now be devoted to other crops.
Corn does not exhaust the fertility of
the soil as rapidly as some other field
crops, and the earlier settlers of the
prairies concluded that it might be
raised many years in succession with
out it showing a diminished yield or
any impoverishment of the soil IL
which it grew. They have recently
discovered their mistake in both of
these conclusions. II they continue to
raise corn on land that has produced
several crops, they do so by the
application of manure, or the yield is
much smaller than it was in former
years. 1t is also found that the con.
slant keeping of land in cultivation
causes it to wash badly and to be worn
into gullies This is the case in many
places whore corn has long been raised
tor the purpose of securing food Tor
hogs.
Many have regarded the southern
states as favorable to the raising of
hogs. They lay great stress on the
feet that no protection is needed from
the cold. They admit that the yield Of
corn is very small, and that much
labor is required to produce it. They |
also admi. that common clover does
not do well. They would, however,
substitute luccrne or alfalfa for this. |
They speak of the abundance Of mast |
and wild fruits in many parts of the
south, and they would place considera,
BILE reliance on these for furnishing |
food for hogs. They would also raise
sweet potatoes. pumpkins, squashes,
peanuts and small grain for hogs.
With rare exceptions, however, pork .
production aside from enough to sup
yly the wants Cf the farmers, has not
been found profitable in portions Of the
south lying below Kcntucky. Recently |
cOtton-seed meal has been used to
some extent for helping out the
deficiency in other kinds OF food, but
when fed in large quantities il tends to
make the pork very oily. In fact,
most OF the pork produced in the south
contains n much larger proportion of
oil than that raised in the north. 1t is
also true that pigs make much slower
gair. Most observers are now of the
opinion that the southern states are
much better adapted TO the production
of mutton than pork. OF course there
are some sections where good crops of
corn can be produced, and in the pro.
duction Of pork will be profitable. The
entire country on the Pacific coast
appears to be poorly adapted to the
production of pork. Corn can not be
raised except in very few localities,
and the leading small grain is wheat,
which is worth too much to feed TO
hogs. In the absence of other kinds of
food some have fed grapes, pears, and
other kinds of fruit to hogs. In many
parts of tho Pacific slope it is as diff
cult to raise clover and grass as to ,
produce corn. Everything considered,
it is plain that the Pacific states are !.
poorly adapted to the production OF
pork.
The extreme north is in the same
as tho extreme south in
respect to raising corn. 1t is much !
better situated, however, in regard to t
producing other things suitable for f
food for pigs. Owing to the protection a
Of the snow and the favorable rainfalls b
during the months when drought l
generally prevails in the south, grass
grows luxuriantly during the summer, n
and clover is not killed during the +
winter. On these, hogs may be kept n
in growing condition four months of :
the year Peas, pumpkins and squash +
es as well rs all the small grains, pota-
toes and the various kinds of roots can c
be raised in large quantities at q com. i
small cost, Heg-raising is =
profitable in those parts of Canada v
where no corn is raised, or at least I
only the small and early varieties. In V
some sections, peas and barley are the y
principal food of hogs. These can bc
produced in abundance in our most ?
northern states and territories, as can O
potatoes and all kinds of roots. With S
these the production Of pork may be
rendered profitable. In places where Il
four hundred bushels OF potatoes can .
be raised on an acre there should be no i
in obtaining cheap pork. G
should bo cooked when fed to
hogs for fattening purposes. Some q
containing oil or the SUBJ t
stances from which fat is easily formed i
should be added to the cooked potatoes. o
Rye, barley, and the bran and shorts il
obtained from grinding wheat furnish q
what is lacking in potatoes. Flax is $
raised III tho north, and is t
produced for its seed. The seed when Il
crushed or treated with hot water L
would supply all the fat-forming ma a
lerials wanted in pork and not found '
u potatoes. With the great abun- L
dance of straw in a region where the |
small grains are principally produced, t
Ihero will be no great trouble in keep ?
ing hogs comfortable during the ID t
est weather.
A Mistake About Editors.
Blue Valley tEeb) Blade.
1t is strange, but nevertheless true,
that there seems to be an impression