The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-07-23
FARM MANAGEMENT.
Making the Production of Pork
Profitable Under the Present
Adverse Circumstances.
Suggestions on Killing Insects Injurious
to Plants Dispensing with
Horseshoes
Pork Productions.

Horseshoes
Pork Productions.
During the past few years, says The
Chicago Times, there has been very lit
tie profit in raising hogs in most parts
of the country. The exclusion of our
hog products in several European
counties has had the effect of bringing
down prices at home. Tho periodic
scares about trichine have caused many
cautious persons to abandon the use of
pork. No pork products except ham,
lard, and fancy sausage are any longer
favoritc articles of food among the more
wealthy classes in large towns. They
demand fine beef, spring lamb, game
and poultry. The greatest discourage
ment. however, has been the prevalence
OF the swine plague, ordinarily known
as the hog cholera. This disease has
produced larger losses in much short
er time than any malady that has ap-
peared among any kind of domesticat-
ed animals in this country. Thus far
but little light has been thrown on the
origin of the disease and the manner in
which it is spread. Many theories have
been propounded, but in the opinion of
most persons none of them have ac-
counted for the phenomena that have
been presented. 1t is certain that very
few are competent to treat the disease
or to prevent its spreading through a
herd or from one farm to another.
all ~.
that attend it, pork production will
probably always continue to be one of
the leading farm industries in this coun-
| try. This is the greatest pork -produc-
ing country in the world, and most
likely it will always remain So The
climate and the products of the soil are
admirably suited to the production of
pork. Corn can be produced cheaper here
than in any foreign country, and corn
is the best food to use in fattening hogs.
Clover, rye, apples, and potatoes are
also produced in great abundance, and
these are all very valuable for feeding
to hogs in any stage of their growth.
This is great milk-producing country,
and whey, skinned and sour milk can
be fed to hogs to better advantage than
to any other animals. The climate is
very favorable to hogs. The heat in
any part of the country is rarely so
great as to injure them. With cheap
protection they can be kept with profit
in the most northern tier of states and
territories. In most parts of the coun-
try they require no shelter from the
time they are dropped till they are
ready for the market. Buildings for
| the protection of hogs are unknown on
many farms that are chiefly devoted to
| the production of pork.
Still, with all those advantages many
| farmers in those portions of the country
| where the largest crops of clover and
corn are raised are giving up keeping
hogs on an extensive scale. Tney
think that the profits are too small for
the large risks involved. They will
continue to raise pork for their own
use, but will raise but few hogs for the
market. Most likely wealthy farmers
will devote more attention to horses
and cattle and thereby give farmers
who have smaller means a better chance
to make money by keeping hogs. Ap-
\ parently the swine disease is moro fire.
quent as well rs more likely to prove
fatal on the flat prairies, where very
large crops of corn are raised, than on
rolling and high land. The risks on
account of swine plague are much
greater where all the land is embraced
in improved farms than in parts of the
country that are sparsely settled. The
disease appears to be carried from one
farm to those near to it, and often car
ries off nearly all the hogs kept in a
town that is thickly settled. On isolated
farms there is much less danger from
infection, as one lot of hogs is not
likely to come in contact with another.
The risks attending the keeping OF
hogs may be greatly reduced by hasten
ing their growth as fast as possible.
The longer hog is kept the more like
4 ly it is to contract the swine plague and
/ die. There is as great advantage in
having hogs mature early as in having
cattle ready to turn off while they are
still young. AS rule, there is little
profit in keeping hogs over the winter
unless they are designed for breeding
purposes. Pigs dropped early in the
spring can be made to weigh two hun.
dred pounds before very cold weather
occurs. For many years packers have
shown y preference for hogs of moder
ate size. Country butchers like well
fattencd hogs that will weigh wher
dressed about two hundred pounds
They are better adapted to the retail
trade than very large hogs. They ar,
also better for use in the family. 1t il
difficult to cure the meat of very heavy
hogs SO that it will be certain to keel
through the summer. When the mea
is to be smoked, light hogs are prefer
able to very heavy ones Few familie:
wish to boil ham that weighs Owe
twelve pounds, while thin sides max,
the finest breakfast bacon