The Russellville Democrat., 1886-09-15

Z.
We believe u Is the true policy of
farmers to raise al the food products
demanded for the support 81 their
families, and as large an excess for
sale as circumstances will allow 1T
seems bold absurdIty for fafmer
10 buy meat for bis family and Lands.
Il is his business, his alone and Elk
clusively, to raise meat for the non
producing class. The financial wreck
81 thousands upon thousands who
raise cotton well nigh exclusively,
and rely upon the proceeds Of the
sales of their crop for the purchase
Of food products, wofully attest the
impoIicy Of the plan. The same dis
astrous results follow paramount at
tention to tobacco, but not IN so
marked way, only because the cul.
tivation of tobacco has never been SO
exclusive as the cultivation Of cot
ton. The temptation, when great
staple is high, to devote exclusive
attention to it is almost irresistible;
but when prices fall or the crops fail,
then calamity comes swift and sure.
There are times when farmer can
say that it is cheaper to buy meat
and bread than to raise them, but it
Is never true in the long run or on
the general average. Particularly is
il incumbent on the farmer now,
when all the products Of his fields
are so distressingly low, to make
money by saving it. He can hold
his own and tide over the bad time
only by raising on his farm every
thing he can that will contribute to
the support, to the comfort, health,
pleasure and happiness OF his family.
Let his farm be his chief resource
alike for the support oil life and for
the enjoyment of life. Let him pay
more attention 10 his garden, his
poultry, his flock OF sheep, his cattle,
his horses and his hogs. Fewer dol
lars may find Judgement in his peck
ct, but perhaps the difference may
be made up in the fewer going out
and the increased pleasure and
bounty OF his board.
But in this article we wish to di-
rect special attention only TO sin.
gle point, the raising Of hogs. Every
farmer, however profitable his staple
crops may be, should raise plenty
of pork for his own family and en-
ployees, and should have bacon for
sale all the year round. Nothing is
more salable than good bacon, so
much so, indeed, that 1t is almost
equivalent to cash. 1t is easily ex
changeable for labor or almost any.
thing the farmer needs. And, as
properly cured there is no danger OF
loss, he can hold it as long as he
pleases, selling when the price is
high and when it suits bis conven4
fence. The ready moneYt.l1s com
ing at odd times intto his hands will
never be found inopportune or in
convenient.
With a little attention and little
forethought it is easy for the farmer
to accomplish the result we have in
dicated. Let him see that his pigs
are pushed from the start, so that
they will be ready for the knife at
from ten to sixteen months old. AT
these ages, If they have been prop
erly treated, the hogs, even of com
mon breed, will weigh from lao to
240 pounds. They should neither
be turned on the commons nor con
fined in houses or pens. Let them
have a lot of sufficient size, and not
far from the house, where they can
keep clean, be healthy and grow rap.
idly. Clover aud corn should be
cultivated for them in sufficient
quantity. Where much butter is
produced, no better use can be made
of the butter milk. All the slop and
garbage of the kitchen and garden
can be utilized in this way. With
such and similar food, with but a
small quantity Of grain, they can be
kept thriving and growing until fall.
And now comes the time when they
can be fell more chcaply ana Will
grow more rapidly than at any
former period. In May, June OF
July, peas should be sowed for them,
aud they should be turned on these
fields as the pea pods begin to brown.
As one field becomes pretty well OK
hausttd let them be turned on an
other sowed later, and so on until
fattening time. Here is food, the
best possible for the growing hog,
that costs the farmer absolutely less
than nothing.
Let us see. The fields of peas
pastured by the hogs are so much
better for crop next year as to pay
for the cost of sowing the peas, The
land will plough better from the
mntilatlon and partial removal OF
the pea vines and pods BY the hogs,
and will be enriched also by their
excrcments uniformly distributed
over the whole area. If this be so,
and certainly is, the hogs have
had the best food for two or three
months absolutely without cost Ia
the farmer.
On nothing will the young hog
grow so rapidly as on peas. Peas
contain twenty per cent. OF gluten,
or muscle forming material, while
corn contains only sixteen per cent,
I