The gale., 1888-03-17
Raising Pork.

York { b errer, has been an important
production Of the farm in the past, and
Is likely be in the future, although a
speaker at the meetig nof the Connecticut
State Board of Agriculture, hoped the
day would come when pork would cease
to be prodaced and cease to be an article
of diet. Upon the farm, other matters
are to be considered than prejudice, and
the direct and indirect profit coming
from pork raising will be likely to exert
an influence for some time in the future.
In the raising of pork there are several
points that have an important influence
hogs or pigs will consume for food, and
thrive thereon, wa te material that would
hardly be turned TO any other purpose,
and which is an important help in pro-
noting the growth and development of
the animal, especially while young and
before the time for fattcning arrives. 1t
is not an uncommon thing for farmer
having an avera family, and well pro-
vidod W tn milch cows, to secure the
early grow aud development of several
pigs upon waste material alone.
There is nothing better for pigs than
skim milk, and this, when supplemented
by scraps of stale bread and other refuse
from the table, will cause rapid growth.
While it is true in case of farmers in the
vicinity ofcities. villages. or near shipp ng
stations that skim milk represents a com
mere al value, comparatively few farmers
so consider it, and hence it is classed as
waste product. although some recent
trials point to its profitable use as q feed
ing product for other animals. Again,
hogs are proftably employed in orchards
in devour;ng insect infected fruit, and
so render impo tant and valuable aid in
the prevention, to some extent, of some
of the pests that threaten to overrun the
farmer. SO during the summer and early
fall quite number of hogs may be very
cheaply kept.
And so long as they serve so useful a
purpose as that of turning to some profit
the waste substance of the farm, and
with the remembrance of delicious sau-
sages, nice pork chops, the juicy spare
rib and the much sought pork ham, to
gether with the demand that arises for
lard in the culinary department, as well
as the piece of nice pork with which to
season the pot of baked beans, or of corn
and beans, the vision of the time when
pork raising will cease will grow dim and
fade away.
Another important consideration, and
one which has much weight with intelli-
gent farmers, is the ability of hogs or
p gs to convert refuse material into a
most valuable fertilizer especially when
confined, as is the more general custom
of the present day With n pen we'll
supplied with turf, leaves weeds, and in
fact almost anything that has fertilizing
elements in its composition, large
amount Of manure Will be made which
for some crops possesses peculiarly
beneficial effect
For home use pig that can be made
to weigh say three hundred pounds when
eight or nine months old, furnishes the
most desirable pork, and if fat is an OBJ
lection, the experiments OF Professor
Henry, of Wisconsin, go to show that 1T
can be diminished to a considerable ex-
tent, and lean meat suppliedi in its place
bv a change in the mode of feeding;
that instead Of supplying large amount
Of fat-producing food, such as corn or
corn meal. the food contains muscle and
hone producing clemens, more protein
material is fed. So il fat meat which In
the eyes of some is so Objectionable can
be replaced by large proportion OF lean
meat, or is well marblc / with #. pork
may still be received with good degree
Of favor. There is also much less liza