The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-02
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
THU Pra.

~ VIII SUM De 10 tAEB9n EU0 HUkb koE
market, and whether the farmer will be en-
! abled to secure profit depends entirely upon
how he raises the animal. The pig naturally
is filthy animal and many farmers. laboring
under this impression, keep them rs filthy as
possible. Perhaps they think that by 80 doing
the hogs will get fat on their own account If
he gives the pigs the best of food the chances
are that it will have little effect upon them.
Let him, however, keep them in clean place
and give Thorn the Same food and the result
will speak for itself. Perhaps the farmer will
reply that ne has not the time TO spare to clean
tho pgpen. We would tell such person that
II he did not have tho timo to take care of his
stock ho had better sell thom, for how can q
man expect n profit from anything to which
he pays no attention.
Overlooking is great mistake and Is worse
than sparse diet, especially to young pigs,
whose growth is checked and who are other
wise injured. Keeping too many hogs together
is another great fault Tho swine huddle to-
gethcr in cool weather and by being thus
packed they perspire, and when they separate
and go out in the cold to get their food the
chances are that the change of the atmosphere
will act upon tho animal. Many diseases are
contracted in this way which, by little care,
might have been avoided.
The profits in the pig lie in the ability to run
these pork making machines SO rs to keep
their digestion in perfect order and to daily
Increase the capacity of the stomachs for
digesting and assimilating the largest possible
amount of food. The slop will distend the
stomach, and with the concentrated feed ii will
furnish ali the nutriment that can be di-
gcstcd. If the pigs be fed frequently the
stomach will keep in better condition, and this
Is the fine point in getting best growth and
keePing the pigs in the best Of health Until
the pigs are six months old they should be fed
at least three times day, and when from two
TO four months old the same amount of feed
for the day be divided into five meals, there
VIII DO less danger of overfeeding or indiges-
ton.
Some people prefer to have hog that 10
heshy ana Lightly isttened, in preference to an
overwhelmed one. In the olden. time agricul-
tufe the swine were sent TO seek their food in
the woods, receiving from the household or
DAIRY but very meager amount OF the leav-
ings As the muscular system of this mode of
nVlng was developed in n more natural manner
the SWINE were more tleshy and less fatty than
with the animals Of the present day. But this
system resulted in too slow n development,
which would not pay in the present day. That
this result could perhaps DO more quickly at
tanned by turning the animals in tho Summer
months out on the fRllow field and in the
Autumn on the grass fields, which later on will
be coming under tho plow. At the same time
they VIII be grubbing up all theroOts and larvte,
which they gr,edily seek after. The remaining
quantity OF fodder may consist of mixture of
roots aud dairy leavings, and TO make tho
animals fat certain amount Of corn should DO
nsed Oats are especially rich in phosphates, or
han a -
httening food. The pig IL good manure
maker, and the economical farmer could save
much BY giving the animal plenty of leaves or
other waste with which to absorb all the
manure
We have received communications q. differ.
ent times asking whether It would be bstter TO
iatsen the pig the first or tho socond year. We
think the first year is the bost, and we would
like to have the opinion Of our readers on this
subject.
sss
In talking about utilizing the leaves in tho
above, We have repeated what is every year
forced upon the farmer. II he be economical he
can save many ton OF manure, and thus be that
much more money Ia his pocket than if he had
70 buy IT, IL Is true that you may have large
amount Of straw on hand but why not sell il
instead OF letting IL 40 to waste2 IL IL cannot
be sold, then the matter ia in different light
sold. The leaves themselves when decayed arc
valuable Tor fertii!zing, and how much more 80
must they be when they contain ell tho LIQUID
manuref Now that the farmer has little to
do let bin get us many leaves as he can, for he
cannot get too many, and make good use of
them. Ihey may be placed in the pig pen, In
the COW stable. IN the horses STALL in the barn
yard, around the watering tank, and in fact
almost everywhere where the animals stay for
any length Of time. This may be considered
iOolishness, but when tho farmer spends his
money and timo 10 secure commercial fertiliz-
crs, he can save his money and spend hs time
III gathering leaves and making use of them.
coMPosIrioN OF FOODS.
Tho heterogeneous elements Of food are what
make flesh, skin, hair, etc, and the carbonn.
ceons elements are used first for the production
OF heat and what romans to produce fat. Nj
trogen0us foods, or foods that are rich In nitro
gen, arc flesh or muscle lormera; and carbo-
haceous foods or foods that are rich In carbon,
are lat i0rmers. In addition TO these mineral
elements arc needed 10 form bone and carti.
laBcs. III Will be Seen also from this how ueces-
sary IL Is 10 know the character of the food
winch We are feeding with a definite purposs
In view. The composition of tho IN ost common
grams and looda IL known, or should be- and
when anything Is TO DO fed whose chemical
composition we are ignorant OF, q resort should
DO had to chemistry to determine just what 1t
Is good for.
The principal heterogeneous foods. or flesh
iormerS' are wheat, bran, oats clover, linseed-
meal ana oil cake. The principal earbonaceous
Ioous or TAT formers, arc corn starch, sugar and
oil when the food contains much gum, mu.
ellage aud albumen. IL is rich In nitrogen, and
called an albumin0id. When food is rich in
sugar starch or gum, 1t is chiefly composed of
carbon ana hydrogen, and is called carbo-
hydrate.
nay generally contains about 81 per cent.
OF aibnminolds and 43 per cent of carbo-hy-
drates ana grass contains 3 per cent of albu-
mihoias and ID per cent. of carbohydrates
ness are natural foods and staple. But as
thoae nave TO be supplemented with other foods,
VIC give below tho relative proportion Of albu-
mihoids To Carbo-hy dFates In q number of
ioods: Linseed meal about % per cent. of albu-
mlholds and Ill per cent. of carbo- hydrates;
corn ~ per cent Of the former and GS per
cent. OF the latter; oats 10 per cent and so
per cent; barley per cent and 90 per
cent; bran Ia per cent. and so per cent: clover
40 per cent and 30 per cent; dry corn fodder,
d per cent and 80 per cent; oat straw per
cent. and 50 per cont; sugar beets i per cent.
and 10 per CENT mangolds / per cent and
y per cent; potatoes = per cent. and 81 per
cent.
No moro perfect food than wheat bran can
DO found for young animals, as il contains a
ratio OF IL TO 90 or one to three aud Il half. For
matuIer animals oats are u perfect food, con-
tanning a ratio of IL TO 60, or / to 5. By COM
bining the richer with the poorer foods, we
can have just what we want.
NOTES.
10 nas.I