The Bossier banner., 1891-12-31
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
TIMELY TOPICS.


Il. u -
The Approach of Hog-KIlling Time-shel-
ter for Stock-Late SOrghum-Caring for
sweet Potatoes.
Hogs intended for slaughter should
now be fattened as rapidly as possible.
They ought to be ready for the knife
by the middle of November, for the
latter part of November is our best
hog-killing period. The weather now
is also very favorable for developing
fat. 1t is cool and bracing enough to
give appetite, and not cool enough to
make it necessary for the animal to
burn up large percentage OF its food
to keep up its animal heat-as every
one knows it is hard to fatten
animals in very cold weather
Sweet potatoes, peas, groundpeas,
chufas and sorghum should now
be given the hogs freely. Change of
food and variety will give good appetite
and promote digestion. Salt, ashes and
powdered charcoal mixed, should be
kept constantly within reach of the
animals-a few doses of copperas and
sulphur given at intervals will promote
health. and so will teaspoonful of
turpentine to each hog given occasion
ally mixed with its food. Copperas and
turpentine are especially called for if
animals ale wormy, which they are
very apt to be. his all important that
the food should be so arranged that no
feca1 matter can get mixed with it-and
an abundance of pure drinking water is
of first Importance. Not only the health
of the animal, but the flavor of the
meat will be affected by cleanliness.
If a sufficiency of shelters has not
been provided for stock this should be
looked after at once. In our mild cli-
mate roof to protect from cold rains
is the chief thing needed. This can be
cheaply had by using inch planks ten
or twelve feet long-as often urged by
us on former occasions, a supply of
such planks should be kept on every
farm for roofing purposes-a pen or
stall of rails or poles, with brush piled
up against it on all sides except the
south, fills the bill. All that is needed
is to break the force of cold winds and
keep off the cold rains Such shelters
are cheaper than food. The animal
heat must be kept up to normal stand
ard, either by preventing its escape (by
shelters) or by making more of it by
burning up food. Planks and brush are
cheaper than hay and grain.
If you have any late-planted sorghum,
whose seed are about formed, or will be
| at the close of the month, cut and put
under shelter without curing. The
stalks will remain green and succulent
| for some weeks, and stock will relish
them very much after frost has killed
the plants of the natural pastures. 1t
| should be cut as late as possible-a light
frost will not hurt it, but it should be
cut before killing frost. .G.
If the weather and ground are dry to-
ward the last Of the month, and potato
vines have about stopped growing,
sweet potatoes may be dug without
waiting for frost. A light frost does
not hurt them, but if digging is put off
too long freeze may overtaEe them
that will hurt them, and rains may set
in and keep the ground too wet. Our
best success in keeping potatoes has
been when the ground was dry when
they were dug and when the weather
had become settled cool. Potatoes are
often injured by being covered too much
at first and getting too warm. They
will need very little covering before the
Goth of November in ordinary seasons.
| Southern Farm.