Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-29

in autumn add to this feed some kind of
root product, as sugar heets-sweet potatoes
would be the best and cheapest root feed
for Texas Three CT four weeks before
slaughtering-t;mc give corn 70 harden the
lard, bit not full corn feed, as is COM
monty done. as this would make the animal
too fat-give ABOUT a half feed OF corn and
make up the deficiency with the other feeds
already named. in regions where peanuts
are grown they will be found highly adj
vantageous as an autumn and finishing-up
feed in association with corn. The hogs
will eat them entire, both vines and nuts,
when thrown into the pen.
Largo hogs are not best for any market,
either 1T home or observation-disclosures
breeds are decidedly preferable, and can
be the quickest and most cheaply raised.
Nine 10 twelve months of time from birth
will have them all ready and in the best
possible condition for market. And this
beats cattle, as anyone can see. 1t Is the
very thing for small farming, as it brings
quick returns and calls for comparatively
little capital; in word, it gives the poor
man just as good chance to gam a fair
percentage at his occupation as is accorded
TIE rich man.
Touching upon the best breed Of hogs for
bacon Nh Allen unhesitatingly proclaims
in favor Of the Berkshire, claiming that
his breed turns out a larger percentage of
rich, juicy meat than is turned out by any
other. Next 10 the Berkshire comes the
Duroc or jersey red, a supposed-to-be
branch of the Berkshire. BUt care must be
taken in purchasing Gerkshires at the pres
cnt day, for some OF them are nearly
spoiled by breeders in the quality of their
shoulders, hams and side-peceS. They
have shortened the head, length and depth
of the body, giving them n pug-uose and fat
jowls like the Chinese, by feeding them al
most entirely ON corn. The result is that
the largest percentage of the flesh is fat,
instead of tender, lean, juicy meat, totally
unfit for bacon. All such breeding should
be stopped at once, not only in BerkShires,
but in other classes of hogs that are raised
for bacon, and especially for export bacon.
Mr. Allen goes on to state that most of
the pictures of hogs appearing in our agri-
cultural papers are of this very fat shape
mere caric1tures OF what Il good bacon
animal should be, and an additional misfor-
tune is added at the shows Of agricultural
societies in appointing judges who know
nothing of the desirable points necessary
to form suitable bacon animals, and the
result is prizes are awarded to unsuitable
animals to the injury of breeding good ones
that viii sell more quickly. a1S ~" higher
price.
There has never before been so great an
encouragement to the hog raisers of this
country as IVY exists, therefore Texas
farmers s. be prompt to take advan-
tage of the ~ state of affairs. No ether
state can raise hogs 50 cheaply, all things
considered, and no danger whatever exists
as 10 possible glut of the market. The
people Of Texas should wade right into the
hog industry without moments delay, for
those countries of the Old World 50 long
closed to our bacon, but now clamoring for
it, will want lots of ''hog meat" depend
upon that. And as we wade in. it is well
for us to wade in with the kinds bestcalcu-
lated to suit the market, hence the entire
seasonablenesss of the foregoing thoughts
advanced by Mr.. Allen.