The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-11-19

ming water, and better still. if sup
Il plemented with mast bearing trees,
: he can raise pigs at a profit till fatten-
ing time arrives, and if corn is plenti-
ful and low priced he can feed it to
them protitably.
, But where farmer has not these
advantages and is compelled to keep
his pigs and hogs in pen
and carry some considerable distance
all the water they drink and
ieedN r. 4 on cultivated crops, the
time ri labor involved if fairly
reckSb ID will make them dear pigs,
and "nen the fattehing has to be done
on corn which can be sold in the
local market from so cents to 81 per
bushel, while the price of fat hogs
ranges from 1-2 to cents per pound,
it may be more profitable to buy than
raise pork. ~.
Hog raising is held up as a relief
from the tyranny of cotton culture,
and the profits of the business are
clearly demonstrated ION paper) with
out reference to the circumstances and
environments of the farmer, and are,
therefore, unreliable and unworthy OF
notice. The Texas farmer is told of
the enormous value of the pork crop
in Illinois and other northern states
as compared with Texas. and the inn
plication is that these pork producers
are wiser and Weather than their
foolish cotton-growing brothers in the
south, and that it only requires q
change from cotton to cattle and hogs
to ensure, If not wealth, reasonable
competence.
Corn is the staple hog food in the
northern states, and their soil and
climate are adapted to its production.
There they iced hogs, not because of
the proiitableness of the bust
ness, but because they sometimes
lose less on their crop fed to hogs than
sold in bulk at fifteen or sixteen cents
bushel. These prosperous hog rails
ers amass riches about as fast as the
average Texas cotton grower. They
live in corn country, we in a cotton.
If these nothern pig breeders were In
this state they would probably devote
their talents TO another field Of enter
prise. Their business is the natural
result of their local conditions and not
merely wisdom of choice. They grow
pork at starvation prices as we some
times do cotton.
AS have said, there is no rule of
general application as to the most
profitable farming crop, but ii rests
with every farmer after careful sur
vey of his surroundings; such rs soil
and its adaptability to different crops,
local markets, value of produce there
and cost of transportation, etc; and
then cultivate the most profitable and
convenient crop. Many who have
never raised pig would find upon
such careful survey, that they had
been neglecting most profitable in
dustry; while others would continue
to keep their smoke-houses in Chicago
Or Kansas City.
FEEDING FOR EGGS.
10 keep hen in good condition for
laying she should never have full
crop during the day IL is not wrong
to give light meal Of mixed food
warm in the morning, in the trough,
but such meal should be only one
fourth the quantity the hens require.
They should go away from the trough
unsatisfied, and should then seek
their food, deriving it grain by grain,
engaging in healthy exercise in order
to obtain it and in such circumstances
the food will be passed into the giz-
/ zard slowly and be better digested.
,, Gradually the hen will accumulate
sufficient food to provide for the night,
going on the roost with full crop,
where she can leisurely forward it
, from the crop to the gizzard.
Feeding soft food leads to many err
rors on the part of the beginner, caus-
ing him to over feed and hamper his
hens, and by it they will reach con-
dition that is entirely antagonstic to
, laying. III ismuch better to feed hard
grains only than to feed from q trough,
unless the soft feed is carefully meas
ured. A quart OF mixed ground
grain, moistened and in crumbley
= condition, should he sufficient for
forty hens as starter" for the
| morning, but two quarts of whole
/ grain should be scattered in litter for
! them to seek and secure for them
, selves. Coleman's Rural World
r FACTS.
L hear the farmers today complain
ing of high tariffs, and it may be they
have right to complain; still no tax
on IRON was ever SO great as the tax
he pays who leaves his moving ma
chine unsheltered in the storm. The
tax on land is high, but he pays
higher tax who leaves his meadows
to grow upin whiteweed and thistles.
The tax for good roads is high, but a
higher toll is paid by the farmer who
: goes each week to town in mud knee
: Ieep to his horses. There is O high
tax on personal property, but it is not
: so high as the tax on time which is
paid by the man who spends his Sat-
urdays lettering about the village
-. streets. All the farmers income
arises from the wise use of his time
Ex.