The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-09-22
THE FARM AND HOME.
BREEDERS WANTED TO STOP
PAMPERING PIGS.
Serious Errors in Feeding Ways Right
and. Wrong-Cheap Training of
TomatOes-StockN Notes and
Home Hints.
Suggestions on Feeding.

ueVSt uiu d lOOllSll luluS never ala a
wise one. and. as l have had a good
deal of success with hogs. I have no
hesitation in detailing some blunders
| have made. IN the hopo that others
may profit thereby writes John
Cownie in Coleman's Rural World.
A good many years ago. one spring
found me with twenty-five thorough
bred sows, all in pig to the best boar
l could find. In due time 100 as
choice pigs as anyone could wish
were brought forth and do
ing we'll. Determined to Guido
all previous efforts in the
swine business. l procured large
quantity OF corn meal shorts. bran
and oil meal and started in to- feed
those sows. I succeeded we'll; they
had good appetites and evidently en-
joyed the ration l prepared. but it
was just three weeks when the last
pig expired. You say. almost audibly.
overfed the sows and caused fever
Precisely. I know it now and am
very careful about feeding sows while
nursing their pigs. These sows were
turned to pasture. deprived of all
grain. bred as soon as possible. and
in the fall had again fine lot of pigs,
which averaged at selling 375 pounds
each. With common stock this
would scarcely have been possible
and refer to it as showing what can
be done in an emergency, if only the
conditions are favorable.
While fattening nearly 200 hogs one
winter during some very cold wealth
er had closed every opening in the
hog house. endeavoring to make the
hogs as comfortable as possible. A
sudden rise in the temperature one
night made me somewhat uneasy on
awakening in the morning. and my
worst fears were realized on opening
the door of the hog house. when I was
met by an atmosphere so sitting as to
prove at once that serious damage
had been done. Doors were immedi-
ately thrown open and every means
taken to thoroughly ventilate the
building. but l lost several of my
finest hogs and it was several weeks
before the others fully recovered.
Now I attach more Importance than
ever to thorough ven tilation at all
times Pure air. clean, sweet food,
pure water and good dry bed. will
amply repay for any time expended in
securing them.
Several years ago meeting neigh
Dor probably in September when new
corn was just becoming profitable for
feed. he causually remarked, Il have
put up my hogs to fatten. and am
going to crowd them right along as l
believe the early markets will be the
best" - ..'.s-.
suggested that he must be careful
not to overfeed that new corn was
easily digested and readily assim-
Hated and might cause serious dam
age in his herd. fed in that manner.
saying that he would not think of
feeding new corn to his horses, ex-
cept in very limited quantities. but he
concluded that hogs were different
from horses and went home. as he
said. to shove it into them" Sew
eral weeks later we met again. My
hogs have the cholera-losing eight
or ten day." were his first words.
could name many other instances
of hogs dying in large numbers short
ly after the advent of new corn, but
it is needless every observing person
knows that this Is a critical time in
the hogs existence. Do not under
stand meassaying that this is the cause
OF all disease in hogs Nothing of the
kind. but allow me to urge upon
every one interested in swine to be
careful in regard to sudden changes
in diet, and rather err by under
than overlooking.
Gentlemen of the Swine Breeders
association. have now told YOU
some of the faults of the average
farmer of the state. I have told YOU
OF blunders made by myself, I have
told you of mistakes made by nv
neighbors. Now let me tell you of a
serious wrong some of you are per-
petratiug upon the farmers of Iowa.
refer to the pern;cious practice of
overlooking animals intended to be
sold for breeding purposes. am
aware that flesh will cover a multi
tude of weak points in any animal but
am also sure that hog breeding in
Iowa has now reached such perfection
in your hands that this kind of feed
ing is uncalled for as it is injurious.
In the community in which I live
every farmer worthy of the name,
purchases each fall at least one male
pig from some breeder making r.
specially OF the business. And | also
know that am within bounds when I
stste that three -fourths of all those
thus purchased last year were abso.
lutely worthless for breeding pur-
poses. 1t needs no argument to prove
that this resulted from the too COM
mon habit of pampering and feeding
those young animals to make them
appear well.
You breeders no doubt take a par
donatle pride when you ship pig in
having him look his best but it is done
at O. fearful cost to the purchaser.
Let me give you one instance that oc.
CURED last fall. A neighbor. one of
the most successful feeders in the
state had purchased boar. the best
he could find and he was as near
rorfootins, rs n,,1l