The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-27
Swine Breeding.

1t has been repeated many times within
the last few months that swine raising is
just now probably the most profitable
farm work that anyone can engage in,
says the Epitomist. The price of hogs is
very high, while all grain is so low that
it pays in some instances to feed it to the
swine rather than sell it. In fact. there
are very few seasons when it does not pay
to feed some grain to the hogs. They do
so much better by ii, and they are sure to
retura the money with good interest.
1t is dangerous, however, to enter into
a new business in headlOng haste simply
because just now it is paying. Probably
a great number of farmers will begin to
raise hogs on larger plan simply through
the recommendation of the agricultural
press. There may be another season too
many hogs TO make the business profita-
BILE. 1t is Just as well to 90 cautiously
| and not abandon everything else with the
idea that swine raising is going TO pay all
of the bills
Nevertheless, The writer has great faith
in swine raising, and when it is properly
conducted, there is good money in it.
! There are seasons when the margin of
profits is small, but there are other years
! when it is large.-We must average the
! profits for a number of years for any in
! dustrY to determine whether there is
| profit in the work. This is the way with
| hog raising On the average it pays we'll
! There is no disputing this and those who
| have shown their faith III it by pursuing
| 1t steadily year after year are reaping the
rewards this season. There is more de-
/ mand for hogs than the farmers can sup
/ ply, and this will continue for some time
! to come.
Good breeds of hogs must be raised in
! order to find profit in the work. If one
will select these, and then study the
/ methods of feeding so that we can get the
| best returns for the cheapest food, he is
/ sure to find money in the work when pur-
/ sued regularly and determinedly year
/ after year The very first year may provo
! a disastrous one, but other good ones will
! come. This is true in every business, and
/ il is those who get discouraged and give
| up that make the failures. They
/ generally fail in everything We
/ have good breeds of swine in the
Poland Chmas, Chester Whites, Duroc-
! Jerseys, or Nictorias and there is really
/ little preference to be made. They are
/ generally good feeders and good pork
makers The different breeds have GER
/ tain characteristics which differ, The
/ Chesters, SutfOlks and Yorkshires are all
/ predisposed to fat the Poland-Chinas,
/ Berkshire and Cheshire incline toward lean
meats the Jerseys are good for roughing
! 1t in rough parts of the country, while
/ CheSters are not so good for this work
! The Poland-Chinas are good all-round
/ hogs. and they are very popular to-day
! When the breed is selected the animals
/ should be fed with a variety of food that
! will keep them healthy and strong. For
/ Instance, in the summer they need plenty
/ of grass and clover. One acre of good
[ clover will support seven full grown hogs,
and very little else need be given to them
/ in the hot weather.A little grain added to
this ration would help them. In the win
ter they should be given roots, potatoes,
turnips, sprouts, hay, small grains aud
corn. The latter foods must predominant
then, especially if they are being fattened
for market. The corn, in fact, is the
! greatest heating and fattening food,
but it is bad for the hogs except when
they are being prepared for slaughter.
| Any intelligent farmer can follow up this
! diet, and in the end he will find il cheaper
than TO feed the hogs almost exclusively
corn and filthy swill