The Opelousas courier., 1895-08-17
KEEP THE PIGS COMFORTABLE
And You'll Have Thrifty Stock 1T Light
Expense.

And You'll Have Thrifty Stock ut Light
Expense.
When the farmer starts out to pre-
pare narrowing nests he is too often
careless about having them comforta-
BILE. The roofing is not made perfect
against rain Or snow, or may be the
sides of the structure are not wind
proof. These careless fellows do not
realize how short the skip is from in.
different TO perfect work. Nor does he
realize the difference between success
and failure with a litter Of pigs. The
wind blowing through an opening in
the shed may work ruin to the pigs.
For narrowing, a comfortable she'd or
house can be built for S.; one that
will do good service for a number of
years with but little repa> Often a
litter of pigs is lost that is We tn much
more than the cost of the house.
Sometimes when an effort is made at
providing shelter, there is extreme
thoughtlessness in its preparation, as
though wind Or rain would not find an
opening in straw or a crack between
plank or rails. No more comfortable
'hiSicN S"h oS iidtlO tHdu d uoublcS
sided rail pen, the sides packed with
! straw, and the whole covered with
straes to sufficient depth to prevent
leakaie. Most farmers do not cover
such sElds perfectly; instead of making
them rain proof, they act as filters,
often dripping water on the pigs for
hours after the rain is over. 1t would
require but lite more work to perfect
such a shed. Many farmers think
and so it is, if not properly used.
When it is used as it should be, there
is nothing better on most farms.
When used, it should not be allowed
to become wet, nor should it be used
so long as to become fine as to form
a dust. When we use it and it gets
broken up SO fine as te stick to the
bodies of the pigs when they come out
of the nests. we think the time
has come for a change. Again,
there is something in keeping
a pig comfortable by proper
feeding; a pig should not be svmpeled
to take exercise on account of hunger
altogether, but rather on account Of
his thrifty condition; comfort does not
lie entirely in the shelter given, nor
can best feeding take the place Of
shelter and comfortable quarters. But
a certain amount Of comfortable shell
ter is much cheaper than an endeavor
to make the animal comfortable by
high feeding. Some farmers in treat
ment of their swine act as though they
believed comfort in the way of sheds
was actually unnecessary, that a hog is
more healthy without a shelter than
with it. Too little is thought Of
the deleterious effects of the nest that
a vays stands when the animal leaves
it. A farmer does not learn proper
care at once when he desires to get
away from old customs. If his pigs
cough, he inquiries of his neighbors
what will cure them-does not take a
thought as to tbffause.
We used toe have our pigs and stock
cough, but since we have learned how
to make them comfortable. we do not
think of other remedies; in fact we
have no use for then.
A thoroughly comfortable pig is a
ACdlt1y - -pOuu 1u. cdI1lSOu$ III
Swine Breeders Journal.
Small Corn-Meal Plants.
There are many thousands of barrels
of corr meal shipped from the north
and west into the south every year
and why should it be so?
There can with safety be hundreds
of small corn-meal plants placed
throughout the grain-producing parts
of the south just to supply home de.
mand, and make quite a nice little
home industry.
1t is not burr-corn mills that is
meant, for there are a great many OF
! those now, but the little roller plants.
Roller corn-meal may make 10 better
Johnny cakes or other kind OF bread
than burr meal, bat it looks newer
and makes nicer looking bread, and
besides it is the fashion. OF probably SC
much meal would not be shipped il
from the north.
1t does not cost very much to fit upa
small roller meal plant such as might
be needed in every town of 1900
inhabitants and upward. The sys.
tenn IS GOWN very SnOrG ana very
fine, and there is none of tho
general mill furnishing houses but
what can furnish an inexpensive plant
that will make as good meal as will be
generally needed in any locality.
Then, too, the gasoline engine sim
| plifes the business. An engine Of from
ten to twenty actual horse power will
be large enough to run the average Of
such mills.
1t is a small business, but generally
a very sure business, and, as said, can
be safely placed in any community
large enough to support one.-Rural
Mechanics.