The Van Buren press., 1895-01-05
PIG FEEDING.
Practical Conclusions Drawn From Ex-
pcrments at the Wisconsin Experiment
Station.

Practical Conclusions Drawn From Ex-
pcriments at the Wisconsin Experiment
Station.
'All things considered, the hog has
been the most profitable animal on
western farms, and no small part of
the wealth of the western states is due
to this one animal. Corn is and has
been the most universal food for swine
in this section, and so it is to Indian
corn that we are indebted for the
benefits accruing from the hog. No
other plant furnishes so much avail
able food to the acre, or food that is so
well relished by the hog, as corn.
With millions of acres of land devoted
to corn-growing, and a large part of
this corn being fed to hogs, it is
no wonder we have come to regard
corn as made for the hog and the hog
for corn. To one who first acquaints
himself with the situation it might
appear that all the farmer has to do to
increase his income is to plant more
corn and raise more hogs, but the in
vestigator will soon find that were the
market open to all that could be raised.
there seems a limit to the pork produc-
tion of any farm OF locality, for nu-
merous difficulties beset this vocation.
Pigs are born only to meet an early
death; hog cholera devastates large
areas, passing from point to point with
great rapidity, clearing everything be-
fore it, leaving the farms not only
without swine, but so inoculated with
the disease that all the business in that
section must be held in abeyance for a
year or more. Farmers are constantly
complaining that their hogs become
too tine-boned, and get but temporary
relief by sending off to breeders
for coarse-boned sires. These facts
show that as now handled on
the average farm at the west, the hog
is in an abnormal condition and
that degeneration is constantly going
on, or, popularly stated, stock runs
out The difficulties in the way do
not end with the troubles named but
follow the hog even after death, into
the park barrel Foreigners claim that
our pork is diseased, and place an en-
barge upon it. Home consumption is
decreasing not because our people think
the pork is diseased in itself necessa-
rily, but because the meat is so excess
sively fat that there arises strong
aversion against it in the minds of
most people. AS people in the lower
classes in life get ahead in the world
they give up pork for more expensive
meat. Not only, then, have we to con-
slider the questions of hog feeding from
| the standpoint of feeder and breeder
but the opinion and wish of the con
sumer must receive attention, if this
industry, of such great magnitude, is
| to continue on a sound basis.
That with proper care the form, size
substance and bone of the hog can be
well maintained, and even advanced
! is shown by the fact that C reful, in
telligent breeders and specialists hole
their stock up to high standard OF
excellence, and even improve it. No,
is it difficult for the intelligent farme,
TO keep his stock where it will yield q
satisfactory profit. First of all there
must be careful discrimination be.
tween the hogs used for breeders and
those intended only for feeders. Breed.
ing from immature stock must be
avoided as much as possible, for this is
probably one of the greatest sources ot
the present lack of constitution. To
fatten brood sows after they have far.
rowed off litters once on twice. is q