Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-11-05
TOO MUCH CORN.

TOO MUCH CORN.
la the eOrn-growing states farmers
I feed too much corn, especially to hogs
/ that Is, they do not feed enough other
foods along with the corn. This fault
IN feeding will probably be emphasized
Z this year, when corn il so very plenti-
fui. Within the past month swine dis
eases have occa casioned loss Of hundreds
OF thousands of dollars in Illinois alone.
Again. We have escaped loss from swine
plague or cholera. lt seems To me that
practical freedom from disease among
our swine for more than twenty years
shows that there j. virtue In our practice
ol breeding only mature animals, Of al
loving the swine 70 drink only deep
we'll water, Of keeping all quarters
serupulously clean. OF feeding variety
Of foods, aud OF providing salt, charcoal
aud such condiments. OF our practice
IN swine growing We count the feeding
OF a variety uf foods the most important
point. We try 20 grow pigs nearly alto
gether on green feed, clover being the
largest factor, aud We fatten largely on
corn. because the tests Of the experiment
stations confirm the common sense Of
feeders that corn j. the best fattening
food But We do not feed corn eN-
clusiyClv when fatteniDg and We think
that 10 cur manner of feeding may be
found large fraction OF our secret of
keeping disease out of the hog lots
while in the methods Oi farmers general
Is MAY be found one powerful cause OF
swine disease.
The Illinois Agricultural Experiment
station secured Information OF the
methods Of feeding employed by l0s
leading hog rai>ers ot the state. Pre-
sumablv these men are among the most
intelligeu, aud jgdiciouS feeders. The
station, summarizing the feeding meth
ods of these leading swine growers says
Where the hogs DO not get their food
entirely from the pastures and the drop
pings Of the cattle, corn i the almost
exclusive food for fAtteuing hogs.
This j. ONLY too true in practically ali
the hog lots in the great Corn-producing
states; and IL = probably equally true
that corn j. ~ per cent OF the grain Ted
grow iug hogs. ~ Is well known. corn
j. deficient Ia the bone and muscle
formers. a, compared with the heat ana
fat formers. Tie Department ot Agri-
culture gives the average OF ii analyses
of dent corn Protein, lO per cent; nj
trogeu, free extract, 30 :; lat, .. For
fint varieties. - analyses, the average
j. Protein. lo.5 per cent; nitrogen, free
extract. -u.l. Tat. ;. Feeding an animal
on corn alone ! like feeding man on
com bread alone or on Somev hat fa'
meat alone. Why should different re-
suits beyNpectcd OF the hog: Physiology
does not warrant the expectation.
Actual practice does not give different
results. The hog grows fat, as he must
nc also lacks yiEor. and he frequently
d.rs. No one should te surprised AZ
these results. IL l. also reasonable %
suppose thar they may De avoided Ia
part bv feeding les corn and more oI
other feeds.
Iti,ea,y TO provide other feeds, and
very often they make cheaper pork
Halt the Illinois swine feeders whose
methods were obtained by our expert
rntut station. full-grAin feed pigs dur
igg the summer; aud it is sale 10 say
,h.t above - per ceu- of the grain fed
uigs j. corn. clover and grasses would
b, cheaper feed. can make cheaper
hogs on red clover and grasses than can
De- made ou corn duIlug the summer.
Cor. il not The most economical lood, /
will not even grow the cheapest hogs, .
.e.yiuy disease entirely cur ot the Ilr>- +
tiou. and do not believe that u : the /.
most convenient. On our good corn
lands. clover nearly always grows easily I
and luNurisntly. Il would be Just a.
easy to provide clover and grasses %s
corn prUtASly more convenient, Tor
the pigs will feed the clover aud grasses /
TO themselves. II their pasture l. good, I
pis, viii make an average gain oi q /
Mound a dAv on clover aud grass. some /
m.y ind il necessary 10 feed little /
bran. oats aud corn slop, but that Is lar I
from fuil-grain feeding, which i nearly /
equivalent 20 full corn feeding
There i less ju-tidctiion Tor feeding /
cora 20 pigs than 20 hogs. Cora i dt-
i,i,nt IN lust the elements the growing :
pig needs ia liberal supply. There Is .
'o,s Of feeding value when corn l. lea /
exclusively 10 faitening swine, aud a (
considerably greater loss when It i Ted
exclusively 10 growing pigs. Oh eorn' I
animals digest-proteiu, ~ per ceut /
c.,rbo-hydrates. GG.6y per cent lat - /
per cent. Now, Ou the average, grow
inc pigs should have more than twice
thA, quantity OF proJeia 10 that quantity /
of CARBOHYDRATES aud fat, and iattenluS /
swine should have very nearly - POUNDS
Of pr,t,in 20 G6 80 pounds OF c4rbo- /
hvdrates aud : = pounds OF t@t. "hat
doe, Tie growing pig or the fattenlhg |
hog DO With the excess OF carbohydrates
and fat: NOjds il, OF course. IL cannot
.m,ke the excess into bone aud muscle. |
a certain quantity. about one-haif, II |
,..n use for energy ard heat; the rest,
- cpe-hslf. j. wasted. IL Is easy 10
ave this waste, and 40 the same time
.,iv,. the animal more healthful food. IL
psvs 10 feed hog 10 keep u healIhS'
loss from disease not considered iHe
cheapest pork i from a healthy hog'
though the loss from diseaseis not takeu
into account. lt i easy 70 gei teeds
containing Al excess of the muscle-form-
81. IN form a well-baAnced ration Win
corn. that Of themselves are economical!
md when they save the loss OF one-hali
he diyestible carbohydrates ana lat Ia
~. corn. and AT the same time greatly
~.ince the loss from disease, While In
crossing the percentage of food dlScsteu
t,,5 ,ssimillttd for the properly FED
hoy bss the better digestion aud assimi-
lationl there cannot be a doubt oi 'ne
protit in their employment. Farmers 10
he great corn-growins states "ouIo
make money by selling one-third OF
heir corn aud buying lnseed ana COZ
ronseed meal and cake, aud Keeping less
and in corn aud more IN clover anu
grasses.-CounIry Gentleman.
laurence x co. of Boston report that
,..-.,,,,las shinped from Boston, New