The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-08-09
HoGs For The Sonth.

Home and Farm.
| Ever since the price of cotton ha'
been going down so steadily we hav'
been turning our attention to othe'
farm products. Among other things
the raising of improved hogs is recelv
ing more attention than ever before
The time is past when farmers coulo
raise hogs in the woods at any proht'
they must have pastures with plenty
of grass and water and mixed rations
to produce the best results. We think
it better policy to prepare to raise
plenty Of bacon for home consumption
than to raise AGENT cotton to buy II
with.
With good grass pasture for hogs,
and there is no better grass for this
purpose than Bermuda grass, and a
few acres planted in peanuts. pump
kins, kershaws. squashes, melons, po-
tatoes and artichokes, they Will requii e
very little corn to eat. have all the
patches conveniently near the pasture
SO as to feed with as little labor as por-
sible.
Squashes come in first and the guam
tity that may be raised on one-fourth
acre is astonishing. plant half a
dozen varieties, but mainly the yellow
bush, as it bears so early. If no fruit
is allowed to mature. the vines will
sometimes bear till frost. Great bas-
ketsful of squashes should be poured
in the feeding pens every afternoon,
as also all the surplus fruit waternel-
ons and cucumbers. begin to cut the
sorghum for them AS soon as the seed
is in the dough. do not advocate
turning hogs in the sorghum patch as
some do. for they will pull down and
destroy more than they will eat Ipre-
fer the Early Amber variety.
Later on, after the peanuts mature
and are housed, let the hogs in to turn
over the ground and gather the re
naming nuts. The Spanish or red
Georgia ripens early and are easily
gathered. Then after the potatoes are
dug let the hogs in and they will hunt
out every root. After this those in
tended for pork are ready for the pea
field, and the fallen corn, and then
feed few weeks on corn alone to fin
ish. The sows and pigs may run on
the artichoke patch all winter and
keep in good condition, allowing them
an ear OF corn at night for each pig.
Thoroughbred hogs of some estab-
lished breed are the best for founda
ton stock, but egistered boar cross
ed On the best native sows will be like
ly to give the most satisfactory results
if one does not intend to go into the
raising of fancy stock for breeders.
In this case, of course, it is advisable to
get the best registered stock, and as
near home as can be procured, SO there
will be no loss in accliinating. When
brought from the north to our warn
climate, disappointment, if not actual
loss may be expected. l speak from
both observation and experience
Learn the exact conditions under which
the hogs haye been kept in their ma
tive land and adhere to them or change
very gradually when taking them to
warm climate. OF cOurse suitable lots
and shelters should he provided for
their comfort. The improved hog can
not rough it like the razor. back. Our
native hogs are at best only a mongrel
race, late maturing and hard to fatten;
but selecting the best of these and
using a registered male, the improve
ment would be great. And where the
object is to raise pork alone, this is tar
the better plan.
There is NO reason why the south
should not produce every pound of
meat and lard consumed within her
borders; and there will he 40 more
times until greater efforts
are put forth in this direction Pork |
packeries are being established and "a i
demand created for the surplus hogs |
The next decade will see thousands of
acres of fine cotton producing land
turned into hog pastures.
PETER PIPER.