Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-01-28
Branding for snrInr Pigs.


those who give plenty of time and skill
to the business, poultry offers larger
returns; but its market Is more likely
to be glutted than is that for pork,
which rarely goes below the price that
young, quickly fattened pork can be
sold for. 1t is near the time when sows
should be coupled for spring narrowing,
and some suggestions as to the best way
to make the most of grain in pork may
be useful. In the first place, the larg-
est part Of the swine herd should be
young animals. This will require the
keeping Of more than the usual num-
Der Of breeding sows. How many
farmers who have plenty Of corn keep
more than one or two breeding sows!
Accidents are always liable to happen,
especially with young sows, which often
in their first litter produce only four
to six pigs, and one or more Of these
may be runt or be accidentally killed.
The reason the farmer keeps so few
breeding sows is because he calculates
on a full litter, and on feeding these
eight, ten or twelve months before
turning off to the butcher. But spring
pigs are always salable at prices which
pay well for the cost of growing them,
and If enough breeding sows are kept
to eat most Of the grain, by the time
the pigs are sold the probability Is that
this grain will return more money to
the owner than II fed in any other way,
But the breeding sows should also be
the best that can be procured, and In
stead OF being fattened with their first
litter or after their second litter they
should be kept to breeding until four OF
five years old. By this time the old
SOW, though quite as capable of pro-
ducing a fine litter as ever, usually de-
velops undesirable tricks which make
1t undesirable to keep her longer. She
will probably develop the habit of eat
ing her young, or she will become SO
strong and determined to escape all
ordinary enclosures that nothing but
confinement in tight pen will hold
her. So far as ability to breed is con-
cerned, the SOW, If not allowed to get
too fat, will breed until eight or ten
years, and perhaps longer. If a num-
Der Of sows are kept for breeding, sep
arate pens must be provided for each,
This makes some extra cost, but the
welfare of different sets Of pigs Of vary
ing size requires their separation, SO
that the stronger may not oVermastei
the weaker. After the pigs are weaned
or sold off the sows should be bred
again, even though the pigs are sold
cheap, as stockings in late summer oil
fall always are Keeping the SOW
breeding steadily is the best method
to prevent her from getting too fat
She will, II full grown, need only pas
ture and come milk in summer, and
roots of some kind with milk and
little grain or wheat middlings in win
ter. There is no better income from
investment than comes from a we'll
built brood SOW, bred to choice stock
and producing two or three good lit.
ters of pigs per year.
Color in Butter.-But it is doubtless
true that there is common misappre.
hension as to the nature of this natural
butter color. 1t is supposed that 1t Is
a fixed quality of the butter, and is moi
subject to change by any process Of the
butter making. My experience differs
from this common belief, for l have
found it to be very far from a fast
color, as might be said, and very easily
changed by exposure to light, as well
as by the action Of the salt, due doubt
less to the effect of the chlorine Of the
salt this chlorine being well-known
most effective bleaching agent and de-
structive to almost all colors. Thus
when the butter is made, if it be ex-
posed to the light, the outer surface Of
it may be deepened somewhat and in
the working it will become notified oil
streaky, unless great care is taken to
mix it we'll. Even then the light
streaks will be apparent If the butter
is examined by a microscope, and the
mass will have streaked or marbled
or patchy appearance. This defect Of
course arouses suspicion Of the charac.
ter of the butter; for if it is not wholly
and completely perfect in every way, il
is open to this questionable character
all through. And thus it is that the
color of the butter is rightly one of its
chief points of excellence.-H. Stewart
in Country Gentleman.
Conserving the Fertihty.-The soil
being so important factor in human
existence and human happiness, there
is required no apology to be offered fol
a consideration of its forces, functions
and character; but rather, If apology