The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-10-15
.FARMERANDP PLANTER.
THE SWINE INDUSTRY.
The Hog and How to lake the Most II
Him,

VILE, hS., August a. Isgd.l
The swine industry. occupying the
Important place that it does in our do
nestle economy, as well as in the great
markets of the world, naturally sug-
gests to anyone engaged in the enter
prise the question: "lIow can | make
the most of him?' And now, realizing
this TO be a subject on which there ex-
isti q great divergence of opinion, |
shall sSdeavor to be brief, basing my
remarks on personal experience and
obervation during the past A. years. u
Let me say in the beginning that
the first thing necessary to success in
swine breeding and feeding, as in any
other undertaking, is to make up your
mind to succeed This done, you are
now ready to decide the next question::
with what breed shall | begin?'--a
question which everyone must decide
for him self, Aim to select some breed
that is locile and kind. prolific in off
spring, good suckers aud careful moth
ers, keeping in mind the fact that
what the farmer and stock raiser of to-
NoJ NhA'iN IL tpG tlldt Is illii htl-
able at any age-one that has u good,
strong constitution, such as will en-
able it to withstand the ordinary trials
and vicissitudes OF a hogs life.
Having decided what breed you pre-
fer, the next question is: where shall
| get themy' If you are a good Judge,
visit the heard and make your own Sc
lection. If this is not convenient, or
II you are not a competent Judge, write
to some reputable breeder who has had
experience in raising the kind of hog
you wish to produce; tell him as near
ly as you can what you want and for
what purpose You are going TO breed,
and ten chances to one he will suit you
better than had you yourself made the
selection. Do not let q few dollars in
the price throw You off; buy moth
ing but the best. l prefer pigs from
mature sows and dams, as they
are usually stronger and de-
velop into better hogs. If they are
shipped TO you. make no delay in get
ting them out of the crate; urn them
into a grass lot with plenty of clean
water to drink, and feed lightly for a
few days. let this be some laxative
food, since being somewhat cranped
from shipping, the digestive organs
are apt to be impaired. If the weather
is disagreeable, be sure you supply
comfortable sleeping quarters. llav-
ing now the foundation on which to
build a herd, do not make that com
mon mistake of putting too many to-
gether. The chances for disease arc
tenfold greater in a herd of 200
than in a herd of 80. Have a
separate grass lot with plenty Of va
ter for the boar, and always be kind
and gentle with him. Supply him
with q variety Of well-balauced food,
such as will produce good bone and
muscle; provide Il bed in winter and a
shade in summer; never let him know
there is any place to roam other than
in his own lot, and he will give you no
trouble. The sows should have Il
larger range of pasture, and for brood
sows, very little grain. When the
time you wish to breed approaches.
place them in a lot adjoining the one
occupied by the boar; turn them
in with him one at a time,
and usually one service is sufi-
Gent to guarantee a fine litter of
pigs. Make a record Of the time each
SOW vas bred, add to this date III
days and you have the day on which
you may expect pigs to come. Now Il
few words regarding the care Of the
sow during pregnancy: The mistake
most often made is in feeding too much
corn, thereby producing an over-ubund-
ance OF fat. Give taem a variety OF
bone and muscle-producing food, be-
ing careful, however, not to go to- the
other extreme and keep them too lean.
On the score OF economy and health, |
have become Il strong believer in roots
for winter feeding, though | should by
no mean neglect wheat bran, since it
aids materially in securing a good de-
velopment of bone and muscle in the
offspring. Then as the time ap.
proaches for the pigs to come, be sure
you are prepared to receive and give
them proper care and attention on
their arrival. Prepare comfortable
quarters, and have each SOW to herself;
place her there about q week before
time to farrow, that she may become
accustomed to the surroundings. Pay
strict attention at time Of narrowing,
but unless your services are really
needed, do not modest her for at least
II or "a hours. Feed but little the first
few days, giving nothing that would
create fever, but allowing her to have
plenty OF pure water and to Craze at
will. The sows should remain sepa-
rate ten or twelve days, after which
time the pigs will know their mothers
and may her be allowed to run to-
gether. Teach the pigs to eat as soon
as possible; make a pen which the sows
can not enter in which to feed them;
place in this a shallow trough, to
which you can Goa them at first with
. little sweet milk. After n few days
mix in a little wheat bran; increase
the amount of food gradually, and
by the time the pigs are four
weeks old they will be strong
and vigorous. by this time you
have your SOW on full rations.
Give such food as will produce the
greatest flow of milk and at the same
time keep up flesh and strength. 1t
matters moi how much slop is given. be
sure that they have all the pure water
they will drink. Now is the time the
SOW needs pasture most, OF which
clover should form the basis. Turn
them on rye, wheat or barley the lat
ter part OF winter, on clover in the
spring, and hen have an acre or two
Of sorghum. on which 10 put them
when the clover begins TO get tough,
and you will be surprised TO see not
only how they relish it, but the
amount of grazing it will afford
and the amount Of gain you hogs
will take ~. Don't fail to have q root