The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-21
Practical Hog Experience.

1 have been breeding Berkshires for
thirty years. During that time I have
tried several other breeds in comparative
tests, says a breeder in American Agri-
culturist. The wide-awake farmer endea-
vors to send as little of the fertility of his
soil as possible to market. The crops of
his farm are disposed of as a finished
product of the highest possible type, so as
to command the best market price. For
this purpose 1 found that the Berkshire
eXcelled all other breeds. These hogs have
been improved for a century along the line
of converting a mixed diet of Stops, grass
and coarse vegetables into the very finest
quality of pork.
They are admirably adapted to follow
ing cattle and gathering up the scattering
grain and vegetables on the farm, thus
making them the general purpose hog.
My method of feeding is to take the SOW
at least five weeks before narrowing time,
put her into a large roomy lot, where she
can have plenty OF exercise and pure va
ter, give good warm, clean house TO sleep
in then commence to feed at first wheat
bran mixed with water, gradually adding
a little shorts. / increase the shorts until
the ration is half shorts. Have the slop
so thick that it will run slowly when be-
ing poured. Feed twice a day until with
in four days of narrowing, then drop out
the shorts and only feed half as much as
before. great flow of milk must be
avoided, as there is danger of milk fever.
Heavy feeding before narrowing is to
nourish the unborn pigs, and have them
strong and vigorous. l do not feed the
SOW any the first day after narrowing,
and but very little the second, then for
week feed her wheat bran mixed with wa
ter.
The second week give some shorts in
the bran and the third week half bran ana
half shorts, continuing until the pigs are
old enough to wean Give all the shorts
and milk that she will eat up clean, be-
ing careful to not overfeed. As soon as
the pigs are old enough to eat, and that
will be very soon II little patience is
used. give warm milk from the COW, lit
tie at time and gradually increase the
Quantity until they have learned to eat
well. Then mix skim milk with shorts or
sieved ground oats or ground wheat. Feed
twice a day all they will eat up clean bur
do not leave any in the trough to sour.
Always feed sweet. Let the SOW run on
clover field or a green rye field, while suck
ling. Give once a week charred corn GODS,
and have wood ashes, to which a little
salt has been added, within easy reach of
SOW.
When the pigs are two months TO ten
weeks old, slip The SOW away and continue
IN feed the pigs shorts and as much milk
as possibie-the more the better, mixed
with shorts When 1--WE to six months old
nut them on a clover or green rye field and
feed corn in the ear, being careful 20 feed
so the manure will be scattered over the
farm. | do not feed any drugs 10 cure
cholera. but keep the house and pens ali
disinfected with chloro naptholium.
think the germ Of hog cholera can be de-
stroyed outside Of the hog but not after 1t
has entered the circulation.
From six 10 eight months Is the best age
TO market, or even younger, say from five
to seven months. They should weigh 200
10 800 pounds Hams and bacon made from
Berkshires treated in this way viii CON-
nand the highest price in any market in
the world.