The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-03
HOG RAISING e. y y CANADA
SOME METHODS WE'LL ADAPTED
FOR EXPERIMENT

FOR EXPERIMENT
How the Canadian Bacon Hog Is
Reared--What He Should BE In
the 8esinning, and How He Is
Prepared for His End-Some
Practical Suggestions From
Practical Man.
Attention has been frequently called In this
column to the increasing demand for a better
grade of bacon than is ordinarily supplied by
farmers in the strictly corn-producns sec
lions, and the superiority of he Canadian
over the American product, especially for the
export trade of this commodity, which is
rapidly charging. The o b also pub
lished recently some general views expressed
by J. A. Macdonald, of Prince Edwards Isl
and. Canada, regarding the methods pursued
in growing hogs for bacon. Mr.. Macdonald
appears TO be very prac ical man in the
line of his particular industry, and one
whose advice an expert is sought.
An Ohio farmer recently wrote to Mr.. Mac
donald letter of inquiry on the subject of
the bacon hog and in due course the Coun-
try Gentleman published the letter and Mr..
Macdonald's reply. The letter was as follows:
Dear Sir: In response to a communcat on
sent by me TO one of our largest packing
houses in the United States, as to the most
prom able hog to raise for the i've market of
today, l am referred to the Canadian grower
as the best person to furnish such infor
nation.
Noticing you articles in the Country G n
tleman, | take he liberty to call upon you
for little advice.
l have a farm of lis acres in the north
western part of the state of Ohio. under good
cultivation, wi stream of water cutting
farm in half. BY devoting entire farm to this
BUSINESS, cutting it into lots of whatever
size most practical. can l raise hogs on clover.
alfalfa, or whatever crops moss suited to the
purpose at profit?
This packing house in question informs me
thst the profitable hog hat you are raising
today weighs. when sent to the market about
2Oo lbs. and at an age of about six seven
Do you know of such breed as The "FIaw-
thorne?' If so, what are the qualities?
The reply of Mr.. Macdonald is direct and
to the point. 1t covers considerable ground
in the line of just such Information and adj
vice as are sought by farmers In the North
west, who are readers of The G o e, ard
for their benefit the following extracts are
made:
You show wisdom In referring to a Ca
madam hog-raiser, as we Canadian swim men
manage TO obtain about 112c pr pound mo
for our hogs from the packers than you do.
rms margin IS quite worth looking after.
The most profitable hog to raise this year
and hereafter is. without question the Tam
worth. Some of the Western Pola nd-China
men may smile and ridicue the long snout
OF the Tamworth but Taulworth breeders
can can afford to stand this, and he Laughs best
pretty long snout, but the head of Tam
worth of any weight hog, will weigh about
80 per cent lighter than the, head of Po-
the hog par excellence for the packer and
the feeder. Its length and depth of body
SO pronounced that no breed of pigs can ap-
proach It in these most important respects.
Its shoulder is light, but deep through the
chest and wide between the forward legs,
giving it the indispensable l'ghtness of shoul-
der, with large heart-grth the testimony Of
power to purify and propel, and great vital
ity. The Tamworth is wide behind, with
and hams well let down. More, the unex-
ampled dccility and sweet temper of the
Ialnworth can De aoproached by no breed In
my experience excepting the Duroc JERSEY
Like the Duroc-Jersey, the Tamworth Is red
dish-brown in color, and easilf fed as
the Duroc and that is saying a good DEAL
The Tamworth is more prepotent, has the
functions of motherhood more pronounced
and has greater precocity than any breed of
hogs yet brought into the public favor.
know of no other established breed that
fills the bill for supplying the modern mar
ket.
The next choice would be cross of the
Duroc-Jersey on the Yorkshire as I have
shown in the columns of the Country Gen
teman more than once. The Dufoc-Jersey-
Yorkshire cross comes next to the Tamworth
as the modern market hog. In advising this,
I practice what I preach, as all my York
Duroc-Jersey boar. l have litter of these
cross-breds on hand now that are modei
across the shoulders and over the back. Sell
dom does a Tamworth or Yorkshire SOW far
row less than dozen, pigs; and this is
worth considering when the other breeds sell
dom average more than seven.
think swlne-breeding can be made one
n mn tah1 ird frin 0f fha dow,
belieTe there is a better opening just
now Cor swne-growing than for any other
There has been fully 80 per cent more bacon
consumed thus far in 1898 than there was in
any previous year of the worlds history.
The mild-cured bacon of the packing house
masses. People had no idea what a choice
morsei could be elaborated from the ubqut-
took the curing in hand. There is much
difference between roll of modern bacon
and the old-time picked hunk between
sirloin and shank.
With, your farm situated in the northern
part of Ohio the climate would be fairly
cool ard temperate, and with a brook run
ming through the place, 1t would be an
ideal swine farm. Hogs require bathing
as much as man does. walowing place
is INDISPENSABLE, and your stream In the
pasture field would be to the manner formed.
! suggest you take sixty acres of this land,
the part most contiguous to the barns, and
divide it into four fields, and follow four
year rotation. I know of no more suitable
rotation of crops than this one of mine with
slight notifications:
Field. 1898. 1899
No. ] Peas and corn. Rye rape. barley.
No. 2.Rye rape, barley. Barley and clover
No. 8. Barley, clover. Glover.
No. 4.Clover. Peas and corn.
Field. 1900. 1901
No. l. Barley, clover. Glover.
No. 2. Glover. Peas and corn
No. 81 Peas and corn. Rye, rape, barley.
No. 4.Rye, rape, barley. Barley and clover.
If there are sixty acres of arabic lan1
this rotation would give II acres new clover,
~ acres two-year-old meadow, ~ acres pc Is,
~ acres corn. TX acres rye 7lk acres rape
and Is acres barley. Leaving the land two
years in sod may be an objection, but tn re
are only ~ acres so left and 1t would fur
nish hav for horses or any Gait e you mieh
keep. Of course it would be NECESSARY to
something besides clover in the mixture
for this piece of ground. n breaking up the
sod, put peas on old sod and peas on new
Sow rye on the pea stubble in the fall and
pasture the rye in the spring. Pow Down the
rye about June l. cultivate thoroughly. and
sow rape about July l, thus getting both re
and rape IN the one year on the same G. ould
Barley follows the c1rp, and Is seeded w tn
clover and grass. The next year barley i,
sown on the rape ground and seed ID with