News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-09-03
-. s;:;,::;,9;SWIN E.:..:..|gl6 ~
|I,2isBREEDENGi"..|':

A correspondent writes us to know
whether there is any danger in pastur-
ing pregnant sows on rye, says Wal
laces Farmer.
There is q common opinion that rye
fed to pregnant animals will produce
abortion. If the rye contains ergot,
there is danger not merely of abortion,
although we think that danger is over
estimated, but danger of producing
dry gangrene The ergot of rye or OF
any other grain tends to contract the
arteries and hence weakens the circu-
latiOn at the eXtremities. The hoofs
become affected with dry gangrene,
the skin of the nose peels off, and in
hogs the hair will come off; all the re-
suit of weakened circulation of the eX-
tremities. 1t is therefore dangerous to
feed chopped rye that contains ergot or
rye straw.
The ergot can be readily detected by
the long. black grains known among
farmers as "spurred' rye. We do not
see. however. why there should be any
danger in allowing pregnant sows to
pasture on green rye or rye in any
stage until the ergot begins to appear,
which is about the time the rye is ripe
We have never heard of any injurious
effects from it. Therefore we do not
hesitate in saying that it is entirely
safe.
Modern Pork Production.
In an interesting paper on the above
subject before the Iowa Swine Breed
ers' association Professor G. f. Cur
tiss said that no other domestic animal
is capable of converting the foodstuffs
of the farm into finished meat products
so economically as the hog. This abil-
ity has won for him the well deserved
appellation of mortgage litter" The
modern hog is capable of making from
twelve to fifteen pounds of pork from
one bushel of corn, the choice parts
of which are worth from 20 to 30
cents per pound retail. Owing to its
nature the hog is very sensitive to
climatic changes, and this should be
recognized in it's treatment. Under do
mestication the digestive organs of
the hog have been enlarged, which in
turn gives greater capacity as well as
depth and length of body. The in
creased digestive capacity gives earlier
maturity and a greater propensity to
fatten.
Feeding Swine For Weight.
The Iowa Agricultural college, at
Ames, has recently marketed twenty
nine especially fed hogs at Chicago
with a view of determining the merits
of various kinds of feed. In the ex'
pertinent were five lots of hogs, aver
aging 205 pounds at the beginning
They were crossbred - Poland China
| Duroc- Jersey, Poland-C China Berkshire
and Poland China yorkshire. The feed
| ing period covered seven weeks, and
the result was phenomenal. The lots
brought a uniform price of $7.55 pei
hundred pounds. One lot, using as a
| feed Swift's tankage, averaged 81
| pounds; another lot, Armour's tan
age, 301 pounds; Standard stock foo
301 pounds; cornmeal, 292 pound
Darling's beef meal, 30S pounds. One
animal gained 154 pounds in forty-nine
| udyS, anu IL Lew SuOWSu SulhS ina
| made the corn fed worth SLIP pei
bushel. The average gain per day
was 2B pounds.-American Agricultur
list.
Hogs Give Quick Returns.
Quick returns from the Investment
are one of the popular features of the
hog business. A beef steer must be
two or three years old, and more thai
one crop of feed is required to finisf
him before he is ready to make his
returns. The hog is ready at from
eight to ten months, and the corn from
a single crop will fatten two genera
lions of porkers. The hog also gives
larger per cent of his weight in edible
products, frequently losing only 20 pei
cent of live weight. Quick returns ant
small profits fully balance slow re
turns and higher prices; but the hos
sells as we'll at nine months as hC
would at any greater age. These facts
show the advantage Of keeping swine
and account for the fact that thos'
who have handled the hog have founC
| him nrofitable. and Ranch.