The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-30
SOUTHERN HOG RAISING.

In answer to correspondent, Prof.
Tracy. of the Memphis Commercial-Ap-
peal. has the following to say of hog rails
ing:
Our correspondent states that he has
made beginning by buying a pair Of
registered Berkshires. That is certain y
right beginning, for if it pays 10 raise
any hogs It pays TO raise the best. Wheth-
er Berkshire, or Poland-China or some
other breed is the best IS a matter which
depends largely on the man who owns the
animals, but there is no question but thar
pure blocds of almost any breed are bet
ter than scrubs. as they viii grow more
rapidly and will make more pork with the
same expense for feed.
The best place for keeping hogs is in a
field which is large enough TO furnish
good grazing, which has some shade,
and liberal supply of pure water; and
Of the three we believe pure water the
most necessary. 1t is true that hogs will
live, and will often do fairly well where
they have no water except what they get
from a stagnant mudhole, but they will
always do much better with pure water,
as they will be more thrifty, less liable
TO disease, will reach maturity sooner.
Shade from the hot sun and comfortable
sleeping quarters are almost as necessary
as pure water, and should always be pro-
are far better than the little 6x10 shelters
used by some. Anyone who uses the shell
ter in summer should be obliged to stay
under one of them for an hour. and he
would never trust to another Such a
shelter is very good protection from rain
but is worse than useless for providing a
cool place on a hot day. Alfalfa is
doubtless the best pasture plant for hogs
and the man who has a good alfalfa pas
ture need have no trouble in making pork
probably. Where alfalfa can not be grown
Bermuda grass melillotas and laspedeza
make substitutes. Where a permanent
pasture can not be secured it is not diff
cult TO make temporary pastures which
will will not only furnish the exercise
and coarse forage needed but consider
able part of the needed grain feed also,
and a selection can be made which will
give a succession OF grazing crops lasting
nearly or quite the entire year. Oats and
vetch, sorghum, corn, sweet potatoes,
cowpeas, peanuts, cassava and artichokes
all make excellent feed, can be grown
with little expense, and in nearly all To-
calities some one or most of them can be
graZed from January until December. 1t
is always better to grow several Of these
grazing crops rather than to have large
fields Of only one or two, as the greater
the variety the yield of meat per acre.
The growing and grazing of such crops
require considering fencing and some ia
Dor. Hogs are wasteful grazers when
turned into rank pasturage. and a great
saving of feed can be affected by growing
the different grazing crops in long, vari-
Gus fields which can be divided into sec
tons by movable cross fences. BY fire.
quent changes of the grazing fields one
acre of land can be made to yield abund-
ant grazing for at least ten full-grown
animals, Of for correspondingly larger
number of younger animals and pigs.
With such grazing it is not a difficult
matter TO make a spring pig weigh 200
pounds by the time cold weather comes.
and no corn will be needed, except dur
ing the last month or six weeks before it
is killed.