Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-21
Charcoal for Hogs.

Tn common with most farm animals
hogs reed an occasional corrective,
and they are the least liable to get 1t
IF any. Owing to their peculiar nature
and habits. 1t is common practice 10
keep taem quite closely yarded-o1-
ten too much so-and they are thereoy
deprived of the opportunity OF hunt-
ing for what they crave. All too COM
mon. too, is the practice OF feeding
hogs on just one kind OF feed such
as corn for instance, In locailtles
where that Is the cheapest ana hanol-
est. some one kind of mill feed IN
other localities, and so forth. Inls
has a tendency to burden the system
with too much of one element OF nu-
triton and to throw the whole system
out Of balance, as it were, and lack OF
thrift results When this condition
obtains in the herd, disease enters
very readily. as the hogs are not in
condition to resist it, and mortality
naturally runs high, as the hog lacks
recuperative powers. Domestic AMI
mails with greater liberties, and with
more opportunity to roam, have
greater opportunities of finding what
they need, and, further none OF them
are fed as concentrated a ration as is
the hog on the average farm, tho we
are fast learning that the hog can
profitably convert certain kinds OF
sroughage as we'll as can the horse,
the COW or the sheep. Generally
speaking, we have yet a long way to
go in making the most out of this
Knowledge. Some believe that good
pastura in summer and alfalfa and
clover. hay in winter, steamed or even
fed dry. is relished by hogs, but they
don't believe 1T hard enough to prac-
tice it. They know that hogs, wei!
fed on corn and other concentrated
feeds, will fight for pumpkins, squash
and similar farm products, especially
after winter sets in, but few hog rails
ers provide such things. Many others
would provide a variety of feed but are
not so situated that they can.
But there are not many-if any-that
cannot provide their hogs with coal
ashes and cinders. Hogs on heavy feed
will devour these greedily at times,
and when they do they are simply en-
deavoring to satisfy natural craving
for something that is lacking In their
feed. AS a cheap and effective correc-
tive. charcoal ranks very high, and
there is no excuse why any hog in Sec
t,ons where corn is raised should be
denied this boom Anyone can char
corn cobs. and the beneficial effect on
the hogs will many times repay the
little trouble 1t Is to do it. r. M. Wire,
an Iowa swine raiser, in an exchange
tells how he manages it, and his meth
cd is we'll worth trying:
''In making corn-cob charcoal it is
unnecessary to dig pit and smother
out the fire. Simply rake the cobs
into a long windrow. Kindle fire at
the end or along one side, and as soon
as the fire progresses, rake or pile the
cobs ever it so they will all burn. AS
soon as the cobs are burned SO they
glow red they are ready to be charred.
"The nice way to char them, and the
easy way, too, is to rake those that
are glowing red out of the fire with a
long -handled rake and throw few
buckets Of water on them. This
thoroughly chars the cobs and saves
digging trench or pit.
moreover, several wagonloads can
be charred at one time and without
much trouble.
"Orr $50 pigs make short work OF