Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-09-29
Hog Growing in Maine.

Last spring | purchased farm in
York County and among the personal
property were included thirty-six hogs
and shoats. As | had never had any
experience in this branch of farm stock
| at first was disposed to sell them at
once, but on consideration, decided to
try and see what an inexperienced man
could do with them by using practical
common sense, working entirely in
dependent from advice and suggestions
from other people. Working on this
plan | could have no one 10 blame if
made q failure. | was told many dis
couraging things connected with the in
dustry, that my predecessor had lost all
of his hogs several times with cholera
that prices of grain were prohibitive,
ETC., still | was determined to try it, and
below are some of the results, which to
me, are quite satisfactory.
| was lucky to find about 70 bushels
of mangels and turnips, also 80 bushels
of small potatoes in the cellar, for a
starter, to help out on the expense end.
These | boiled and mixed with corn
meal and mixed feed, as follows: To 10
bushels roots and potatoes, | used l
bushel corn meal and 1 81 bushels mix
ed feed. mixed while ho., and cover
ed, allowing the heat from the boiling
mass to cook the grain.
At feeding times, night and morning,
shoveled into half hogshead enough
of the mixture for the hogs, mixing
enough cold water to make the mass a
thick porridge, feeding about five quarts
to a grown hog and to the smaller ones
as required My intention was not to
fatten but to keep them growing till
about the middle of June, when | ex-
pected to procure enough waste from
the hotels and restaurants at the beach
to keep them till Sept. /,
| determined to prevent the cholera if
possible, so went to Portland and pur-
chased two tons of agricultural lime (air
slaked) to use about the yards and pens.
The pens were cleaned regularly, once
per week, and thoroughly busted with
the lime. The feed troughs were clean
ed once day and busted lightly with
the same material. A liberal supply
was sown about the yards also. At
ing water, and right here let me say that
hogs require large amount of water. l
procured the crystals; got it in quart
bottles for 40 cents per bottle, dissolved
it in water and put one large spoonful
in 10 quart pail of water. This was
given every Monday and Thursday
morning for one month, and since that
time have used the same amount every
other day. The above method has been
strictly followed, and has my personal
attention, and it is very gratifying to re-
port that / have not had single in
stance of sickness of any description
among my hogs.
My herd has increased from my brood
sows till l now have 9S. Have market
ed all my fat hogs, to be loaded here on
the cars at 6 cents live weight, and
while am not giving you the figures in
detail, will say that | am well satisfied
with my work and the results finan-
cially.
l recognize the fact that | have had
the advantage of some by being able to
procure the waste for feed. Still | be-
lieve am going to make them pay right
along, now that the waste season is
about closed. viii say that have also
used 20 two-horse loads of sawdust in
the pens and yards, and figure that
have at least 500 worth of excellent
fert jizer to help out on the right side OF
the balance sheet. | believe that the
pitch in the soft wood sawdust is dis.
infectant.-George A. Murch, York
County in Maine Farmer