Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1915-03-24

| prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture.)
The farmer who is chiefly concerned
with making living for his family
will find it cheaper to grow a large
portion of his own meat than to buy II
all from the store with the cash pro-
ceeds of some money crop. Hogs may
be raised profitably on practically
every southern farm, and if properly
managed, should supply money as well
food. Early settlers in the corn belt
gave the name of mortgage lifters" to
their hogs; they can raise a mortgage
in the South as we'll as in the corn
belt.
Four things are necessary If the
southern farmer wishes to get start.
1. A place to raise and fatten pigs.
2. A pig worth raising and fattening.
3. Feed on which to raise and fatten
them.
4. The necessary funds.
Let us consider these points in re-
verse order
1. This article is written for the
man whose principal concern is to sup
ply food for his family. For such a
man one or two sows will be enough.
Good grade sows can be bought for
$40 or SIS each; razorbacks can be
bought for less and will produce good
pigs if bred to a good pure-bred boar.
II there Is no pure-bred boar in the
neighborhood whose services can be
obtained, enough men should club to-
gether to represent the ownership of
20 to Is sows and buy a good boar,
paying pro rata for the boar, depend
ing on the number of sows owned by
each. Bears can be bought for from
$40 to $25 fol- weaned pigs, and from
$50 to 500 for yearling and two-year-
old hogs. If 20 men owning 20 sows
bought yearling boar for $50, each
man would pay $3.50 toward the price
of the boar. Put the boar in the hands
of one of the members of the club
and let each other member agree to
pay him one pig at weaving time for
the care of the boar for one year. for
attending to the breeding, etc. When
sows come in heat, they can be loaded
OF. a wagon and carried to the farm
where the boar is kept for service.
2. Sows farrow almost exactly 16
weeks after they are bred. When the
sow farrows try to be near at hand.
Do not worry her with attention, but
be there If she needs it. Watch that
the buzzards do not carry off the little
pigs or injure the sow. Give her a
warm, thin slop as soon as she begins
to move around. Then leave her alone
for while. That evening give her a
slop with little bran or cornmeal in
1t. Feed lightly for few days and
increase her feed gradually until the
SOW is getting abcrt four pounds of
grain each day for each 100 pounds of
her weight. This will be within week
or ten days after she has farrowed.
She should be fed morning and eve
ming. Kitchen scraps and Stops will
be good for her and will reduce the
grain needed somewhat. These slops
must not contain any soap or glass.
AS corn Is the most available grain
in most sections of the South, 1t will
have to be relied on for feeding both
the sows and pigs. With the grazing
crops which are suggested for hogs a
fairly well-balanced ration will be OBJ
tanned.
When you are about ready to wean
the pigs reduce the sow's feed so that
by the time the pigs are weaned she
will have only about two pounds of
grain each day for each 100 pounds of
her weight. Keep her OH Bermuda
pasture and let her have this ration
until she Is in good condition.
Sows can be made to produce two
filters each year. When this is de-
sired they should he bred at the first
period of heat after the pigs are
weaned. Sows bred twice each year
will not produce SO many pigs in each
litter as when bred only once year.
but more pigs should be raised in a
year from each sow.
1t does not pay to try to raise hogs
on grain alone. In fact, the profit in
Dig raising, especially in the South,
depends directly on the amount of pas
ture of some kind used to enable the
pig to make it's gain in weight OF the
southern forage crops peanuts, soy
beans, rape and cowpeas are especially
valuable. Now, these are not avail
abs aE through the year. therefore we