The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-01
BENNINGTON COUNTY
DEVELOPMENT AND
BETTERMENT
This Department Edited by Secretary
Willard w. Bartlett of the County
Improvement Association
Vermont Hogs

and with similar methods to those iT
the middle west. Primarily he viii
raise them for the money they sell for
but that is not by any means theil
greatest value If properly handled.
The following outline gives the
method whereby the hog keeps worn
out soil fully up to standard, often
times doubling the crop yield, hence
when so handled We claim that for
this purpose the hog is worth more
than for pork.
The tillable farm should be cut up
into from three to five lots, as con.
tour of the land may dictate, with hog
pen in center fenced with hog wire, so
that any one OF the lots can be used
for pasturing.
The cheapest possible feed on which
to build pig into hog ready for fat
ting is grass, grain, soy beans, or peas
fed into the pasture. It's the natural
feed just as it is for cattle 1t is the
only possible method OF getting the
largest profit for the least investment.
It's the universal method west where
SO much pork is raised.
Rotation of crops Ia now recognized
as wise policy, hence use one lot.
the one used for hay last year. for the
hog pasture this year. and you can
rest assured that when you plow this
hog lot the following spring it will
II nf Thn od
joining lot should be put to corn for
fatting the hogs.
II instead OF the expense Of picking
this corn you turn the hogs into 1t and
let them harvest it, that field will
raise at least one third more next sea-
son. Here again the hog has done
more in fertilizing than you could
have done in any other way. and has
at the same time saved you the ex-
pense of harvesting.
Following this rotation year by year
gets the hogs onto the land some part
OF the season once in two years. Try
II and you will not be talking about
Worn out soil. aaf tl ba
But say how shall i fat them ?
Can't afford to buy much feed
Here is how it has been done sue
cessfully here in Vermont--and it's
the western method, also.
When the kernels of corn are in the
milk commence to give liberal feed
daily of stocks and all. cut close to
the ground and they will eat it up
very clean. This will start them on
wonderfully in growth.
Raise also some corn for late fat
ting and il necessary buy little. By
raising sugar beets, pumpkins and
squash, peas. etc, the hog can be
made to weigh one hundred and fifty
pounds without buying much meal.
Farmers are more and more realiz-
ing that pasture is necessary for the
most economical production of pork.
Those who are raising hogs and put
ting them on the market with the
least cost have their entire farms
fenced "hog-tight".
If possible have considerable clover
in the pasture. Fall sown wheat, oats
and rape sown early will make very
good pasture also. Writer has seed
ed down three acre lot to timothy
with liberal sowing Of oats, and
when the oats were three inches high
turned in seyenty-fYe hogs and one
hundred and fifty. small pigs, all hay
ing rings in nose to prevent roofing
Never got better seeding than that
and the oats gave good green pasture
all summer.
Alfalfa Is unexcelled as pasture
where it can be grown and the hay
makes good winter feed.
The root crops most used in this
territory are potatoes and sugar beets.
Pumpkins are an excellent feed for
keeping hogs in a healthy condition
Many farmers claim that the seeds of
pumpkins will prevent worms in pigs
and shoats and that a ration of pun
kins fed with grain will keep hogs
thrifty and give them a good appetite.
A good many wagonloads can be
grown on an acre Of rich land.
Stumpy land. or low moist land will
grow good pumpkins.
The health of the hog is an import
ant consideration. Hogs that have
plenty of range and exercise are not
nearly so susceptible to disease as
those confined in small pen. A hog
that goes out after his feed will be
well grown and thrifty, accustomed to
exposure, and not liable to be in.
jured by a sudden change of weather.
1t is difficult, however. to put q
good finish on hogs while running in a
large field or pasture. If they are al.
lowed to run until three weeks or a
month before sending to market, and
are then shut up and given all the
corn they want, with plenty of pure
water. they will make very rapid
gains.
In no other way can pork be pro-
duced more cheaply at the present