Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-07-06
HOG RAISING IN EAST.
Many Reasons why Pork Production
should he Profitable.


should be Profitable.
While the South and West are awaking
rapidly to the merits of the hog, and
these sections are increasing their out
put of pork and charging their bank
accounts, few farmers in New England
or the Middle Atlantic States are rails
ing hogs ON a large scale. Many of
the farmers in these sections hold that
hog raising is not profitable, and on
many farms the hogs that are raised are
regarded as a side line rather than as
offering an important source OF income
In these eastern States It is estimator
on January /, 1916, there were only p
900 hogs or about four per cent. of
the total of GS.UCo,ooO reported for the
entire country.
The principal reason why hogs are
not raised more largely by eastern farm
ers, the animal husbandry experts Of
tho department say, is that many farm
ers in this section have not yet realiz-
ed the value of cheaply grown forage
and pasture in swine production. The
general conditions in the East offer
opportunities for profitable pork produc
ton, but not where hogs are kept in
alone, with no green feed except occa
sional waste vegetables from the table
There seems also 70 be an impression
throughout the East that only those
farmers who have rich. level land should
raise hogs. As matter of fact. the
specialists say. hogs are most easily
handled on farms that are somewhat
rolling. For the production Of grasses
the upland farm is often about as good
as the level ono There is generally a
: better water supply. and a billy farm is
! likely to have more shade This does
not mean that the hill farmer has the
better situation, but in a great many
instances he has certain advantages
which he does rot appreciate
ADVANTAGES IN THE EAST.
The eastern farmer Is in the midst OF
top-notch markets for hogs. The prices
paid for hogs on the New York, New
Jersey City, Philadelphia, and Pitts
burg markets are on an average higher
| than the prices paid for hogs on any
| of the western markets. The East is
! peculiarly adapted to hog raising, in
view of the fact that markets for fresh
| pork and cured products may be found
! in local communities as we'll as in the
larger cities and the various coast re-
sorts.
/ Corn Is being grown successfully In the
| East, and in some sections the avera ge
! yield per acre is greater than that of
tho Middle West Glover, blue grass.
in fact many forage crops especially
adapted for swine feeding. grow readily
in nearly every section of the East
/ no., a'o
grown. and these young. growing cereals
make excellent early spring pasture for
pigs. In the trucking sections there
| is wasted annually a vast quantity of
Nnmarketable products that might be
used to advantage and with profit in
feeding hogs The dairy districts offer
a further advantage to the hog raiser
by furnishing such by-products as skim
milk and buttermilk which are especial
ly relshed and profitably utilized by
growing pigs.
| While there are many advantages ir
favor Of profitable pork production In
the East, on many of the farms these nd
vantages are overlooked and hogs are
confined within a pen about six by
ten feet during the entire year. East
ern hogs are fed largely on mill feeds,
such as corn meal and middlings, which.
are expensive feeds
No farmer is prepared to raise hogs
profitably unless he Is well provided with
pasture. The pasture should be so man
aged that it affords tender and palata-
BILE forage. Grasses are succulent and
rich in muscle and bone forming mate
rails but the most important consider
alton in favor of pasture for swine IN
summer is its small cost. The earlier
In the year green feed can be supplied
tho better Swine Of any age relish
green feed, and it's use always reduces
the cost Of producing gains In weight,
In addition. It keeps the animals in good
thrifty condition.
FORAGE CROPS FOR THE EAST.
For fall and early spring pasture the
cereals are uneXcelled in this section
of the country. Because young wheat,
oats, rye, and barley are such good
grazing crops and are green when frost
has killed clover they are ideal crops
to grow for pigs during the late fall
! and early spring Any OF these ce-
reals do we'll planted singly or In combi
nation with Canada peas and vetch,
These crops can be planted in early
spring In those sections where the win
tiers are not too severe. The pigs should
be turned in to pasture the cereal crops
| when the plants attain height of
about six to eight inches and taken off
when the plants reach such a height
that the pigs begin 10 spit the cheweG
material from their mouths. This is
because the percentage OF crude fiber
Uhs indigestabie part OF the planD in