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Show SUMMERING OF HOGS. fxperience of a Missouri Farmer, How Ue Arranged His Farm for the Animals. Last fall uur 13 sows saved over 100, pigs, and all of thcMi, except tho few Milch havo been sold nt extra prices' tor breeding purposes, aro ready for Market, write.? a Missouri corrcspond-tnt corrcspond-tnt of Farm nnd Home. An aged bow ras sold und tho remaining dozen gnvo pearly 100 pigs this spring. The cut thows tho 40-ncro farm cross-tenced Into four equal squares. The southeast south-east quarter Is further divided Into a threo-ncro barn lot, a blue grass pas-j ture, d, of about equal size, u somewhat smaller plcro containing orchard und garden, and along tho west side a 60-foot 60-foot lane from tho houso to tho bnrn. The fences nro of hog-tight wire. For three ynrs tho houco quarter, c, has been In grass. This field Is roughly, divided by a ditch Into two parts of four nnd six acres respectively. Thd former Is In red clover and tho Inttnr In alf.tlfa. Slnco Its first year this' N as D1AGKAM OF THIS FARM AHKANOK-MKNT. AHKANOK-MKNT. mondow has boon pastured consider nbly, but with bo much caro that it hat steadily Improved. Tho orchard, also: of 14 acres, Is In clover. The northwest field, a, Is to bo It, corn this Bummer. Tho whole upper half of tho farm furnished ryo paaturt ull winter, und to May, when thu fattening fat-tening hogs wore restrlctod to the ban lot and aoil-fed with fresh alfalfa ani clover. With tho advent of spring tin slop feed of tho fall pigs Is graduall) changed to wholo grain, and during thi last few weeks of fcdlng the variety ol grain gives way to corn alone. All ol the swlno havo access to coal, salt ashes and charcoal. Toward the lattor part of the winter, tho brood sows wero separated from tho younger hogs and confined to the lane. When tho ground was not soft they were allowed to run by themselves them-selves in one of tho flolds. It Is always al-ways planned thnt tho spring pigs shall come between Murch IB and May 1. Until tho pigs uro weaned tho brood bows are kept In the grassy lnno and nllowed to uso the pens which are floored. During this time they nro supplied onto a day with all the green alfalfa and clover thoy will oat, provided provid-ed with an abundance- of water to drink and slopped heavily morning and evnlng. Oats und corn, with a Utile bean meal, are used for tho slop, which is never cooked, but Is mado with warm wnter on chilly days. When tho pigs aro old enough to begin entlng thoy aro fed skim milk In a trough by thomsolves. Wator and ground feed nro added whenovor tho mine is insuiiicient. During April, May and Juno a small opening in tho fenco will givo tho spring plge a chnnco at tho meadow, providing them with pasture, oddlng fertility to tho Hold, nnd not materially lightening tho buy crop. By tho mlddlq of Juno the youngest litter will havo been weaned. Ab each sow Is taken from her pigs she is removed to thq orchard. The boar recolves lesB corn thnn tho sows, but otherwise Is fed nbout tho snme. Most of the time ho Is kept by himself and usually with more than ono fenco between him and tho other breeding stock. Tho lane Is hl3 runway run-way Bovrnl months In tho year. At other times ho occupies tho orchard, eats bluo graas In tho cow pasture-, or occasionally has to be confined to his pen for Bhort periods. During July nnd pnrl of August tho shotcs will bo confined to tho barn lot, but for a tlmo In tho latter month, they will bo allowed to pasture on peas and beans in tho corn Hold. Thy will en-Joy en-Joy this freedom as long as thoy do not molest tho corn. Aftor thnt Ihey will spend sovornl wcoks In the bnrn lot again, with Bomo opportunity of glean-lug glean-lug In tho field of soiling crops. During tho hot weathor :ho bwIiio of) all ages havo tin nbundnnco of shade.' Ab at other times, they also havo plenty of water to drink, hut none In which to wallow. Tho brooding unl-muls unl-muls are fed giuln, but not much corn except when it Is needed to put or keep them la fulr fleHh, The growing pigs nro given slop until now corn Is ready, Tho constituents of this slop ate varied to mako, with whatever soiling crops aro at hand, n balanced ration. Tho barn lot and tho lnno, which contain some forost trees, urn always available for the hogs and tliern Is h constant supply of alfalfa nnd clover for any emergency. Whllo at timed nearly all tho Bwlno run together, ycl, their grain feed Is given to thoin In the stationary troughs of ho pons in the hog Bhed. Every nnlmul Is a pel and each one knows to what hunch he belongs. In this way, those of llko nge and size aro fed together and special attention is given to tho ones thnt .need it, in order to hnve a fairly even droro at selling time. |
