i 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE L. H. COOCH EDITOR THE PRACTICAL FARMER, Philadelphia, Pa. PRICE 25 CENTS r The Practical Farmer PHILADELPHIA The Great Agricultural Weekly Different From All Other Agricultural Journals Better Than All Other Agricultural Journals Y OU will find all the regular departments pertaining to the farm, the garden, the orchard, the stock, and the home. You will also find five Special Departments: Our Experience Pool; Farm Implement Annex; Short Cuts; Mistakes, Failures and Successes; and Postal Card Correspon- dence. These Departments are maintained exclusively by the contribu- tions of the subscribers under the supervision of an experienced editor. They represent the combined experiences, observations and opinions of 45,000 of the best farmers in the United States and Canada, gathered into these Departments from week to week. In no other agricultural paper is this attempted, and in no other way can this interchange of experiences be effected. A cash prize is paid for every contribution published in these five Special Departments. In this one respect The Practical Farmer is different from and better than any other agricultural journal. Every page of the paper is prepared expressly for its readers and adapted to their wants by editors and contributors who are in touch with those wants through their own daily experiences. If you read a dozen other agricul- tural publications you can also read The Practical Farmer with profit. Published Fifty-two Times In the Year Subscription Price, $1.00. Sample Copies Free for the Asking THE FARMER CO., Publisher# Philadelphia I FIVE HUNDRED QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE }, . Being a Compilation of all the Questions Concerning the Breeding, Feeding, Pastur- ing, Diseases, Comparison of the Different Breeds and Miscellaneous Questions Asked and Answered About Swine, and Published in The Farmer from 1900 Until the Present. L. H. COOCH U31.V Copyrights, 1907, 1908, WEBB PUBLISHING CO., St. Paul, Minn. UNIVERSITY 0? ILLINOIS AGRICULTURE LIBRARY ETC 13 1SS3 c Preface Realizing the necessity for a swine book to which the farmer j can turn and find his question answered without waste of time, i we have collected and compiled the questions and answers con- I tained in this book. Although the title is “500 Questions An- | swered About Swine” there are, in reality, 534 separate questions j with their answers. The book is subdivided and contains 83 questions and answers about breeding hogs, 150 on feeding, 51 on pastures, 143 on dis- eases, 29 on the. comparison of different breeds and 78 miscella- ny neous questions. Our aim has been to subdivide this book in such a way that anyone can turn to it and have his question answered in the short- est possible time. In placing this book before the public, we wish to caution its readers against taking it too literally. It must be remembered that we have a large country and that some of the answers cannot be followed too closely. With slight modifica- ions, however, the advice given herein can be safely followed by wine breeders throughout the country. Revised September 17th, 1908, Philadelphia, Pa. L. H. COOCH. Breeding, ( Conformation of Brood Sow and Boar. What should be the conformation of the profitable brood sow? Also of the boar? Aias.: The brood sow to be a good breeder should be broad between the eyes •to insure good disposition, long and deep in body, somewhat rangy, and her legs not too* long, but strong. In other words, she Should be a little coarse in her make- up. The sire may be a little more com- pact where the sow is ideal in type. The sire should show more finish. Impotent Boar. I bought a full blooded boar last fall. He weighs about 185 pounds and looks in the pink of perfection but he don’t care anything for the sows. Arjis.: The boar may be impotent and Incapable of service. There is nothing to recommend. If natural methods fail, ther*e is something seriously wrong. You had better get another boar. Trouble With Boar. I Jhave a fine improved Chester White boar and sow, both registered, and the sow in pig with him. A large lump has come' on the boar under his throat which has t roken and looks like a piece of raw beef. Can you tell me what it is and if it is 1 safe to raise the pigs? There will 4 be about fifty of his get altogether. A ns.: The trouble with the boar may .arise from one of a number of causes. It would be unsafe to say what the trou- ble is or what caused it without a more perfect knowledge of all the facts, but it is pi etty certain that it is not of a char- acter to affect the progeny. Ther^ need be no apprehension on this account. Selecting a Boar. In selecting a hog to head the herd should one be gotten with all the good markings? Ans.: a breeder should look for these markings but for a person who is only making pork, he need not be so particu- lar. a small red spot does not hurt a Polani-China. In breeding pure-bred hogs you have to make a discrimination to quite an extent, but for a man who is just producing pork, that doesn’t count for anything. Packers pay no attention to color, but they like uniformity in a con- signment of hogs and pay more for such a loai than where they are of all sizes ' and colors. Hogs for Market only. I w nt to raise hogs for market. Is it neces:,iry In such a case to have the very best, igh priced boars that come up to scratch jn every point? An • If the hogs are grown for mar- ket only, it is not necessary to pay a fan- cy price for animals which have every bristle of just the right color and point- ing in exactly the right direction, it is well, however, to use only pure-bred boars. What the pork raiser should re- quire in his boar is good form and size without coarseness, good feeding capacity and a strong constitution. Age of Sire. How long should a sire be kept and be a potent sire? Ans.: Records show that a majority of sires which have left behind them noted sires and dams were all the way from eighteen months to five years old, and some sires have made a high record at the age of eight and nine years. If more sires were kept from the age of two to five years, such as have proven themselves good sires by their vigorous offspring, it would add considerably to the improve- ment of the swine. This also holds true with sows. Breeding Age of Sire. What about th$ age of the sire? How old should he be when used for service? Ans.: He should not be used until fully matured. Never use a sire any longer than eight or nine months at a time; never use him to excess. Use Pure-Bred Sires. I have a number of very fine grade brood sows and know where I can purchase what I consider an especially fine boar. However, he is only a grade. Would it be advisable to use this boar or should I get one that is pure-bred? Ans.: To raise and maintain the stand- ard use only pure-bred sires. Do not put too much faith in the outward appearance of grade animals. Little dependence can be .placed upon outward appearance, and they will not transmit with any degree of certainty their own characteristics. By all means use pure-bred sires. Better Blood Needed. I have been breeding common hogs for a number of years and each year they seem to be a little less healthy and I have more trouble in getting them in condition to sell. What can I do to bring them back to a normal condition? I cannot afford to buy pure-breds, as I am raising hogs simply to sell to the butcher. What would you advise me to do? Ans.: Use pure-bred sires to build up the grade. Life is too short to be spent in breeding scrubs. Correcting Weak Points in the Boar. Will it be safe to use a boar with weak 9 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. I points on a sow that Is generally strong where he Is weak? Ans.: A boar that has weak points can often be used with success on a sow which ts unusually strong where the boar is de- fective, though a weakness in the boar is not counter balanced as readily as one in the sow, on account of his greater pre- potency. Pure-bred Boar or Sows? I am new to the hog business. Which would be better to buy, a pure-bred boar or an ordinary boar and pure-bred sows? C am going to raise hogs for pork only. Ans.: As the boar gives half the blood to the whole herd, while one sow can in- fluence only her own litter, it is highly Important that, whatever the sows may be, the boar should be pure-bred, and one which will give vigorous pigs of good form. Age of Breeding Swine. Which is better, an aged boar on young sows or a young boar on matured sows? Ans.: An aged sow mated with a young boar will produce pigs which Krill mature earlier than those produced when the sow is young and the boar aged. This is a strong argument in favor of keeping a sow as long as she continues to breed satisfactorily. A Bad Sort of a Breeder. cost less at weaning time, but their pur- chase at thi3 time is a lottery. Time to Buy a Boar. Should I wait until I need the services of a boar before I buy one or is it better to have him on hand some time before needed? Ans.: It is not safe to delay the pur- chase until the boar is wanted for service. The service is more sure and the ^boar can be handled with much less troub'ie if he has been on the place for a few >ilays before he is needed for use. He shjould have time to become accustomed to, his new quarters before going into service. Boar Running With Sows. Shall I let my herd boar run with the sows all the time or keep him by himself? Ans.: The boar should never be alloiwed to run with the sows, as he will be a Con- tinual worry both to them and to his cjwn- er, and it is much better to keep Ihim in a lot where he can neither see nor i|iear other hogs. Pedigreed Scrub. I have a boar with a long pedigree be- hind him, but as a breeder he seem s to me a poor animal. Would it be advisable to use him and trust to luck and his ancestors to produce good pigs? Ans.: A poor specimen of a pure-”ored animal is little better than a scrub, and should not be used simply because hti has a long pedigree. I have a pedigreed boar, but he has a long head, neck and legs. Would you use him for breeding or is he the right type? Ans.: The animal described has a form that will require a large amount of feed to produce a pound of meat and one that will not finish for market until he has reached considerable age. He would be likely to transmit these bad qualities to his offspring so you had better get an- other boar. A Bad Grazing Type. Boar Pigs Not Up to Standard. I have a lot of boar pigs that are not quite up to standard in some unimpoitant particulars. Could they be sold as strict- ly first class animals? Would they stand a chance in the show ring? Ans.: With even slight defects such ani- mals would stand a poor chance in the show ring, but breeders are often glad to get such animals as they are just as good as any where pork and not show is wanted. They would insure better pigs than could be expected from equally well-formed grades or inferior pure bloods. T have a boar that walks partially on his dew claws. Would he be a good hog to head a herd? Ans.: You had better not breed from him. The fact that he walks partially on his dew claws shows a weakness of frame, and indicates a poor grazer and an ani- mal which will break down before be reaches a heavy weight. Buying a Boar — The Age. My neighbor has some fine young boar pigs about two-and-a-half or three months old. Should I buy one now or are they too young to tell how they will turn out? Ans.: Boars should not be purchased un- til they are five or six months old. They do not show sufficient form before that time to give an accurate idea of how they will turn out when fully grown. They Handling the Boar. I have a three-year-old boar that Is a good getter but he is very thin a’l the time and often seems to lose his appetite. Should I use him for a breeder? Ans.: You can’t afford to raise pigs from animals which refuse to fitten, which are frequently “off their fee.l” or which have in any way shown anyihing but the most vigorous health. Yov had better dispose of him and try anoth;r. Selecting a Boar. I have a lot of little boar pigs that look too good to kill. Would it be advisalle to keep one to breed to my old sows? Ans.: It is usually better to buy a boar than to use one which has been laised * on the place and is related to the sows which are to be bred. The lntrod 2tion BREEDING. 3 of fr sh blood will give larger litters and more vigorous pigs than can be expected from any close in-breeding. Selecting: Boars for Breeders. I rant to know something about select- ing coars for breeders. I have some good litte s and want to make the right selec- tion A.is.: The breeders should be the squar- est milt and best shaped animals in the lot. They should be hearty eaters and shoild show a tendency to lay on fat rapilly. Changing Boars. Wiat Is the best way to start a herd of swi e? I have two fine litters of mixed sex s. How often should I change boars? Aas.: The breeding sows can usually be selected from those in the drove, but a new boar should be purchased as often as the sows have passed their prime and are repaced by the offspring of the old boar. Sel-ctlng a Boar for Fattening Qualities. low can I tell a boar that is likely to produce pigs that will readily fatten? J nave some young boars and want to select one as a breeder. Ans.: A short neck and short legs usual- ly indicate good fattening qualities. They are even more important in the boar than in the sow. The boar should be small- boned for his size, but it is all important that his frame should have sufficient strength to carry him well on his feet. Producing Healthy Pigs. For a number of years I have been dis- appointed in my litters of pigs. My sows do not seem to be healthy. Is there any- thing I can do for them that will put them in such shape that they will bear healthy pigs? Ans.: To obtain healthy, vigorous off- spring, strong, active parentage is of the first importance. You had better fatten your sows and dispose of them, and select new ones for breeders. See that the boar lsjf strong and vigorous. Always Buy a Pure-Bred Sire. I am just beginning in the hog business and find that pure-bred hogs are very ex- pensive. I know where I can get a few very choice grade sows and also what I consider a very fine grade boar. Would it be advisable to make a start with grade animals or is it cheaper in the end to buy pure-breds? Ans.: The man who is new to the hog busii ess and who cannot afford to pur- chase pure-bred hogs, but at the same time wishes to improve his herd, should always buy pure-bred sires. The grade sows will be all right if they possess the characteristics and qualities for which they are Intended. A grade boar, however, would tend to upset all of thfb breeder’s calculations, as his ancestry would not tend to ljnake him an animal that would produce better stock than himself or the sows with which he is bred. Age to Breed. Is a boar six months old, weighing 160 pounds and in good growing condition, old enough to breed to young sows the same age? We have fourteen sows. Ans.: If the boar is a well developed animal for his age you need have no fear but what he is able to satisfactorily per- form the services required of him, and even more if necessary. Period of Gestation. How long does a sow carry her pigs from the time of service? Ans.: The period of gestation in hogs Is from 111 to 113 days, although old sows sometimes carry their pigs from 112 to 117 days. In roun^ numbers the period is sixteen week3. To Get Sows In Heat. How can I make sows come in heat, and Will it make any difference in the number of pigs, if bred after such treatment? Ans.: For a sow weighing two hundred pounds, give one quart of wheat for three successive feeds. This will leave no ill effects and is said to do the work. Feed well and keep in good condition. Bringing Sows Into Heat. Is there any way to bring a sow into heat? I have one that I have wanted to breed for nearly two years but she does not come in heat. Ans.: There is nothing to give in this case that will not injure the animal. Al- low her to run with a male as much as possible. This is the best you can do. If she still refuses to come in heat, fatten her up and dispose of her to the butcher as soon as possible. Penning Before Farrowing. How long should a sow be shut up be- fore she farrows? Ans.: Perhaps three weeks. She knows her place and comes there, About two weeks before she farrows put her there continuously, especially at night. It Is well to feed the sows roots or potatoes every day for five or six weeks before they farrow. Care of Brood Sow Before Farrowing. I have a sow that I expect to farrow in a few weeks. Would it be safe to let her in the pen with the others or should I put her by herself? She is very heavy and I am almost afraid to worry her very jnuch in her present condition. Ans.: A week or ten days before the pigs appear put the brood sow in a pen by herself so that she will become used to her new quarters before farrowing. Han- dle her quietly as in her condition rough treatment might cause her to abort. 4 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. Shipping Pregnant Sows. How near to the time of farrowing will It be safe to ship sows a long distance. Ans.: It will depend largely on the dis- tance which the animals are to be shipped and the presence or absence of a competent caretaker in the car. It is not very safe to ship a sow within three or four weeks of the time of farrowing. Cross - Breeding. Could good results be obtained from cross-breeding only one time? Ans.: Very likely. If you are going to raise pork, select some pure-bred sows of the bacon type and cross them with a pure-bred lard-type male. This method has given very good results for one cross but it is dangerous to continue any further in this line. Cross-Breeding. If cross-Dreeding is continued, what are the results? Ans.: If cross-breeding is continued for any length of time the hogs get smaller and smaller, instead of larger. It is a very dangerous system of breeding unless conducted by those thoroughly experienced in the work. Cross-Breeding Hogs for Bone. Is it wise to cross-breed hogs to keep up bone? Ans.: It may be done but it is a very risky business. The first cross sometimes gives a good feeding hog, but it is not a good practice on general principles. Exercise For Bone. Wouia exercise grow strong bone? Ans.: Exercise is an essential, and is quite necessary. But bone and muscle forming feed is of the first importance. In-Breeding. Is in-breeding to be recommended? If not, why not? Ans.: Dr. Manley Miles, in a chapter on in-breeding, which is worthy of reflection by anyone who wishes to in-breed, says: “The most obvious objection to close breeding — and it is perhaps the only one of importance — is the difficulty of select- ing animals that are free from constitu- tional defects and the danger arising from the tendency of such defects to be- come dominant in the offspring. It must, however, be admitted that it is an im- portant means of improvement when ju- diciously practised and that it consti- tutes the only method known of securing an accumulation of slight variations in a particular direction that it may be de- sirable to retain and perpetuate. The greatest improvement in the form and quality of animals can only be made by those who possess the requisite know- ledge and skill to enable them to blend and perpetuate all desirable variathns through a system of rigorous selectoa and close breeding without impairing he constitution by an accumulation of tn- desirable characteristics.” Selecting Future Brood Sows. I have a lot of young pigs among whfch are some very fine sows. I have been of- ered a good price for these sows but is I will need to replace some of my ff and select another? Ais.: A sow that is not a good feeder will produce only small litters, will be a poo milker, and her pigs will never male the quick and even growth neces- sary for good profit. By all means sell her and get another to take her place. Old Sows For Breeding. Des it pay to keep old sows for breed- ing. rather than to sell them and keep only youig ones? Ais.: It generally does, as mature sows breed pigs of stronger vitality and stronger bone. The pigs grow faster and are less liable to disease where mature parents are kept. A mature sow would not have reached her age if she had not beei a good mother and produced large, heaithy litters of pigs. Such a sow that has been proven is certainly more valuable than a young one that has not been tri Green corn in large quantities will dfsabrange a hog’s stomach so that Very apt to take hog cholera. Cholera ''"is 1 caused by a disease germ and the weak- t ,eu*.^.nimals, such As those fed too largely \ oK'Va /dfctfn d-Tet,. are more apt to fall a pre$ To" ’R.-tV^h.rthdse fed a mixed ration .--$on ;eqpently are healthier. x . days ago. I have been feeding her on corn and water with milk every other day. I notice that her milk seems to be drying up and the pigs are generally a pretty mean lot. What can I give the sow to make her produce more milk? Ans.: While suckling pigs, the brood sow should be well fed in order to main- tain a liberal flow of milk. No litters can thrive when their mothers are half starv- ed. Take the corn away from her al- together and feed her liberally on crush- ed oats, middlings, or wheat bran and FEEDING PIGS. 17 milk. If you have any roots on hand cut some of these up for her every day. In- crease the amount of food gradually until you give her all she will eat up clean. You have been starving your sow so far as milk production is concerned. If you have a good field of clover, fence off a little section for her and turn her into It along with her pigs. Corn and Cob Ration. I wish to know if a ration of ground corn-and-cob meal is good for a sow suckling pigs. One of my neighbors was feeding it and his little pigs began to get thin and die. Ans.: If corn-and-cob meal was made the only food, the pigs would probably not get enough' milk, as such food is not very good for producing milk. When this food is given to pigs, it ought to be very finely ground, but shorts, ground oats or bran should be fed along with the corn- and-cob meal when milk is wanted. Brood Sows with Cattle. Will brood sows get too much corn fol- lowing cattle? Ans.: They will if there are only a few sows and a good many cattle where much corn is being fed. Many successful stock- men raise their hogs this way and are perfectly satisfied with the results. Hogs Run with Other Stock. Can hogs run successfully with other stock? Ans.: They can. Some feeders allow the brood sows to run with the cattle in the winter, while others prefer to run shoats with the fattening steers for fear the sows will get too much corn. Corn Fodder. Will cows eat corn fodder after pigs have picked the ears out? Ans.: They will not. The pigs so soil the fodder that the cattle seem to dislike it and will go hungry a long time before they will touch it. Brood Sows and Fattening Hogs. Is it best to run brood sows and fatten- ing hogs together? Ans.: No. Brood sows should be fed to make animal growth and fattening hogs given a ration to fatten them. This re- quires two distinct methods of feeding. Breeding Sows on Shares. I am offered two thoroughbred brood sows on shares. What percentage of the increase should I give, the farmer getting the sows back? What share at six weeks old and what share when the pigs weigh 150 pounds? Ans.: Much depends upon the quality of the pigs. It would be easier to answer if the pigs were grades, for then one would only have meat prices to use as a basis of judgment. Some pure-breds are of less value than grades. On the as- sumption that the sows are first-class for the breed, at six weeks old the one who feeds the sow should be well paid by get- ting one pair from each litter; at 150 pounds, by getting three of the litter. If the pigs were grades he should get a larger percentage. Feeding Pigs. A Question of Profit. I have a few hundred bushels of corn. Would it pay to buy pigs and feed it to them this fall rather than to sell the corn at 35 or 40 cents a bushel? Ans.: If you are able to buy good strong healthy pigs at reasonable rates and have a warm place to keep them and give them your personal attention it will pay you well, as one bushel of corn is calculated to produce from 10 to 12 pounds of pork. Winter or Summer Feeding. Would it be advisable to hold corn until next spring and then buy pigs at $4.00 or $5.00 a pair to be fed for the fall market or would it be more profitable to feed them during the winter with the idea of fattening them off in the spring? Ans.: With a good warm sheltered place for your hogs where you can keep them warm and dry and comfortable dur- ing the winter weather, where you co" give them your personal attention, it will probably pay to feed hogs in the winter. But if your conditions are such that your hogs would be subjected to all kinds of stormy and cold weather you would probably be the loser. It is gen- erally conceded, however, that summer feeding is more profitable than winter feeding, as most of the growth can be made very cheaply on pasture, keeping the corn for finishing in the fall. Pig Feeding Questions. If I can buy pigs weighing 100 pounds each at $3.50 per hundred would there be any profit’SiT buying feed for them if I could buy corn for <0 cents per bushel, barley for 35 cents and shorts for $Xi-00 per ton, ancM:hen sell them for $4.50 per cwt., when they weigh 200 pounds? How would I feed these three feeds so as to balance the ration? Ans.: Leaving out of consideration the element of chance that would be taken of getting liog cholera by buying pigs, a good profit might be made, providing good, thrifty pigs were purchased at $3.50 per cwt., and that they are properly fed. Make corn the principal part of the ra- tion. Pigs that weigh 100 pounds will perhaps have the necesary frame for tak- ing on another hundred pounds of pork without the help of much nitrogenous 18 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. food. With barley at 35 cents and corn at 40 cents a bushel you could afford to cut out the barley entirely, in finishing. If the shorts are of good quality, make them a part of the ration, and give both corn and shorts in such quantities as they will eat up clean. They should be provided with comfortable quarters and frequent change of bedding and should be given access to salt and charcoal or pulverized soft coal. With good feed thrifty pigs should put on about 50 cents worth of pork for every 40 cents worth of food eaten, and this profit with the advance in price will make good com- pensation for labor and investment of capital. Rations for Pigs. What in considered a good ration for growing pigs, say two months old? Pigs now have rye pasture; will soon have lape. Price of feed as follows: Corn 40 cents per bushel; wheat 35 cents per bushel; rye 30 cents per bushel; wheat shorts $13.00 per ton. Which is the cheap- est food? Ans.: Of the foods named shorts is the cheapest when relative cost and suitabil- ity are taken together. If pigs of the age named can be fed two-thirds shorts and one-third ground wheat and rye, they ought to grow well. Of the foods named, corn is the dearest at the price given, but it is a puzzle to know where wheat can be obtained for 35 cents per bushel. It may be that it is somewhat damaged. As the pigs grow older the shorts may be lessened if there would be any necessity for doing this, and the oth- er food increased. Rye, of course, may be used instead of wheat, but is not quite so good. Will it Pay to Sell or Feed? With corn selling at from 25 to 40 cents a bushel, would it be advisable to hold the corn until next spring and buy pigs at $4 or $5 a pair to be fed for the fall market? Ans.: If you have warm sheds for feed- ing where the pigs will be protected from cold and if you can get good healthy pigs at this time it may pay you to com- mence feeding now for next spring’s mar- ket, but if you are so situated that your pigs would be subjected to cold from lack of proper shelter, they will make such small gains as to make their profit a question. You will have to decide thi-j question according to your environment. Small Pigs in Spring. If pigs are eight months old in the spring of the year and weigh only 10) lbs., would it pay to buy corn and fatten them or would it be better to let them run over summer? Ans.: If pigs weigh only 100 lbs., at eight months of age they should have a run on clover pasture with a little grain feed maae into slop to put them in good form. By running them on pasture dur- ing the summer they would be in good shape to fatten in the fall and you would in ail probability have the corn without buying it to feed them. Food for Pigs. What is a good food for small pigs after weaning? Ans.: A large portion of the ration should be milk, with shorts and corn meal, one-half by weight; or a slop made of shorts, with an addition of oil meal, and the corn shelled and soaked, with clover pasture will do very well. Difference in Feeding. Should the pig have the same kind of food while growing, as while preparing him for market? Ans.: No. A pig should have a food that will stimulate growth; milk, shorts, oats, peas, clover, with an allowance of corn, would constitute a growing food. Creamery Milk. Is creamery milk fit for pigs? Ans.: Creamery milk is good pig feed if it has been pasteurized at the cream- ery so it would not sour. Many farmers prefer, however, to separate it at home and feed the milk direct to the pigs. The sooner milk can be fed after it is drawn from the cow the better. Value of Milk for Pigs. How many pounds of growth should one get from one-hundred pounds of milk? Ans.: If fed in connection with grain, five pounds. Or, 5'0 pounds of milk have been found equivalent to 93 pounds of a mixed grain ration. Soured Milk. Should skim milk be fed sweet or sour? Ans.: See that it is not too sour. The first stage of sourness is not injurious. Sour Milk. Does milk lose its feeding value by souring? Ans.: It surely does, up to a certain point, and the question is important when and how, and to what age of animal we are feeding it. Young pigs will always do better up to twelve weeks of age, on sweet milk, if mixed with grain in the propor- tion of 30 pounds of grain to 100 pounds of milk. Older hogs, in the finishing pro- cess, may be benefited by having the milk clabbered or slightly sour, but milk that has been turned to an acid has lost its feeding value and becomes injurious if fed in large quantities. FEEDING PIGS. 19 Whey for Pigs. I have been trying to fatten my pigs on whey, thinking it was just as nourishing as skimmed milk, but they do not seem to thrive. What is the trouble? Ans.: Pigs will not fatten on whey. Mix in a little middlings or ground oats and a little corn meal, and then you will see them jump. Whey for Pigs. Is whey a fattening food for young pigs? Ans.: To make pigs grow rapidly, mix a little shorts in the whey. Be careful not to feed too much or they will scour. Warm separated milk is bettc~ than whey. Barley for Pigs. Which is the proper way to grind bar- ley for pigs, fine or coarse? 2. Should barley be fed to pigs dry or wet? Ans.: Barley is better ground fine than coarse when fed to swine. 2. It is better soaked than when fed dry, and in winter it is a still further improvement to steam it and feed it warm. Whole Barley for Pigs. Should barley be fed whole to pigs? Ans.: No. Have it ground and mix it with shorts if you are going to feed it. Pigs soon tire of barley when fed on it alone. Ground Barley and Oats for Pigs. Is ground barley and oats as good as shorts for pigs? Ans.: Always feed and make use of what you raise and produce; but barley and oats, while good for the sow, are not so good for the pigs as barley and shorts mixed, since there is too great a propor- tion of hulls, and if the oats can be ex- changed for shorts at the same price, the shorts and barley will give better results. Bone Meal. Is bone meal good for growing pigs? Ans.: A pinch of bone meal for a pig, each meal, is excellent. Substitute for Milk. What is the best food for young pigs when there is no milk to give them? Ans.: Shorts or middlings, with one- third of corn meal and a little oil meal. Feed as thick slop. Soaked Shorts for Pigs. How long should shorts be soaked for pigs before feeding it? Ans.: Soak the shorts only from one feed to the next. Never alow it to stand in a barrel as it will ferment. Shorts Soaked in Milk. Would it be best to soak shorts in milk or water? Ans.: Soak them in water as the milk would sour. Never feed sour feed to pigs. Always add the milk as you feed; never let it stand in a barrel long enough to sour. Feeding Corn. How is the best way to start little pigs on corn? Ans.: Shell and soak the corn for little pigs. After you begin to feed new corn feed it on the ear. In feeding shelled corn, scatter it about the floor or feed yard in some straw so they will have to hunt for the grains. This will give them ex- ercise which is necessary if the best re- sults are to be expected. Feeding Corn Alone. Why do my pigs stop growing when about five months old? They get all the corn they can eat and have all along. Ans.: Th.*y stop growing because corn does not supply growing materials in suffi- cient quantities. Where pigs are fed on corn alone they are apt to get overfat while young. They should have a part ra- tion of mill feed made into slop and a run of a good pasture, if large, strong frames are desired. Feeding Sow with Pigs. How much should I feed my sows when their pigs are about two weeks old? I don’t want to make the pigs scour. Have had some trouble like this before and want to guard against it. Ans.: After the first week there is less danger that the sows will be overfed than that they will not be fed enough. If they are overfed and the pigs show indications of scouring, they should have less feed and be given lime water to drink. If the pigs are old enough to drink they should have some scalded milk in which a little wheat flour has been mixed. If they are too young to drink, they should be given four or five drops of paregoric. Starting Pigs after Weaning. I have a lot of little pigs that I want to wean in about a week. What is the best food to give them at this time? Ans.: Start the little fellows off on a thin slop of middlings and milk, but be careful not to give them enough to cause scours. It is always best to give them a little trough of their own while they are still nursing so that when they are wean- ed the shock will not be so great. Starting Pigs. How should pigs be started? Ans.: Before the sow farrows, feed her so as to keep her in condition, so there is no danger of fever. Never start to feed young pigs until they commence to come around the trough where you feed the old sow. A few years ago it was considered best to try to encourage them to eat and get them started as soon as possible, but 20 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. it is best to leave it with the pigs. They will be strong and vigorous and they will get to eating too young and eat too much, and they will have trouble with scouring if you get in a hurry. Do not try to en- courage them to eat too young, but feed the breeding sow heavily with the corn left out or nearly so. Feeding Pigs before Weaning. I have two sows that farrowed about four weeks ago. The pigs are getting along very well but I want to wean them as soon as possible so as to have the sows come in with a second litter in the fall. How could I best go about weaning them a little earlier than is customary? Ans.: Young pigs can be taught to eat before they are weaned by having a small opening into an annex next to the main pen. Place a shallow trough in there, In which is poured a thin slop of milk and middlings or milk and ground oats. As soon as they take to this readily a lit- tle corn meal could be added to either of these mixtures. In this way the pigs are weaned gradually and safely and much earlier than they would otherwise have been. Best Food for Pigs. What is the best food to give little pigs ‘In order to make them give the best results? Ans.: To make young pigs grow thrifty, strong, and healthy there is nothing like milk, mill feed, and pasture, with a very little corn added. Corn Meal for Young Pigs. Is corn meal a good food for young pigs? Ans.: No. Corn meal is too fattening and is a poor feed for them. Middlings and milk or ground oats and milk is the best food for young pigs. Get them on clover pasture as soon as possible. Bran, Corn and Oats for Pigs. Is bran, corn, and oats a good ration? Ans: That makes a very good ration nearly balanced, the corn and oats should be ground and mixed with the bran. Bran for Pigs. Is bran good pig food? Ans.: No. Bran is liable to give little pigs the scours. It is too coarse and ir- ritates their bowels. Bran for Young Pigs. Is bran a good food for pigs just after they are weaned — say at the age of five or six weeks? Ans.: No. Bran is so harsh that it is apt to cause irritation of the bowels. It is not a safe food for pigs under three months old. Give them some ground oats and milk or middlings and milk with plen- ty of rich pasture if available. Pushing the Pigs. How can I make the most satisfactory gains with young pigs? Ans.: Good pasture and good water are necessary for health and making satisfac- tory growth, but in addition to these the pigs should have a liberal supply of bone and muscle-making food. Shorts and milk make the food for growth, and an exclu- sive corn diet is the poorest. They will fatten on corn, but it will be at the ex- pense of health and growth and may even cause apoplexy or thumps if fed too much before they are six months old. Cotton Seed Meal for Pigs. I have an opportunity to buy a car load of cotton seed meal. Would it have any value for pigs? Ans.: The use of cotton seed meal for swine has been extensively experimented with in several of our stations with very unsatisfactory results. One peculiarity of the experiment is that the pigs showed no derangement until they had been fed cot- ton seed meal for about 30 days, when over 80% of them died. It may be stated in general terms that when cotton seed or any of its by-products are fed in reason- able quantities with proper complements of other foods, satisfactory results are se- cured with all farm animals except calves and swine. Cotton Seed Meal for Swine. What is the feeding value of cotton seed meal in comparison with oil meal or shorts for pigs? Ans.: Do not feed cotton seed meal tp swine. They will appear to do pretty well on it for a time, but later the digestion becomes deranged and unsatisfactory re- sults generally follow. In experiments conducted to test its feeding value for swine, several animals have died when it was fed any length of time. With other foods it is possible to feed a very small amount, but owing to the danger from feeding it you had better use foods you are sure of. Stock Food for Swine. Is there any kind of stock food that could be recommended for pigs to make them grow or fatten more quickly? Ans.: There are several stock foods on the market, which, if fed to swine for a limited time, will act as a tonic and will thereby enable them to make a more econ- omical use of food. Much attention, how- ever, should be paid to the cost and to the length of time which such foods are fed. When these foods are used, it should be usually for a short time only, using them in the same way as tonics are used in the human family. Swine not Growing Well. I have one lot of swine, all over eight FEEDING PIGS. 21 months, that weigh only from 25 to 100 pounds apiece. For the past two months I have fed them all the corn they will eat and also 25 pounds of stock food and other things that 1 thought would do them good. Can you give advice that will help me out? Ans.: Without knowing more about the condition of the swine and the way in which they were fed when young, it will not be possible to tell the trouble. One of two things has probably happened: either the pigs had the wrong kind of feed when they were quite young, which brought them into a stunted condition, from which they have not recovered, or they may have been affected with some skin disease which has interfered with their growth. If good, liberal feeding of shorts, fed in the form of swill, and corn fed whole or ground, will not put them in good con- dition, the case is discouraging. A little oil meal added to the swill would likely prove a benefit. Heavily Fed Pigs. I have a young litter of pigs that Is fn a very thrifty condition. I fed corn, ground oats and bran. When some cf lh<* smaller ones rush up to the trough, they have queer attacks of cramps or fits. They will fall over without a sound and lie like dead. After a few minutes they will get up, stiff and shivering, but prettv soon will eat as if nothing had happened. Ans.: Stop feeding corn, and to the ones which show the symptoms, you can give a tablespoonful of castor oil and feed very sparing for a few days. They are likely to die in one of the spells. Allow them a good roomy pen and plenty of sunshine, but at the same time keep them warm and dry. Fattening Young Pigs. In finishing fattening pigs five months old, should they be allowed to run in a large pasture, and if so, why? Ans.: Never confine young hogs unless it be for a short time at the finishing period. Every young animal must have exercise to keep healthy and develop a perfect body. Middlings for Small Pigs. Is middlings good for the small pig? Ans.: Middlings are not as good for the young pig just weaned as skim milk. They cannot digest the middlings as well until they are two or two and one-half months old, then the middlings should be added. Feed for Pigs. Which is preferable for pigs, cracked wheat, finely ground wheat or middlings? Ans.: Finely ground wheat, mixed with some middlings, has given the best re- sults for young pigs, but it should be soaked at least six hours and fed wet. Grain Fed to Little Pigs. When should one begin to feed grain to little pigs? Ans.: Begin to feed them shelled soaked corn as soon as they will eat it, and also shorts mixed with milk. They are usually about four weeks old when they show a disposition to eat. Mix the slop up fresh for each meal. Don’t allow it to stand over or it may ferment and injure the pigs. Food for Young Pigs. I have a lot of pigs that I am feeding shorts and bran. I have no milk for them at present. Is the feed all right, and is there anything I can mix with the food that will take the place of milk? Ans.: This food is all right for the sows, but for pigs leave the bran out; it is too coarse for them. If the pigs are nurs- ing they should be kept on the sow until they are at least ten weeks old. While they are still nursing give them some thin slop made of shorts and water. Ground oats with the hulls sifted out will be good to mix with the slop. Feeding Pigs. F’ive sows farrowed this month. Would like a few points about feeding both the sows and their pigs. We have plenty of feed but no pasture. Which is better; oats, wheat and corn ground together and mixed with sweet skim milk, or bran, shorts and skim milk? Ans.: While the pigs are nursing, feed the sow oats, wheat and corn ground to- gether in the proportion of oats two parts, wheat one part and corn one part. Re- sults nearly as good will probably be had from feeding the sows shorts and bran in the proportions of two parts of shorts to one of bran, the skim milk being given in both cases. The former mixture has the advantage of improving the condition of the flesh. If it is evident that they are losing flesh the proportion of corn should be increased. The young pigs should get skim milk in a compartment by themselves just as soon as they will take it. Shorts should be added to the milk a little later. When eight weeks old they can be fed shorts> and corn in the proportion of two to one parts respectively, the skim milk being added. The feed for both sow and pigs should be fed in the form of slop. Feeding Pigs. I want to push my pigs along as fast as possible and yet I am afraid to feed them too much for fear they will get the thumps. What shall I do about it? Ans.: Let the little pigs eat all they want but be sure to allow them plenty of room for exercise. If they show an in- clination to lie in their beds too much of the time, turn them out of the pen and fasten the door for awhile. 22 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. Keeping Pigs through Winter. Does it pay to keep young pigs over the winter for another year’s feeding? Ans. : Very often not. But if you have them, keep them. The best money comes from spring litters. Average Gain of Young Pig. How many pounds a day should a pig eight months old gain while being fat- tened? Ans.: If a pig gains one pound a day, from time of birth, he is making a paying gain, but this would require him to gain two pounds a d?y for the later period of his life. Gain of Pigs per Day. What should be the average gain of pigs per day from the date of birth to block? Ans.: If pigs make one pound of growth per day, from date of farrow to block, they will always be profitable. This would re- quire, for a part of the time, a higher gain than one pound per day, as during the first three months this would hardly be obtained. Mangels for Swine. Would boiled mangels make a suitab’e food for young -pigs? Ans.: Prof. Henry says: — “Because man- gels stand well out of the ground, these roots are easily cultivated and harvested. When boiled and mixed with meal they are excellent for feeding swine and young stock.” Steaming Food for Swine. Is it a good idea to steam food for hogs? Shall I get a small boiler for that pur- pose? Ans.: In cold weather it is a good plan to steam the hog feed. The nature of the steamer or boiler should depend upon the size of the herd. In some instances a heater of considerable capacity would be best, in others a small boiler will answer the purpose. This is an important ques- tion in connection with the growing of swine and one that has a great deal both in favor and against it. Cooking Is ex- pensive unless one is doing a lot of feed- ing. Feeding Rye or Barley. In feeding rye or barley, wouldn’t it be well to cook it? Ans.: No. Grind the rye in all cases be- ' fore feeding it to pigs and simply soak it. Some breeders prefer to feed it warm in the winter, but there is no advantage In cooking it, unless the pigs like it better that way. Sometimes in warming it, it gets up to the boiling point, and that prac- tically cooks it. Cooking Grain. Does cooking the whole grain make it lose any of its feeding value? Ans.: The presumption Is that the protein part of the food partakes very much of the character of the boiled egg that is boiled excessively — it is not so digestible. Then, in cooking you dilute the food too much; there is too much water contained in it, in connection with the dry matter. Cooking the Feed. Is It advisable to cook food for swine? Ans.: No, nothing but potatoes. If any one has a large quantity of potatoes in the fall and wants to feed them, they are rendered more palatable by cooking, but it would be scarcely practicable to cook all of their food except in cases where sows are sick just before or after farrow- ing. Cooking and Grinding Hog Food. As I am new to the hog business I would like to know something about cook- ing and grinding feed for hogs, that is, whether or not it would be profitable. Some of my neighbors hold that it is, while others claim that this work is un- necessary. Ans.: The question of cooking and grind- ing hog food has many advocates on both sides, but from all the information that can be gathered from reliable sources the predominance of evidence is in favor of feeding grain whole and uncooked. There are times when cooking or grinding or both, will pay for the extra trouble. There are thousands of instances where hogs are given whole uncooked grain and are actually making better gains than others that are getting cooked grain, either ground or whole, so that it can hardly be considered wise to advocate either cooking or grinding except in cases of sickness or for sows just after farrow- ing. Grinding Hog Food. Will it pay to grind hog food? Ans.: If corn is to be used it will not pay. Even old corn is better when soaked in water than when fed ground. Oats and barley, however, should be ground as fine as possible and it is preferable to feed them both in the form of a thick slop. Ground Feed for Small Pigs. For small pigs would it be advisable to feed ground feed raw or scalded? Ans.: It makes no difference if it is soak- ed in the summer time. In winter some feeders use warm water for soaking and claim better results from doing so. Grinding Corn for Hogs. Will hogs do as well when the corn Is ground as when it is fed whole? Ans.: Under ordinary conditions let the hogs do the grinding. If the corn is hard It may be soaked for about twelve hours before it Is fed. PASTURES FOR SWINE. 23 Fresh Water. Is It necessary to give hogs fresh water if they have plenty of slop? Ans.: It is a common error with many that slop food will answer for both food and drink. An observant feeder will no- tice that when feeding slops, such as a swill barrel generally contains from a kitchen, mainly water and pieces of vege- tables, that grain is added to this and the troughs are filled with the watery slush. He then observes that the pig or hog will dive for the solids, but in order to satisfy his want Is obliged to swallow more of the liquid than needed, proving only a disturbing element to healthy digestion^ But when slop is fed at the right con- sistency, as a pudding that will readily run out of a pail, and eaten clean, the hog will want water between meals, on pas- ture or in the pen. Is Charcoal Good for Hogs? My hogs seem to be troubled with a sour stomach and my neighbors have ad- vised giving them charcoal. Will this do any good? Ans.: It is generally accepted as true that there is not a great deal of difference between the stomach of a hog and that of a man. At any rate, charcoal is found to be useful in assisting the work of both. Soaked Corn. Have experiments in feeding soaked corn shown anything? Ans: Experiments in Iowa and Kansas with soaked corn showed that the soaking was about equal to grinding and much cheaper. Soaking Shelled Corn. How long should one soak shelled corn in warm weather? Ans.: Soak it until it is soft; twelve to twenty-fdur hours. Longer than that would start it to ferment and make it unfit for food. Swill In the Winter. How could swill be kept from freezing in the winter? Ans.: Only mix it as you feed it and only feed what they will eat up clean. This is a good plan to follow both summer and winter. Soapy Water for Pigs. Is soapy dish water injurious to pigs? Ans.: A large quantity of soapy dish water injures the glands of the bowels and sometimes causes death. You had bet- ter not risk using it. There is no food value in soap and the water is better to drink without it. Pastures For §wine. Hog Culture Without Pasture. Could hog culture be made profitable without pasture? Ans.: No, not on a large scale for a, succession of years. Alfalfa for Hogs. Is alfalfa good pasture for hogs? Ans.: It is the best pasture that hogs can have where it can be successfully grown. Pastured Hogs Injure Alfalfa. Does it injure alfalfa to pasture hogs on it? Ans.: It injures it to pasture it too closely. The right way to pasture alfalfa is to have your pasture large and then run the mower over it occasionally to cut back those patches that the hogs do not feed off so they may come up green and tender. Alfalfa Hog Pasture. Is alfalfa as good for pasturing hogs as clover? Will it make a more permanent pasture than clover? Ans.: Alfalfa will make as good pasture for swine as clover, and it will last a good deal longer In localities where It will grow well. Artichokes for Swine. What is there in favor of artichokes for swine? Ans.: For fall and early spring there is no better crop than artichokes, which give a rich, fresh feed just at the time when grasses and clovers are at their poorest. The crop is easily grown and will make a volunteer growth from the scattering tubers in the ground. Of course, this crop cannot be cultivated, and will be more or less choaked by weeds or dwarfed by hard ground. It will pay well to plow and re- plant the crop each season, even though planted on the same ground. Artichoke for Swine. Is the artichoke a profitable root crop for hog pasture? 2. If so, what kind of soil would it require? 3. When is the best time to plant? 4. Where can seed be procured? Ans.: The Artichoke makes excellent hog pasture for fall and spring in locali- ties favorable to its growth. 2. Like the potato, it prefers a black loam vegetable 24 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. soil, but will grow in good shape on vol- canic ash soils which characterize many of the mountain valleys in the west. 3. The tubers may be planted in the fall or spring, but preferably early in the spring. 4. Seed can be procured from any local seedman. Soil for Artichokes. What kind of soil is best suited for the growing of artichokes? Ans. : The best soil for the crop is simi- lar to that which is best for Irish potatoes. It should be rich, mellow and well drained. On dry, hard clay, the yield is always small. Yield of Artichokes Per Acre. I am thinking of planting artichokes for my hogs. How much could I expect them to yield per acre? Ans.: The yield is variable from 400 to 800 bushels per acre. Its feeding value is equal iD value to that of any other root crop. The Best Pasture. What is a good pasture for hogs? Ans.: Where alfalfa does not grow there Is perhaps nothing better than a clover pasture. June and Mammoth mixed are generally preferred and make a splendid pasture. Clover Pasture. I have a piece of land that I wish to get In clover for hog pasture. Clover does well here. The piece contains about five acres and is covered with brush ‘with a few scattering trees. Wild peas grow where the soil is burned over in the spring. I intended to clear it off this fall cutting the stumps as low as possible and also the brush. I will burn it off in the spring. Can I get a good catch of clover by disking without plowing? I have an- other lot containing two acres which I intend to sow to peas and barley. Will it do to let the hogs run on the clover until July and then turn them on lot num- ber two? ' Ans.: A better stand of clover will be obtained by simply disking the land refer- red to than if it were plowed. If it could have been burned off in the fall the clover could have been sown earlier. Get it in as early as possible. There would be no harm in sowing a little barley or oats along with the clover. It would make swine pasture before the clover would be ready. The swine could be turned in to graze as soon as the oats or barley was high enough to furnish them with food. It would do very well to take them from this to the field sown to peas and barley. Grain Feed for Pastured Hogs. Does It pay to feed grain to hogs on pasture? Ans.: Most decidedly. Hogs should have a little grain twice a day while on pasture no matter how rank it may be. Not much, but regularly. Clover Fed Hogs. Will hogs do well on clover alone, or should grain be added? Ans.: It is an advantage to feed grain with clover daily at regular intervals, though in much smaller amounts than would be given if the hogs were confined in pens and small yards. Clover and Corn for Pasture. What time should I sow clover with corn when it is intended for a hog pasture? Ans.: Not later than the 25th of June. Some weeds will come up in the corn but they will serve as a protection to the young clover plants during the winter. They will catch and retain the snow. Hogs in Polk County, Minnesota. Can hogs be successfully raised in Polk County, Minnesota? Ans.: Hogs can be successfully raised in any part of Minnesota if they are supplied with an abundance of good rich pasture. It is yet an experiment as to whether al- falfa will grow in all sections of Polk County, although good results have been obtained by several who have tried it there. Clover generally makes a good growth in the northern part of the state and it should serve your purpose well even if you are unable to grow alfalfa. White Clover for Pasture. Will white clover make as good pasture for hogs as the red clover does? Ans.: White clover is not as good as the medium red for hog pasture. White Clover and Blue Grass for Pasture. Will white clover and blue grass make a good pasture for hogs and how should I sow it? Ans.: They make very fair pasture, but not as good as medium red clover. Sow with grain the same as other tame grasses if the ground is not so rich that the small grain will lodge and smother out the grass; if so, sow among the standing corn about June 15th, and cultivate once lightly to cover seed. Substitute for Clover Pasture. What is the best substitute for clover pasture for hogs? Ans.: Austrian brome grass has been found, by many farmers of Southwestern Minnesota to be eaten with a relish and to be preferred to clover; but this should not deter anyone from giving clover a fair trial. It would be worth a trial to turn down a crop of the above grass and suc- ceed it with the fall-sown rye, and seed this to clover upon the rye the ppring fol- lowing. PASTURES FOR SWINE. 25 Grass for Swine. Would Bromus Inermis succeed on soil that held surface water late in the spring-, to be used as hog pasture? 2. Would Bromus Inermis or Timothy be liable to catch if sown with flax on a sod pasture that was broken up and sown in the spring; or would it be preferable to sow it the following year with other grain? Ans.; Much would depend on the depth of the surface water. This grass has been known to be submerged in the spring for a couple of weeks at a time without any apparent harm. This was before the sea- son of active growth commenced, but it is probable that deep water covering the grass for any considerable length of time would harm it. 2. If the season was moist, either Bromus or Timothy would be' likely to make a stand with flax; if dry, both would be pretty certain to fail, for the reason, first, that flax is usually sown a little late, and second, such a preparation is not really a good one to secure a stand of grass. It would be 'more certain with both kinds of grasses to sow with the crop that followed the flax. It would also be well to take some other crop after the flax, to get the full benefit from the de- caying sod. The Permanent Hog Pasture. I want to know something about per- manent hog pasture and what kind of grass to sow? Ans.: Sow blue grass, timothy, alsike and June clover. In the course of a few years it will run largely to blue grass, which is the best grass for a permanent pasture, as it is the first to start in the spring and holds out green the latest in the autumn. Permanent Swine Pasture. T have broken up a piece of land which is rather low. It was broken late last August. The soil is black and sandy but very fertile. I want it for hog pasture. We thought to sow alfalfa. Would that be right? How and when should it be sown? How shall we manage the ground before sowing? Should anything be sown on the sod this fall? If so, what? We want a permanent hog pasture. How shall we manage to obtain the best results? Ans.: If the drainage of the land is enough to admit of the roots of alfalfa going down several feet before reaching the water table, then alfalfa would likely grow well on such soil. In the climate of Mt. Vernon, S. D., It would not likely stand the winter If! sown in the fall. It is all right plowing the ground early. In the spring it should be well stirred and sown with alfalfa seed about the end of the wheat sowing season. Sow fifteen or twenty pounds of seed to the acre and cover with the harrow. It may be neces- sary to use the mower on the crop once or twice the same season to keep down weeds. Permanent Pasture. Can I keep a permanent pasture for my hogs without their rooting it up? Ans.: Yes. Hogs that have a good range are not liable to root if they have the proper feed and plenty of wood ashes and salt. Continuous Pasture. I mean to divide a piece of ground Into three or four parts for hog pasture. I have a piece of timothy for early pasture which I will call pasture No. 1. What shall I sow on plots Nos. 2, 3, and 4 for midsummer and fall pastures? Is rape a good hog pasture and will it grow with speltz and fodder corn? If so, how should I sow it? Ans.: On plot No. 2 sow oats and barley as soon as the ground is ready. On plot No. 3 sow Dwarf Essex rape early; on plot No. 4 sow sorghum after the corn is plant- ed, and on No. 2 sow rape after the oats and barley are eaten. This will make pasture through all the summer. The rape does best when sown by itself, but it may be sown with speltz and pastured where the speltz is harvested. Early Hog Pasture. Can a field, plowed last fall, be made for a hog pasture this spring or early summer? Ans.: A portion of it may be seeded to winter rye early, and seeded with clover. The clover may be a success or failure and the seed may be lost. Another portion of the field should be seeded to barley and oats mixed, and another portion to Dwarf Essex rape, which will give satisfaction nearly through the season. If the clover should do well with the first two plots, it will make a good pasture the next season. Time to Sow Rape. When should I sow rape for hogs? Ans.: Rape may be sown for hog pasture any time in the spring after the ground is dry enough to sow, but any time before July will do if the season isn’t too dry. It should be fit to pasture seven week* after sowing. If the plants are eaten off short while young they are apt to be in- jured, otherwise they will sprout up again vigorously. Sowing Rape. How early in the spring is It safe to sow Dwarf Essex Rape for hog pasture, and how much seed to the acre? Ans.: As soon as the ground Is nearly dry in the spring it is safe, but a hard frost will kill it when it is young. About the time spring wheat sowing is through In an ordinary year is a safe time to sow rape. Many farmers who sow rape In their grain, mix the seed and sow it along at the same time. 26 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE Rape for Swine. When is the best time to sow rape for swine; how much to the acre should be sown and where can I get it? Ans.: Rape seed can be sown for swine any time from the opening of spring until the middle of July. Sow about five pounds of seed to the acre. The seed can be procured from any good seedsman. The rape plant is one of the best for swine that can be grown in this Northwestern country. Sow only the Dwarf Essex vari- ety. Hogs on Rape. Right after a rain, is there any danger from turning hogs on rape? At.s.: There is no danger from bloat in hogs pasturing on rape, but it is said to cause sores behind the ears if the pigs are kept in rape that is wet most of the time. Rape Pasture Growing too Fast. My hogs are out on rape, but it is grow- ing a great deal faster than they can eat it off. What can I do about it? I do nc>t care to purchase any more hogs at this time. Ans.: If the rape pasture gets the start of the hogs and they refuse to eat it, cut off the tops with the mowing machine and let it make a fresh, succulent growth. Rape and Oata for Pasture. Is rape sown in pasture with oats good for young pigs, also for old ones? Ans.: Rape is excellent for swine of all ages. If it is cropped closely while young, however, the growth will not be as sturdy as if it were allowed to get larger before pasturing. For this reason a good many favor sowing the rape alone for hog pas- ture. Oats and Rape. I have a hog pasture of about two acres (sandy soil) which I wish to sow in rape this spring. How would it do to sow about one bushel of oats with the rape seed for the pigs to work on till the rape is large enough? 2nd. In case the rape was growing too fast for the pigs, would it do to feed it off with cattle? Ans.: Rape should grow well on such a soil if it is rich, but the plan proposed would not work well, as to keep the oats down the crop would have to be pastured early. This would cause the rape to be cropped down when young. When this is cropped young, it does not grow up again with such power. A better plan would be to sow clover with the rape to provide pasture later. 2. It would answer all right to feed the rape down with cattle. It should be remembered that the highest pasture value from rape is obtained from it when it is pretty well grown. Hogs Won’t Eat Rape. How can I get hogs to eat rape? I read so much about it being such good feed for them that I sowed a piece early in the spring. It came up nicely and had quite a start when a hard frost in May froze nearly all of it out. There was some left under the protection of trees and a little left in patches over the field. I turned the hogs into it after it had got- ten fair size, but they paid no attention to it. Ans.: Tour hogs had never eaten rape before. Keep them on the rape and they will soon get extremely fond of it. Pigs will leave grain to eat nice crisp rape when they get used to it. Don’t be dis- couraged about the rape freezing. That will probably not occur again in ten year3. Pasture for Pigs. What makes the best hog pasture for use the first season? Ans.: Barley and Dwarf Essex rape sow- ed at the rate of one bushel of barley with five pounds of rape seed to the acre. Temporary Pasture. I have a few hogs but have no pasture for them. What would give the best results? Ans.: Sow rape seed for them at the rate of five pounds of seed per acre, and sow again every six weeks. You will then have a good pasture for your pigs all summer. Rape will furnish pasture in about 60 or 75 days after sowing. Barley and Rape in Place of Clover. What can be sown to take the place of clover that will make a pasture soon after sown? Ans.: Barley and Dwarf Essex rape make very good pasture. Sow about a bushel of barley and five pounds of rape seed to the acre and turn on as soon as it is four pr five inches high. Hog Pasture. What should I sow for early hog pasture on land broken late last fall? It was brush land with such trees as oak, willow, hazel and black-elder growing on it. Ans.: Barley and oats will make good early swine pasture on this land. Dwarf Essex will also make good pasture, sown a little later. Canada field peas would fur- nish good pasture, but would not be ready before the middle of June or even later. If good red clover is sown along with the barley and oats, and sown pret- ty thickly, it will probably furnish pas- ture late in the season after the barley and oat pasture Is gone. Pasture of Darley and Oats. When should hogs be turned on barley and oats for pasture? Ans.: As soon as there is growth enough to cover the ground. Quantity of Oats and Vetch for Pasture. I want to sow oats and vetch for a hog PASTURES FOR SWINE. 27 pasture. How much of each of these seeds should I sow to the acre? Ans. One bushel of the oats and one peck of vetch seed is sufficient to seed an acre. Vetch on Sandy Soil. Will vetch make good hog pasture on very sandy soil? Ans.: Vetch is not generally satisfactory on sandy ground unless the soil is first inoculated with suitable bacteria. A good, rich sandy loam is well suited to the growth of vetch. This crop usually grows very well after a crop of clover or peas. Timothy Pasture. How does an acre of timothy pasture compare in value with an acre of clover for hogs? Ans.: It does not compare at all. Clo- ver is generally considered the best crop to grow for hog pasture wherever it can be successfully raised, provided alfalfa will not grow there. Pasture for Swine. I have a small piece of ground to seed down to clover this spring for hog pasture, expecting to run a central fence to divide the ground in two. Would like to know what is best to sow with clover to furnish better food for this season that will not hurt the catch of clover or the growth of the same? Ans.: Sow barley at the same time as the clover on half of the ground and Dwarf Essex rape on the other half. Do not sow less than two bushels of barley per acre, and begin pasturing as soon as food is plentiful. Sow five pounds of rape seed. By the time the’ barley is eaten down the rape will be ready. Hog Pasture. What mixture of seed will make good hog pasture? Ans.: To make good hog pasture, you may sow (1) oats and barley; (2) rape; (3) peas; (4) sweet corn; (5) winter rye; the last being for late fall and early spring pasture. Sow the barley and oats at the rate of about two bushels of barley, and one bushel of oats per acre. The sweet corn may be planted as corn is usually planted for growing grain. The rye should be sown in August or September. Hog Pasture. I have five acres that I would like to put in pasture for hogs. What shall I sow and how much per acre? It is a clay soil with stones in it. How many hogs can I keep to the acre and can I put them on the pasture this summer? Ans.: A mixture of about six quarts of red clover, five pounds of rape and about two bushels of oats to the acre will make excellent hog pasture. Divide the lot in two, alternating the pasturing of the same as you see it is necessary. Rape alone makes a very good pasture and if you use it, turn your hogs in when it is six inches high. Do not be surprised if at first they do not eat it. Starve them until they do, and when they become accustomed to eating it they will enjoy it and thrive satisfactorily. Ten or twelve hogs to the acre will be about as many as you can profitably afford if the pasture is in good condition. If you have only the breeding stock, one sow with her pigs will be enough to the acre. Pig Pasture. At what age should pigs be put into pasture? How long and what kind of pasture? Ans.: You did not say to what extent you have pasture for your hogs, but there is no reason why your pigs should not en- ter upon pasture as soon as they are able to run with the sow. Let the pigs run upon a clover pasture. You will also find barley mixed with winter rye a satisfac- tory pasture. You will have healthier and better hogs if they pasture. Aim to let your hogs run in pasture in May when the clover has fair hold of the field, and when they are once upon the pasture feed twice a day. Pasture for Swine. I want a plan for five acres of hog pas- ture suitable for the country about Ross N. D., remembering, first, that this is a new country; second, that we are subject to early frosts — as early as August 7th; third, the soil is black loam; fourth, we are inexperienced as to raising peas or rape and cannot yet raise clover. Ans.: Under the conditions named It would be best to sow but two crops. The first would be barley and oats, the mixture consisting chiefly of barley, which should be sown as soon as it is safe, because of early frosts. Then about the same time, sow Dwarf Essex rape, at the rate of say five pounds of the seed per acre. Neither crop will furnish swine pasture earlier than June 1st. After a lapse of three or four weeks, sow another piece of rape. This food should carry the swine on until the end of September. The frost should not be severe enough to hurt the rape befpre that date even in your locality. To pro- vide pasture for the next year, sow winter rye. This should be put in about the end of August. Then the following spring, sow barley and oats and rape, as described above. Dividing Hog Pastures. I have ten acres to sow for hog pasture. Shall I give them the run of the whole lot at once or divide it up into lots? Ans.: Hogs are wasteful grazers when turned into rank pasture, and o great sav- ing of feed can be secured by growing different grazing crops in long narrow 28 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. fields, which may be divided into sections by movable transverse fences to allow for frequent changes of pasture. Pasture for Eight Hogs. What would you advise me to sow for pasture to carry eight hogs through the summer? Ans. : Sow barley and oats together to provide early pasture and peas separately for summer pasture. To carry eight hog3 from June 1st to August 15th, plant % acre of barley and oats and *4 acre of the peas. Winter rye should be sown the previous autumn. For late pasture Dwarf Essex rape can be sown any time within 60 or 75 days of the time wanted. Pasture for Ten Hogs. How much pasture would I need for ten hogs? Ans.: By making frequent changes, one acre will yield an abundant grazing for at least ten full grown hogs or for a corres- pondingly large number of younger ani- mals. It is always well to grow a variety of grazing crops, planted so as to ripen in succession. The greater the variety the better will be the results. Pasture for 100 Swine. How many acres of pasture would 100 spring pigs need, some grain being fed? Ans.: This question is difficult to answer, owing to the great difference of soil and soil capabilities. Ten acres, divided into say two or three lots, should carry 100 pigs from spring until early autumn. If all were in one lot it would take consider- ably more. Pasture and Swine. Is it necessary to have pasture in order to raise hogs successfully? Ans.: A good pasture is as necessary for profitable hog raising as for the growing of beef. No one should attempt to grow pork for market without providing at least one field where the hogs can have abundant exercise, and can find enough roots and herbage to keep them in health. Pasture Running Short. I have quite a large number of hogs and find that my pasture is going to run short. It would not pay me to sell the hogs now. What shall I feed them? I have good fields of clover and alfalfa but want to save them if possible for feeding my stock in the winter. Ans.: Haul a big load of either clover or alfalfa hay into the hog lot and dump it in a sheltered corner. The hogs will soon find and appreciate it. In this man- ner you may be able to tide over until time to fatten them in the fall. Turning Hogs in Diseased Pasture. Is there any danger from putting hogs in the same pen and pasture next spring where sick hogs have been this fall? Ans.: The sickness that affected the hogs is not stated, but presumably it was chol- era. If no dead hogs or parts of such were near there would probably be no danger from putting hogs in the same quarters in the spring, but to make doubly sure, it will be a good plan to draw away all the manure from pens, scraping it up clean, and then using lime freely as a dis- infectant over the yards and on the floor of the pens. This done, supply the place plentifully with bedding. The manure drawn away should be plowed under in a field to which the hogs have no access in the early part of the season. If the pens are thoroughly sprayed with some good coal tar preparation there should then be little danger on account of any previous disease. Swine Diseases. Abortion. Please tell me the cause of sows far- rowing two weeks before their time. I had eleven sows and eight farrowed before their time. Three raised fifteen pigs. The sows had a large place to run in with no cattle or horses near them and a large place to sleep and we fed them corn and oats. Ans.: The only way to account for this Ii« that the abortion might have been oaused by their eating some ergotized grain. This will cause the trouble. It doesn’t look as though the trouble was caused from any injury, as it is hardly likely they would all be injured the same w*y. If the male is sound and vigorous there seems to be no other way to account for it except in the feed. Abscess Forming. One of our hogs has been sick for the past few days. His left jaw is swollen and water runs from his mouth. He will eat swill, but cannot open his mouth for corn. Ans.: There is probably an abscess form- ing in some portion of the swollen jaw, and the animal will get no relief until it breaks and discharges. There is very little to do. Foment the swollen Jaw with hot water twice a day. Probably an Abscess. I have a sow with a sore on her cheek. SWINE DISEASES. 29 It is spreading now in spots. Is swollen some. Does not seem to cause pain. Ans. : Secure th9 sow and make an ex- amination of the sore and see if there is an abscess, and if there is, open it. Ap- ply to the sore the following twice a day: Bichloride of mercury one dram mixed with four ounces of water. Acid Stomach. What causes hogs to grind and grit their teeth? Ans.: Acidity of the stomach usually. Feed more charcoal and stop feeding milk for awhile and you will find they will stop gritting their teeth. Anthrax. Can you tell me what is the matter with my pigs? Their ears turn purple and their feet all swell up and they seem to be weak in their backs so they can’t walk. In a few days they Cie. They are about four weeks old. Ans.: Probably marshy pasture. Died of Anthrax. Apoplexy. I have a sow with six young pigs, three weeks old. The sow is in fine condition. The little pigs are growing fast and are very fat. Seem to be in good health one minute and dead the next time I look at thenr. Ans.: It looks very much like apoplexy. Change the mother’s feed and give her more roots, such as cooked potatoes or turnips. A complete change of feed for the mother is the only thing to do. The Black Tooth Myth. One of my neighbors is having bad luck with young pigs. They seem to thrive up to about six weeks old and then sicken and die. I examined one and found, as I believe, a well defined ease of black tooth. Is there any scientific basis for the black tooth s’ckness? Ans.: Black tooth disease is one of the cast-off theories that were relegated to the rear at the same time that hollow horn and a few other diseases were discarded. There may be a disease among swine which would cause the teeth to discolor but that would only be the effect, not the cause. You will gain nothing by working on the effect without first removing the cause. Scientific research proves this to be a fact. Black Teeth not the Cause.. My young pigs sickened and died sud- denly. On examination I found their teeth had turned black. Ans.; The teeth did not cause the pig’s death. There was something wrong with the mother’s milk which caused the trou- ble. If you will give your sows before farrowing plenty of cooked roots, turnips or potatoes, and continue this feed for some time afterwards, you should not be troubled in this any more. Corn meal or pea meal or oatmeal is very good for the sows at this time. Black Tooth. Is black tooth in any way connected with blind staggers? Ans.: No, they are not connected. When you are feeding a great deal of acidulated food it will often cause black teeth. The best way is to pick out the black teeth with a pair of pincers. Blind Staggers. What is blind staggers, and what causes it? Ans.: Blind 'staggers comes from one of the great errors of feeding. It is not her- editary in swine. There are men who feed swine regardless of their powers of di- gestion and assimilation, and they gorge their animals with one kind of food. Sup- pose you feed your hogs on whey, and whey alone, and do not mix some oil meal and shorts with the whey, you will prob- ably find you have blind staggers among your animals. When the digestive organs become so disturbed that constipation has taken place and digestion has ceased, in- flammation of the brain sets in. Then the next step is blind staggers. The hog has a severe pain in its forehead, and it commences to run around in a circle, and is almost blind. The only remedy is to give the animal a physic. Give it some common clearing medicine to remove the constipation. Blood Disease. One of my sows farrowed three weeks ago. The pigs all died in twenty-four hours. A week ago I noticed bristle:-? coming out. She is nearly bare now and the skin is of a reddish color, rough, dry, and pimply. She seems to feel all right and has a good appetite. I am feeding new corn and boiled potatoes in the swill. Ans.: From the symptoms given, it may be hog cholera, although there are blood diseases that act very similarly. Give her a heaping teaspoonful of sulphate of soda In feed, three times a day. Use plenty of some good disinfectant where the animal, lies and change the bedding every day. Blood Disease. My pigs were farrowed about the last of April. They did well until about six weeks old then some of them began to get poor. They would scratch themselves and scour some. They seem to want to eat. but do not eat much. They have black teeth. I have some of them shut up by themselves; others are getting bet- ter. Can’t find t any lice on them. Ans.: Your pigs are troubled with ablood disease — probably from something they have eaten. You had better destroy the very bad cases and try to save the balance. Give each pig a tablespoonful of castor oil and it also will be well to dip the pigs in some disinfectant. Use disinfectants free- 30 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. ly in the pens and especially where the sound pigs sleep. Blood Poison. My neighbor has a lot of three-months- old pigs which have a peculiar ailment. First, the skin cracks, then hair and skin both peel off, leaving hide underneath dry and raspy; the tails also rot off and ears dry up to a shell. The pigs have a nice clean place to sleep and a pasture to run in, with oats six inches tall. How can the disease be checked? Ans.: The disease is due to some poison acting on the nerves and blood vessels, de- ranging the action of both. Ergotized grain will produce the very effect men- tioned. The matter should be looked into very carefully by competent authorities and the cause removed. You may have your local board of health call in the state live stock sanitary board to their aid, and they will send their veterinary surgeon to your assistance at once. Brain Disease. I have two pigs that lean their heads to one side and stagger around squealing. They have had plenty of exercise, and have been fed corn, skim milk and ground food. Ans.: Your pigs are suffering from a brain disease, and they might as well be destroyed, as they will not recover. You had better make an entire change of feed with the balance to try and prevent oth- ers from contracting the disease. Incurable Brain Trouble. I have a pig that keeps running in a circle all day, even in the smallest pen, sometimes runs backwards and staggers, eats as much as two other hogs and still is poor. She always looks up with one eye. holding head sideways, and is very rest- less. Is there any cure for her, and if not, is the meat good to use? Ans.: Your pig is suffering from an in- curable brain disease, and it would be an act of mercy to destroy it. There is noth- ing wrong with the meat if the sow is in good condition. Brain Trouble. A short time ago I bought two six- weeks-old pigs. Lately one of them began to have queer spells. When I fed them he would take a swallow or two and then throw himself back and begin to breathe hard, sometimes with his mouth open. Sometimes he will swallow the feed as if in pain, which is often followed by a chill. In a few moments he will be all right and go on eating again. Is there anything I can do in such a case? Ans.: It is brain trouble and Is only aggravated by excitement, especially after feeding time. He may possibly outgrow the trouble, although this seldom happens. There are no suggestions necessary except to keep him in a warm, well bedded pen and give him proper care. Brain Disease. Some of my hogs got sick a few days ago and stopped eating. They breathe hard and sometimes in a jerky manner. About the second day they get weak in the hind quarters, stand on their front feet, open their mouths, grit their teeth, shiver and act as though they had a spell of cramps. One died with its mouth full of foam. What can be done in such cases? Ans.: The hogs are suffering from a brain disease and it is very hard to say what is the cause. It is probably due to indigestion. If you notice any others showing signs of sickness give them an ounce of Epsom Salts for a hundred-pound hog, and follow up every three hours with one-half dram of Iodide of Potassium. They are very unsatisfactory cases to treat. Tumor in Brain. I have a little pig that was a runt from the start; had him outside in open pen and it was wet most of the time. He con- tracted a cold, wheezes and is bloated After awhile he got so that he couldn’t run straight, but would go around in a circle of about three feet in diameter with - head on one side, looking upward with one eye; he seems to have no control of himself. Ans.: The cause of the trouble is due to a tumor or abscess located in the brain. It is an incurable case. The little fellow has probably been doing poorly a long- time as these cases usually develop slowly. Bronchitis. Some of my hogs are coughing, especial- ly in the morning. We feed the young pigs slop and corn; the old pigs we feed corn and water. They eat well and are all right otherwise. Ans.: The hogs are suffering from a mild form of bronchitis, brought on from exposure during cold storms. Do not look on it as anything dangerous. Keep them warm and dry and comfortable and all will be well. Bunch on Sow. I have a sow that ran a stick In her neck toward the shoulder and could not use her leg for some time. It healed nicely, but there was a bunch there as large as a man’s hand. Made an incision, but noth- ing appeared. Can she be kept as a breed- er? Ans.: It is not stated how deep an in- cision was made into the swelling. It is probable that within about two inches from the surface, pus will be found. In probing it after the skin is cut, do not use too sharp an instrument lest an artery should be cut. If the sow is very valu- able there can be no serious objection to retaining her for breeding, but if she la not, it would be well, if the swelling does not subside, to have another take her place. Catarrh. What Is the matter with my piggy sow? She is snoring and cannot grunt. She doe* SWINE DISEASES. 31 not seem to feel well and eats very little. Her nose is running as though she had a cold. Ans.: Your sow is, no doubt, suffering from a catarrhal affection of the throat and head. You might give her a half tea- spoonful of Chloride of Potash three times a day and if possible steam the head twice a day. Choking Hog. I had a pig choke very suddenly. I thought it was caused by a bone or some foreign substance in the throat, and could hear it breathe several rods away. I could find nothing to cause it to choke. Ans.: Suffocation was caused either by spasmodic contraction of the larynx or paralysis of the parts. There was nothing that you could do to save the animal. The meat is healthy. Report all Cases of Hog Cholera. A neighbor of mine who is quite a swine grower has a disease in his herd which I think is hog cholera. He refuses to take any steps in the matter and I am afraid unless something is done the disease will spread to my animals. Ans.: When an outbreak is feared write to Dr. Morton S. Whitcomb, Secretary of the Live Stock Sanitary Board, Old Cap- itol Building, St. Paul, Minn. Adherence to ordinary sanitary conditions, however, is always safer than to depend on any official board to set things right after the disease has once started. It would be well to notify your neighbor that there is a heavy fine for not immediately notifying the State Sanitary Board of all suspected cases of hog cholera. Hog Cholera. I am afraid my hogs have cholera. Is there anything I can do for them? Ans.: The following is the government hog cholera remedy to be given once a day in doses of one tablespoonful to each 200 pountLhog: Wood Charcoal 1 part. Sulphur 1 part. Sodium Chloride 2 parts. Sodium Bicarbonate 2 parts. Sodium Sulphate 1 part. Antimony Sulphate 1 part. Pulverize and mix thoroughly. Separ- ate the suspected animals from the rest of the herd and it would be well to treat the healthy animals as well as the sick ones to the same remedy as it may be the means of keeping the disease from spread- ing. Cholera Preventive 1 . What should I do to prevent hog chol- era? Ans.: First breed from mature breeding stock so as to breed vitality. Avoid in- breeding so as to avoid breeding out vi- tality. Give them abundant exercise the year around and plenty of fresh clover pasture in summer. Avoid an all-corn ration but give them a variety of feed, including pumpkins in their season, and al- ways give them plenty of ashes and salt in a dry place. In short, care for them in a manner to keep up the vitality and avoid as far as possible exposing the herd tn cholera germs, by keeping all dogs off the premises, or stockmen who are likely to have been around cars or yards. Hog Cholera Questions. Hog cholera started in this section of the country last fall; it went through my herd and I lost 20 out of 25. They had all been in the same yard and slept in the- same house. Five of them were not sick at all, and yet they were among the sick ones all the time. 1. Will those five be likely to have cholera within the next three months? 2. Would it be better for me to breed from one of the sows that has recovered or sell them all and buy a few pigs next spring? 3. How should I care for hogs when cholera starts in the herd so as to lose as few as possible? Ans.: It would not be safe to say that the five animals will not have cholera at all, but they are not likely to have it. 2. It would probably be all right to breed the sows that have recovered. They and their pigs ought to be much less likely to •take the disease if again exposed, although sometimes the pigs from such sows do- not develop so well as from others. 3. When cholera strikes a herd, if possible, keep the well ones away. Put all the pigs, both well and sick, on a low diet, that is, on what is scarcely a maintenance diet. Probably Cholera. What is the matter with my pigs? They stop eating, hump up, cough and breathe very short and want to lie in their nest all the time. Will weigh 100 pounds. They were running out with good place to sleep and were fed separator milk with shorts and corn and a few beets. Once in a while they were given a little clover hay. Ans.: It looks as though your hogs had cholera. Would advise you to remove the sound ones and disinfect your pen. Give the sound ones a mild purge, say a table- spoonful of epsom salts to each hog. Use plenty of disinfectants in the pens. Cholera. My hogs cough' like a horse with the heaves. They do not eat well and their hair comes out in the advanced stages of the disease. I have them running at large and feed plenty of corn, milk and swill. They are in fair condition and weigh about 100 pounds. I killed one and the the liver was dark and greatly enlarged. In the inside it looked like clots of blood. Ans.: Have your hogs examined by a competent veterinary surgeon, the symp- toms resemble cholera. Use plenty of dis- infectants around the place where they lie 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. at night and remove the sound ones away from the diseased animals. Disinfect every day. Swine Immune from Cholera. What kind of hogs, if any, do not have cholera? I have heard that Jersey swine with mule hoofs do not. Ans.: It is not certain that any breed of swine will not take cholera. There is breed which is sometimes claimed to be cholera proof. It is quite certain, how- ever, that the Duroc-Jerseys are not. Remedy for Coughs. Why do pigs cough, and what is the remedy? Ans.: It may be caused by colds, dust, foul air, want of ventilation, wet and foul beds, unless it should be whooping-cough or pneumonia. If it is caused by any of the former, remove the cause. If caused by colds, smear the trough With pine tar. A little sulphur or a few drops of turpen- tine or kerosene in milk, and a warm, dry bed, will relieve them of a common cough. Contagious Disease. I bought a couple of registered York- shires recently. One had a light cough, but I did not think it serious. Now, some of my other hogs have died. One sow died, and during her last hours would bite and snap at everything. She would lie down on her belly and act as though she was in great pain. Ans.: Your hogs are probably suffering from some serious contagious disease. Some of the symptoms you gave resemble cholera, others do not. I do not think treatment in the affected cases will accom- plish much. The sound ones should be Isolated and disinfectant freely used. Give the sound hogs a light dose of castor oil each, and follow it up in twelve hours with ten grains of quinine every four hours for two or three days. Keep plenty of clean straw in the pen and all the cold water they will drink. The affected hogs you may also give the quinine too as above and apply mustard to the sides of the lungs. Constipation. I have a sow that is lame in her hind quarter. She will stand on her fore legs and turn round. She eats and drinks all right. Ans.: Feed soft feed such as boiled grain and roots. This trouble is usually due to constipation and by getting the bowels to move more freely you may cure the dis- ease, but as a rule the treatment is unsuc- cessful. Probably Constipation. My sows are due the latter part of September. At times they become very lame in hind parts. They slide along rather than walk. Are in good flesh but not fat. Ans.: The most common cause of the af- fection your sows are suffering from is constipation. Where the bowels are filled with a firm compact mass there is liable to be pressure on the nerves passing from the spine to the hind extremities, causing the animals to lose power of the hind legs. The only thing to do is to give a mild purge of castor oil, two ounces to each hog, and feed soft, easily digested feed. It Is more difficult to treat the sows on account of their being pregnant, but the oil will not injure them in any way. Hogs Cough. My pigs were weaned last week. The sow has a bad cough. It seems like whooping cough. I have two spring fat- tening hogs that also cough. They are fat enough to sell. I feed corn and some shorts in slop. They all eat and drink all right. Ans.: If your hogs are fit for market you do not need to do any doctoring. To treat these cases properly they should be kept nice and warm and dry. Give a teaspoon- ful of the following, three times a day to each hog: Fluid extract of licorice, two ounces; liquid acetate of ammonia, sir ounces. Bad Cough. My hogs are not doing well. They have a bad cough and some are very scab- by; have been feeding them cooked feed and corn and they seem to have good ap- petites, but do not gain in flesh. Ans.: Have a good, warm, clean pen, with nice, dry straw changed quite often. Feed liberally with good food about as you are doing and give following tonic: Sul- phate of Iron, one pound; powdered gen- tian, two ounces; pulverize, and give a tea- spoonful to each hog twice a day. Hogs Coughing. My hogs are coughing. They seem all right otherwise. They eat well. Ans.: It is very hard to say what causes the cough, but very probably bronchitis, which in some cases results in pneumonia. They may have taken cold. There is also a possibility that you have tuberculosis in the herd. Good nursing is all that can be recommended. Keep them out of storms or cold winds for a time until the weather gets warm. Allow them as much sun as possible. Hogs Troubled with Cough. My hogs are troubled with spells of coughing when stirred up a little. They are not poor, and I don’t think they have colds. Ans.: The coughing is probably caused by some irritation in the lungs or throat. This might arise from one of several causes, as for instance, going out from a warm pen into a chilly atmosphere. Damp bedding would also be an aggravating factor. It would be necessary to know SWINE DISEASES. 33 more about how they were managed be- fore one could be quite sure as to the cause of the trouble. Whatever the cause may be, the swine should be fed liberally on warm food and should be well supplied with dry bedding. If they can also be given a little laxative food, say one-fourth pound of oil cake per head each day,^they will probably soon recover. Bad Cough. I have some hogs that have a bad cough. Please give cure. Ans.: Liquid acetate of ammonia, six ounces, fluid extract of licorice, two ounces. Mix well and give a teaspoonful three times a day to small pigs, and a des- sertspoonful to hogs. Feed warm mash and allow them to run out in the sun as much as possible. Bad Cough. About two weeks ago I noticed that my boar had a cough and he shakes his head quite often. I keep him in a dry, warm place but the cough seems worse in the morning than at any other time. I feed him shorts, warm water and milk. He is gaining in flesh every day but the cough hangs on. Ans.: Do not use the boar for breeding until you are sure what his ailment is. If the case should prove to be tuberculosis it would be very bad policy to use him. This disease is quite common among high bred hogs. Tour care of him is all right and if he should improve and show good symptoms and cease coughing, you need have no fear. Dead Pigs. What is the cause of a sow having dead pigs? Ans.: A great many causes might be given. Usually it comes from injuries re- ceived by the sows being run by horses or by dragging themselves over bars and other obstructions. Sometimes it comes about by sows being compelled to sleep in such cold places that they pile up on each other to keep warm and thus kill the young pigs before they are born. Deafness. What is the cause of brood sows becom- ing deaf after they are one and two years old? Some of them grow deaf and blind. I have now a Berkshire sow, one and one- half years old, which is getting deaf. I have a good hog-house, use good, dry bedding, and clean out often. Ans.: If deafness follows in a herd, from dam to daughter, the caqse is hereditary. This is not uncommon. Either change breeds or strain. Get sows of a new strain of blood, if the breed is preferred, as it will follow through many generations un- less caused by outside influences. General Debility. My hogs are not doing well; they have no appetite, they cough, get scabby and break out with sores. What can be done for them? Ans.: Mix about a teaspoonful of sul- phite of soda with feed for each hog three times a day. Change feed regularly and bed with clean oat straw or wheat straw: do not use buckwheat straw or unclean bedding of any kind. Deformed Pigs. I have ten sows to have pigs, and three have farrowed. Each sow has had one or two pigs that are not developed, have no eyes. One sow had eight living and two dead, one had eight and six lived, and the other had twelve and ten living. Now I would like to know what is the cause of each having pigs that are not developed. The sows are a little over a year old and have been running at large. I have fed corn twice a day. They got with pig by a young boar, but no relation to the sows. Ans.: This is one of the freaks of nature, which man cannot account for. The only way in which the cause can be explained is too close in-breeding. Dilation of Meat Pipe. We have a boar about a year old that does not feel well. Every time he drinks he presses his nose against the ground a few minutes. I cannot see anything else the matter with him. He is very greedy when eating or drinking. I have him on good clover and grass pasture. Ans.: The trouble with the boar Is di- lation of the passage from the mouth to the stomach, commonly called the meat pipe, caused from being severely choked at some time. It may never hurt him but cannot be relieved. Doctoring Pigs. What is the best way to doctor pigs co as to keep them healthy? Ans.: The best way to doctor a pig is not to allow him to get sick. Give him a frequent change of bedding, a clean pen, plenty of good, healthy food and lots of room to exercise and it will save you some disagreeable work. It isn’t easy to give medicine to a sick hog. Eczema. What is the matter with my hogs? A watery substance exudes from the skin causing the bristles to be constantly wet; ‘on some, down the sides as well. It does not seem to affect them much as they have good appetites and appear to be well. Ans.: This is, no doubt, a case of eczema. If the weather permits, wash them with warm water and tar soap, three times a week, and a strong solution of creolin should be applied over the affected parts after washing. Change their bedding oft- en and keep the pens as dry as possible. Eczema. My pigs are about a month’ old and seem to be rubbing all the time. They are Chester Whites, but some of them aro 34 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. *o scabby that their skin looks nearly black. Please tell me what I can do tor them. Ans.: Your pigs are suffering from ec- zema. Change their bedding frequently, and, if the weather will permit, wash them thoroughly with tar soap twice a week. Then wash them in a solution of some good coal tar preparation. Eczema. My hogs have a scale on their backs extending down the sides about six inches. They rub on anything that will answer for a rubbing post. Ans.: Your hogs are probably suffering from eczema though it may be mange. They should be thoroughly washed with tar soap and water three times a week un- til the disease disappears. Twice a week apply crude petroleum over the diseased parts. Keep everything clean that they nse to rub against. Sore Eyes. My pigs are troubled with sore eyes. I have some spring pigs that are nearly all troubled this way. They can scarcely see each other. What can I do for them? Ans.: There is no doubt a skin disease around the eyes. You should not let the ■diseased ones run with the sound ones. Wash the sore eyes once a day with warm water and then you may apply the follow- ing: Boracic acid, one dram; water, eight ounces. Dissolve thoroughly and apply this solution twice a day. Use plenty of disinfectant about the pens where the dis- eased pigs sleep; any of the coal tar prep- arations will do if used thoroughly. Sore Eye*. A sow that I bought a year ago has gone blind. Two of her pigs have sore eyes now and another is blind. What is the trouble? Ans.: The hogs have an incurable affec- tion of the eyes, and you had better get rid of this family and buy another of the same breed. You will probably have more or less trouble if you do not change as the disease is hereditary. Sore Feet. My pigs have been kept on a cement floor all winter and there seems to be a great deal of inflammation in the sensitive parts of the hoof. Would it do any good to poultice them? Ans.: Poulticing the feet 1* practically Impossible under ordinary circumstances and is therefore hardly to be recommend- ed. If the sores between the claws of the hoof are due to some foreign substance, the part should be thoroughly cleansed with warm water and soap to remove the dirt and if proud flesh appears a little ter-chloride of Antimony should be ap- plied at once. If this doesn’t remove the proud flesh by the end of the third day it should be applied again. The sores can then be healed by using some kind of zinc ointment but should be washed and dressed once or twice a day according to the se- verity of the sores. Pigs that are so troubled should always be kept on a clean floor while being treated so as to prevent infection from other sources. Feverish Sows. I have a sow that became feverish after farrowing, what should I do? Ans.: Feed her some raw potatoes or roots; they are laxative, and if it is a real bad case of caked udder, so the pigs can’t nurse, rub a little kerosene in the udder. However, prevention would be better than cure. Feed properly, give plenty of exer- cise. Provide salt and ashes and fresh water all the time. Probably Fever. I have a sow that shed all the hair off her back and sides during the winter. What caused it and how can I make it grow again? Ans.: The question cannot be satisfac- torily answered without knowing how the sow was fed and how cared for. A fevered condition of the system might account for the loss of hair and this would be induced by food too carbonaceous, as corn or rye. The trouble might arise from an unhealthy condition of the system, which might be brought on by various causes. When pigs have hog cholera they sometimes lose nearly all their hair. As soon as the sow is brought into a thrifty condition, espe- cially after a period of grazing on good succulent pasture the hair should grow on again. Pigs Have Fits. My pigs are troubled with what seem to be fits and many of them die. What is the cause? Ans.: The cause is usually stomach trou- ble. Give each fifty-pound pig a table- spoonful of epsom salts and grade the dose according to size. Feed light food for a few days. Do not give any shorts or grain of any kind for a week. Where the hogs show signs of the disease you may give one-half teaspoonful of bromide of potassium every four hours In a little wa- ter, as a drench. Careful dieting is the only precaution Indigestion. i nave some pigs seven or eight months old that go to the trough, take a mouth- ful or two of food and then stumble back on their haunches or fall over on their sides and shiver with their mouths open. In five or ten minutes they seem all right again. This will continue from four to six days when they will get sick and stay in their beds and grunt. They die a few days later. I feed a little milk and swill from the house with shorts and shelled corn. Is shorts good for young pigs? . SWINE DISEASES. 35 Ans.: There is evidently something wrong about the digestion of the pigs, but what it is would be hard to tell. Do they have an opportunity to exercise? If not, give them their liberty at once. Shorts and milk are both good for pigs of that age and a small amount of shelled corn is also helpful. You might give them a small dose of linseed oil taken along with the food or given directly. Indigestion. I have a lot of April pigs and some are affected this way: About two months ago one died and four more are now sick. They don’t appear to be sick till the last day, they lie down and never get up again. They have a jerking or twitching in their sides for at least three weeks before they die. They coughed in the fore part or the summer. Were out on pasture and fed ground oats. Since August they have been running at large and have had corn and separated milk from the creamery. Ans.: It looks as though they were troubled with indigestion. Change the feed, giving soft, easily digested food to the sound ones. Be sure to keep them warm And dry. Do not feed any more corn for a week or so. Remove the sound ones to a separate enclosure and if possible give each pig a tablespoonful of epsom salts. Do not let them run at large for the bal- ance of the cold, wet weather. Indigestion. My hogs lose the use of their hind quarters, but seem all right otherwise. They eat their food the same as usual. Please give cause and cure. Ans.: Feeding too regularly and too long one kind of feed is considered the cause, as it is liable to bring on indigestion and bcfwel trouble. Give a laxative to each animal affected as soon as you notice it coming on. Keep dry and warm and give pure air and as much sun as possible. A tablespoonful of epsom salts to a hog weighing one hundred pounds is enough for a laxative. Indigestion. I fed my brood sow ground oats and ba^'oy and four to six ear* of corn at each meal. A few weeks ago she could not walk. She has not lost flesh but is still bad in legs. What is the cause of this trouble? Ans.: The proportions of the oats and barley are not given, but if barley was fed freely and then considerable corn, as is stated, the diet is too carbonaceous. It is probably Indigestion, and the sow is or has been constipated. If so, the carbon- aceous food and the constipation will prob- ably account for the lameness of the sow. The remedy would be a change of diet. Withhold the corn and feed more shorts, bran or field roots. Indigestion. 1 have a young pig that has been off her feet, being weak in all four legs. She is very weak in the legs and can just hob- ble along. What can I do for her? Ans.: Feed the pig soft food and have It warm if convenient. A little linseed meal once a day will keep the bowels loose. Indigestion is the cause. With careful feeding and a little salt once a week, clean water and no milk she should be in good shape in two weeks. Indigestion. I have two pigs. One has a cough and wheezes after eating. They eat and urink all right but seem to be troubled in their hind quarters and often go around kick- ing themselves. Ans.: The trouble is due to indigestion. If the hogs continue to cough and show an indication to a falling off of flesh you had better destroy them and take no chances in keeping them with sound hogs. Indigestion. My sow is lame in her hind quarters. About three weeks ago the lameness went to her shoulders. What can I do for it? Ans.: The cause of the lameness Is due to indigestion. You must give an entire change of feed and if the bowels are constipated it would be well to give a tablespoonful of epsom salts in her feed. This dose is for a hog weighing 150 pounds. It is doubtful if she will recover. If you have to kill her the meat is good. Indigestion. My pigs seem all right until they begin to drink swill, when they squeal and tum- ble over, shake and tremble, lie awhile and finally get up. What is the cause? Ans.: The pigs are troubled with indi- gestion. Feed less and give more exercise. Injured Sow. Not long ago I took the pigs away from a sow to wean them and turned her out into a pasture. The other hogs fought and ran her. The following day on turn- ing her out of her pen, she could not stand on her front feet, but would crawl around on her knees apparently not hav- ing enough strength in her knees to sup- port her body. I have been feeding her new corn, soaked oats and slop made of shorts with a little milk added. What is the trouble and remedy? Ans.: The sow has been injured by the other hogs. From the description given, it would hardly be possible to tell what parts are especially injured, but probably the muscles of the limbs. The chances are that she will recover in time if kept away from those that worry her. It is doubtful if medicines would be of any service. Internal Affection. I have a three-months-old hog that eats and drinks all right and seems to be do- ing fairly well. He holds his left ear down, and takes spells of running around the pen, and also has a light whistling in 36 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. his throat; yellow water runs from his eye. Ans.: The case is a very unusual one. It might arise from various causes, but most likely there is some internal affection in one side of the head which affects the brain, sympathetically or otherwise. It would be well not to keep the pig too long lest he should turn up missing some morn- ing. His present condition would seem to indicate that, minus the head, he is all right for food. Itch. My hogs seem to have an itch. I am feeding them ground barley and have given them some sulphur. Ans.: The sulphur is all right if not given too freely. The hogs should be bathed once or twice a week with a strong solution of any of the good coal-tar disin- fectant dips. Itching Hogs. What is the matter with hogs that rub against everything they come to? If it is a skin disease will the germs of dis- ease remain on posts? Ans.: It may be lice, or It might be some skin disease. In either case use some sheep dip. Dip the pigs just as you would sheep. Apply some also to the posts and to the sides of the pen where the pigs have rubbed. In about ten days go over the work again to make sure of a thor- ough job. Kidney Trouble. I have a boar pig that is weak in the kidneys and lame in the back. He has a fine appetite ard is in good flesh. What can I do for him? Ans.: Feed the hog soft feed for two weeks or more, and give a teaspoonful of powdered nux vomica on feed twice a day. Keep him in a dry pen with good bedding. Allow plenty of exercise. Pigs Go Lame. I bought a pair of pigs that were in fine condition. A short time after I got them they had some trouble with their feet and would get up and walk to the trough and go through all sorts of mo- tions. Some would walk on their knees, others would cripple along on all four feet, then suddenly fall over on their heads or sides. Ans.: The pigs have evidently been fed high since they were bought. If they have not had the chance to take free exercise under such conditions, that alone will probably account for the lameness. If they were allowed to lie on damp or steamy bedding, that may also be an aggravating cause. It is possible to put pigs off their feet In the winter by simply confining them too closely when pushed with feed, even though the food should be all right. Lame Hogs. Last fall we built a hog house with bin* 8x9 feet, and board floors. Some of the pigs have been troubled with their feet and can hardly walk. Did the board floor cause their lameness, or have they had too little exercise? They have been in these pens all winter. Ans.: The board floor is not the cause of the lameness. It is probably caused by too little exercise in connection with the kind of food they have been getting. Pigs should never be in such small quarters for so long a time. They must have exercise to be healthy. Leg Weakness. My pigs are troubled in their hind legs. They get stiff and are unable to walk. What kind of dope or stock food can I use? Ans.: There are two affections that will stiffen the pigs as you mention. There is a rheumatic affection, which affects the joints, usually the hind legs worst, and the animals lose power of. their limbs. There is alwaj'S a swelling of the joints. The other affection is a spinal disease which comes on gradually and generally shows in the hind legs. This is usually brought on from indigestion, and if taken in time can be relieved. If your animals are healthy and thrifty you had better leave them alone and not dope them. Remove the affected hogs to a separate pen, so they cannot be abused by the others. Feed the sick ones cooked grain and roots for a short time. Give ten drops of tincture of nux vomica on the feed of each hog three times a day. Change feed for a week on all the drove. If the crippled hogs are in good flesh you had better butcher them. Pigs Losing Use of Hind Legs. What is the cause of my pigs losing the use of their hind legs, and what can I do for them? Ans.: Sometimes rheumatism cripples pigs and sometimes it is paralysis. In either case give the affected pigs good, warm, clean sleeping quarters and soft feed. Avoid feeding too much corn. Weak In Hind Legs. What can I do for my pigs? They can- not stand on their hind legs. I am feed- ing corn. oats, barley, wild hay and some grain every day. Ans.: It is doubtful if you can keep the pigs as the affection Is a very serious and fatal one. Change the fed and give cut potatoes or turnips with bran mixed with it to which is added a little salt. You may give each hog a dose of salts, a tablespoon- ful for a one hundred pound hog is the right amount, and should be mixed in the food. It is also advisable to apply a mus- tard plaster to the back over the loins once a day for three days. Keep the pigs warm and dry with plenty of pure water to drink. SWINE DISEASES. 37 Weak in Legs. I am troubled with my pigs nearly •every year. When about four or five weeks old they seem to get weak in the back and lose the use of their hind legs and in some cases they lose the use of their fore legs also. We used turpentine both internally and externally and it seems to have fairly good results. Please tell me the cause and give a cure. Ans.: This disease of small pigs as well as large ones is a very serious one which has proven very hard to combat. It is very difficult to state the cause. There cer- tainly is a nervous trouble usually con- fined to the spine, as only the hind quar- ters are affected, although in some cases the front quarters are also. Then it eman- ates from the brain. It is usually due to the food they eat which causes indigestion and a congested condition of the mem- branes of the spinal cord. The pressure then causes paralysis. The most effective thing is to move the bowels with a physic and feed laxative foods until the pigs re- gain the use of their legs. Local treat- ment is beneficfal. Weak Hind Less. What makes hogs weak in hind legs and still able to eat? Ans.: Overfeeding on an unbalanced ra- tion, or wet, damp or cold sleeping quar- ters. Sometimes intestinal worms will cause weakness in the limbs. Lousy Hogs. Will kerosene kill hog lice? If so, how should it be applied? Ans.: Kerosene emulsion is good for hog lice. Kerosene, two gallons; common soap, one-half pound; hot water, one gal- lon. Mix hot and spray both hogs and pen. Clean out all the pens before spraying and see that the hogs are given fresh, clean bedding. Lousy Pigs. My pigs are covered with what look to be hog lice, although I am not sure as I never saw them before. Is there any home treatment I can use to kill them? Ans.: Many old breeders scrub lousy or scabby hogs with buttermilk, although crude petroleum mixed in the proportion of one part of oil to forty parts of warm wa- ter is better. Hogs with Lice. What can I do to rid my hogs of lice? Ans.: In cold weather you can apply Per- sian Insect powder. Apply every three days and change the straw frequently. Brush the hogs with a good stiff brush twenty minutes after applying the pow- der. In warm weather dip the hogs, us- ing one of the coal tar preparations. Lice on Hogs. I have two hogs that I notice have quite a number of lice on them. I hardly think it would be profitable for me to buy a dipping tank just for two hogs. Is there any other way whereby I can rid these two animals of lice? Ans.: In such cases as yours an old sponge may often take the place of the dipping tank. Saturate it with the solu- tion, and squeeze it out all up and down their spinal columns on both your hogs, allowing it to run down on both sides. Be careful also to examine thoroughly be- hind the ears and in the creases under their jowls and between their hind legs. These are common hiding places for hog lice. Lice on Hogs. My hogs are troubled with lice. What can I do for them? Ans.: Any of the coal tar preparations manufactured for this purpose will kill lice on hogs, but if you have none on hand, a kerosene and water spray will soon kill hog lice. Then thoroughly whitewash the pens. Lice on Swine, 1 would like to know something about lice on swine. I have just bought a reg- istered Berkshire and have now discover- ed that he is covered with lice. I never saw them on hogs before. How can I get rid of them, and what is the reason for hogs getting them? Ans.: Swine can only get lice by coming in contact with other swine thus affected, or by coming in contact with bedding or surroundings which such infected swine have frequented. You can get rid of them by mixing sulphur and lard and rubbing on all of the infected hogs. You may have to renew the application at intervals of one week. Another plan is to use kerosene very much diluted with warm soapy water. Apply it with a brush and sprinkle some of it over the bedding and around the p&'o In which the animals are kept. This may have to be applied twice, also. If the kero- sene is not sufficiently diluted it will blis > ter the^skin. Any of the coal tar prepar- ations recommended for sheep dip will kil.il hog lice. Lump on Pig’s Nose. Please give remedy to cure a lump os the side of young pig’s nose. I am losing all my young pigs from this and don’t know what to do for them. Ans.: You probably will be unable i» save any of those affected. Change them to a different pen and give an entire change of diet, which may assist in th* treatment of the well ones. It would bo well to use chloride of lime sprinkled around their pen, and also give a little lim* water in their feed twfce a day. If yoti have any showing enlargement of the head, apply tincture of iodine with a feather or brush once a day over the swelling. It is 38 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. almost Impossible to save the diseased ones as they are delicate little animals to treat. Lang Fever. My pigs are taken sick with some dis- ease and after lying around under their bedding, breathing like a horse with the heaves, they die. The sow is in good con- dition and has been fed ground corn. They have all been in a warm barn. Ans. : From the description given it *qoks as though your pigs had lung fever. There is very little to do for little pigs of their age. Fung Fever. Is there anything called "black teeth" in young pigs? I am losing a great many pigs this spring. They are mostly from two to three weeks old when they die. They fall off in feed, ears drop back against body and they grind their teeth together. Their sides work in like a blacksmith’s bellows. Ans.: From the symptoms given it looks as though the pigs died of lung fever, which they probably contracted during the change of weather in the spring. Keep the small pigs in a comfortable place, especially during cold, damp weather in the early part of the year. As to black teeth, it is a myth. It is an old theory, long exploded. Cause of Mange. I have five shoats that have been out quite late in the fall and their yard was in a pretty bad condition before I housed them. I notice that they are all pretty mangy. Is the yard responsible? Ans.: Mange or other skin diseases are often caused by filthy conditions. This is not only true of the yards, but also of the bedding. Wash your shoats with tar soap and warm water every other day until they are in their normal condition, and be sure to have their bedding changed every day. Bunches In Mouth. What makes bunches in pigs’ mouths? Last summer I had some the same way and attributed it to dirty water. But this year everything was clean. They had fresh bedding and plenty of exercise. Is the disease contagious? Ans.: The disease is a very peculiar one and does not appear to be a common sore mouth from stomach trouble, although it probably originated from the stomach. It may be contagious, and to make sure you had better disinfect your pens freely with a strong solution of some good coal tar preparation. Allow the little pigs lots of exercise in the sun. It is essential to their good health. Canker or Sore Mouth. I have had a great deal of trouble this spring with my pigs that are troubled with sore mouths. What can I do for them? Ans.: The trouble is generally known as canker or sore mouth and is probably due to unhealthful milk from the sow or from poison on her teats which is due to con- tact with poisonous vines or wet grass. Swab the pigs’ mouths out thoroughly with a solution of carbolic acid and water suffi- ciently strong to make the flesh upon the arm tingle. Apply with a rag or small piece of sponge tied to a stick. Strong sage tea applied in the same way is good, and in addition, blow powdered sulphur through a straw into the pigs’ mouths Both the sow’s teats and udder should be bathed with a weak solution of carbolic acid and keep afflicted litters away from the other pigs. Be careful not to overfeed the mother when the pigs are young and give the pigs good, clean pens, clean beds and a clean place to run. Canker In Mouth. I have some pigs that are troubled with sores on inside of jaw close to the bone. It is a hard substance the color of mat- ter. Those affected on the lower jaw in- variably recover, but those affected on the upper jaw usually die. I have bathed the affected parts with diluted carbolic acid, and think it helped some. The sows have been fed all winter on ground bar- ley and .oats steamed in equal parts, with an ear of corn night and morning. It seems to affect them when about two weeks old. Ans.: Tour pigs are suffering from cankers or sore mouth, which is a very ser- ious affection in such young animals. Use disinfectants freely about the pen and ap- ply penciled nitrate of silver once or twice a day. Do not overfeed the sow, and be sure to provide plenty of clean, dry bed- ding. Sore Mouths In Pigs. My pigs are troubled with sore mouths. What is the cause? Ans.: Keep the pen clean. It is brought about by filth. Use plenty of disinfectants about the pens and yards and keep them clean and well bedded. Pigs With Sore Mouths. I have been feeding my young pigs with dry corn and their mouths are all sore. How can I remedy this trouble? Ans.: Dry corn will hurt the teeth and make the mouth sore. Shorts or oats should be given in the place of soaked corn as soon as the pigs learn to eat fairly well. Give them skim milk if available, if not, a thin slop made of water and shorts. Sores on Mouth. I have some young pigs that have sores around the mouth that work back over the body. The hide gets hard and cracks. They get poor and stiff and are chilly all the time. At last they die. Ans.: Use a good strong disinfectant in the pen and over the little pigs’ bodies, and also on the mother. By using it free- SWINE DISEASES. 39 ly you can check the disease. Any of the coal tar preparations will do. Bunch on Navel. I have a two-month-old pig 1 that was all right when born, but shortly after a bunch came on his navel. It has kept growing and is now about six inches around, dragging on the ground. Ans.: Turn the pig on his back, have him well secured and make an incision through the center of the bunch with the small blade of a knife or lance. Be sure to have the knife clean before operating, and wash the parts thoroughly with carbolic solu- tion. If you find pus or serum make a good large opening. Keep the parts thor- oughly cleansed. If it is a tumor you will find no fluid, in which case there is noth- ing to do but dissect it out. Overfeeding. What makes pigs run to the trough, eat a little and then whirl and seem to have fits? Ans.: Overfeeding is the cause. Get them out on pasture if possible. Cut oft the corn for a week or two and keep them on more of a vegetable diet. Feed plenty of roots with middlings slop and keep ashes or charcoal before them all the time as a bowel regulator. Paralysis. My sow had little pigs about six weeks ago. Now she is crippled in the hind feet. What is the trouble? Ans.: There is paralysis of the hind ex- tremities. Feed soft feed, cooked pota- toes and roots, but no grain for a few days. Give her a teaspoonful of tincture of nux vomica on feed three times a day. Keep the bedding dry and furnish plenty of it. Pigs are Paralyzed. My pigs have some kind of paralysis. They have no control of their hind legs, otherwise they are perfectly healthy and are doing well. I feed some corn, oats and about 120 pounds of sweet milk per day. Their appetites are good. They have the run of pasture, which contains clover, rape, oats, timothy, bluegrass and numerous kinds of weeds, which they relish. They are from six to eight weeks old. Ans.: This affection is usually brought on from rich food and usually food that is hard to digest, causing indigestion, which results in the paralysis you mention. They are very unsatisfactory cases to treat. You may give each a tablespoonful of cas- tor oil on an empty stomach and apply a thin mustard application over the loins of each every other day for three or four times. If they are constipated, stop the milk for ten days or more. Paralysis. T have a hog that drags her hind legs. She drinks very little but eats well. What is the trouble and what shall I do? Ans.: Would not bother with her. Kill her and get her away from the rest of the herd. Animals rarely recover from paralysis of the hind quarters, and if they do they are often not worth the trouble. Piles. I have some pigs that are bothered with piles. I lost ten fall pigs last winter with it, and now the spring pigs are getting it. I am feeding buttermilk and shorts. What is the cause of the trouble? Ans.: The shorts is the cause of all the trouble with your pigs. Stop feeding shorts and change onto another feed for a while. Put a little linseed meal in their food for a week and your trouble will soon cease. Pigs with Piles. My pigs are troubled with piles. What can I do for them? I am feeding shorts. Ans.: Change the feed. Shorts certainly cannot agree with the pigs. Drench all that show an inclination to piles with a tablespoonful of salts. Piles. What is the cause of piles on pigs, feed or cold weather? Ans.: It is very likely due more to the feed than the cold weather, deranging the bowels and liver, causing the hemorrhoidal veins to congest. Piles in Hogs. What causes piles In hogs and what is the remedy? Ans.: Constipation. Let every swine breeder note this. It is the forerunner of many diseases and troubles with swine. It is what is generally termed “bad luck." It is always caused by feeding any one kind of food to excess, such as skim milk, buttermilk, or any one kind of grain. Take some jimson weed and mutton tal- low, make an ointment of it, and with the fingers moisten with thisl)etween the rec- tum if protruded. Use it internally and externally and feed a loosening and cooling diet. Pneumonia. One of my hogs has a bad cough. He has trouble breathing. He coughs all the time. Is it cholera? Ans.: The hog is suffering from pneu- monia and probably pleurisy as well. You may give it fifteen grains of quinine at a dose every three hours which may help, if not too late. Keep the other hogs sep- arate, and give them plenty of clean straw to keep them warm. Hot mashes are very good. There is not much danger pf serious trouble, such as cholera, or you would have noticed it. Pneumonia. T lost a hog that had a cold and cough- 40 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. ■ed; he ate and drank until the third day and then I decided to butcher him. I did not like the looks of the lungs after I opened it; it looked like some disease. What can it be? Ans.: Tour hog had an attack of pneu- monia and the lungs had not regained their normal condition. Do not take any chances with the meat, as it must be fev- ered from the disease. Poor Hogs. I have two poor hogs. I feed them care- fully, but they don’t do well. How should I feed them? Ans.; First give each hog a tablespoon- ful of epsom salts, and after twenty-four hours repeat if the bowels do not move freely. After two days commence giving soft feed, such as boiled barley or oats, peas or any grain you may see fit. Give cooked potatoes or turnips and a little milk jf you have it. This may help if they are not too far gone. Rheumatism. I have a sow with rheumatism In the hind legs. She drags herself along with her front feet. Can I cure her, or shall I fatten her? Ans.: It will be difficult to get her fat while in that condition. To fatten her is about the worst thing to do. If you keep her you will be forced to feed her mostly soft feed. The only internal treatment would be fifteen or twenty drops of tinc- ture of nux vomica twice a day. Keep dry bed and warm pen and do not allow her to be out during wet weather. Rheumatism in Swine, Is there any cure for rheumatism in hogs and what is it? Is their meat fit to cat? Ans.; Rheumatism in swine cannot be quickly cured if at all. Sometimes it can be removed in the course of a few weeks. Much depends on the case. If caused from feeding too much corn, the feed should be changed and the pigs put on a light diet. Encourage them to take plenty of exercise such as rooting in the barn yard, if in the winter. If the trouble is caused by damp pens or bedding, the defect should be rem- edied. If measures are promptly adopted at the first, the pigs will probably get well, but a good deal of time is required. If the rheumatism is not severe the carcass should be fit for meat especially if the pigs are in good health otherwise. Rheumatism. My hogs seem to be troubled every win- ter with rheumatism. Can you suggest any cause for it? Ans.; Rheumatism is getting to be a too common ailment of the hog. He should be provided with dry quarters and a more frequent change of bedding. Don’t allow hogs to sleep on a cement floor; this will give them rheumatism quicker than any- thing else. Treating Ruptured Pigs. Nearly every year I am troubled with having one or more of my boar pigs ruptured so that the scrotum becomes very much inflated with the intestines. Is there anything to do in such cases other than killing the animal? Ans.: In treating this disease some farm- ers castrate the animal, push back the in- testines and sew up the opening, but this is a serious operation and generally proves fatal. A safer and easier way is to use clamps. Turn the hog on his back and gently push the intestines back into place. Then draw up the scrotum with the testi- cles and screw on the clamps back of them. By the time the testicles slough off the opening in the abdomen will have closed. Of course, hogs that are treated this way must be confined by themselves during the operation and should be given the personal attention of their owner. If swelling takes place, which is very prob- able, the parts should be frequently 7 bathed in hot water and afterwards with the following solution: Sulphate of zinc, half an ounce; Acetate of lead, half an ounce; water, one ounce. Ruptured Pigs. Can you tell me the cause of a sow far- rowing ruptured pigs? 2. If a boar takes his time and serves a sow but once, is it enough? Ans.: It is not uncommon for a sow to throw ruptured pigs. Do not breed this animal again. Breed only sound females or those that produce good sound animals. 2. One service is as good as two if both animals are in sound health. Scab. I have five cases of scab in a bunch of shoats. Some are pretty bad. What is the best treatment? Ans.: The best treatment known is to give the pigs a bath in tar soap and hot water twice a week. When dry, apply crude petroleum all over the diseased skin. This is applied twice a week and is very effectual. Keep the diseased pigs isolated and thoroughly clean and disinfect their pen with a coal tar disinfectant. Scurf. What is good for scurf in hogs? Ans.: First clean, dry beds, but when once affected wash them thoroughly with a cloth or brush, with strong soap suds. When dry, sponge them with carbolic acid, diluted, till it makes your arm begin to tingle, or use kerosene oil. Two applica- tions will generally cure them. Imperfect Sheath. I have a Poland-China boar, seven months old. He has a growth as large as SWINE DISEASES. 41 a big apple on his sheath. Urine lodges in it. It has been growing about three months. He is in good condition other- wise. What can I do for him? Ans.: Turn the animal on his back and have him held securely while you make a careful examination of the part. If you find the opening in the sheath imperfect you had better make a free opening with a sharp knife. If it is a tumor or fungous growth, the only thing to do is to dissect it out. Be careful to keep your hand3 clean during the operation or infection may set in. Keep the boar by himself and see that his pen is cleaned out every day and that plenty of clean, fresh bedding is provided. Sores on Hogs. Bast summer my hogs got sore noses, eyes and tails. The skin would crack and when the scabs came off would leave raw sores. I feed them mostly corn and slop from the house with milk in it. This spring my little pigs, a week old, are af- fected the same way. Although I have not lost any, mv neighbor has from the same disease. They appear healthy and always eat all we give them. Ans.: The cause may be due either to the feed or something wrong with the sleeping quarters. It would take a per- sonal investigation to find the cause. At any rate, you will do well to use plenty of disinfectant about the pens. Spinal Trouble. I have five August pigs, two of which got crippled in their legs. I fed them corn, warm slop of buttermilk and ground feed. Ans.: Tour pigs are suffering from spinal affection due frequently to indigestion. Change your feed entirely. Feed soft cooked feed and more roots. If the bowels are constipated, give a physic. Pigs with Spine Affection. My pigs are about two months old, but seem to have no strength in the hind legs. They are healthy and have good appetites. Ans.: Tour pigs are suffering from a spinal affection, no doubt caused from some indigestible food. Change your feed and give easily digested food for a week or two, with the following medicine: 10 drops of tincture of nux vomica every five hours for four days and then give 12 drops three times a day for a week. Apply a weak solution of mustard over the loins twice a week. Keep the pigs dry' and clean. Tour cases are very serious and recovery is doubtful. Spinal Disease. I had a sow that I had been fattening to butcher. From time to time she got lame and poor, and now she cannot get up to go to the trough. She can’t straighten her forelegs. She crawls on her knees. Can’t eat much. Her weight is 350 pounds. Ans.: It is undoubtedly a spinal disease, very like softening of the spinal cord, causing paralysis. There is no help for the animal and you had better destroy her as she will continue to lose flesh and grad- ually grow worse until she dies. Spinal Trouble. one of my sows seems to have some trouble in the hind legs. She can hardly get up and the legs seem to grow weak. Will not eat any food. Do you think it due to any spinal trouble? Ans.: It is surely spinal trouble which usually has a fatal termination. Give her a purge. A tablespoon of epsom salts in luke warm water is very good on an empty stomach. Follow this up with ten drops of Tincture of Nux Vomica three times a day. Feed laxative food. Spinal Disease. My one-year-old sow has seven pigs 18 days old. The sow seems to be hurt or weak in the back, and squeals when getting up. She can scarcely walk or stand. Has refused food for a week ex- cept for a little sweet milk and some raw meat. She is constipated and her manure is black and dry. She weighs about 300 pounds and is in good flesh. The pigs are still nursing her. Should I take the pigs from her? They seem hungry all the time but look all right. What can I do for the sow? Ans.: Tour sow is affected with a spinal disease. If you have any convenience for raising the pigs, or a foster mother to put them on, you had better do so. Apply a mustard plaster over the loins, covering the mustard with paper and cloth, to keep the cold air off. Repeat the mustard ap- plication every day unless the skin gets sore. Give the sow internally, one-half teaspoonful of bromide of potassium three times a day, and if the bowels are consti- pated, as they usually are, then give a tablespoonful of salts and feed only soft food for a week. This is a very serious affection especially with a large heavy ani- mal. Spinal Meningitis. Eight or ten of my sows want to sit down when they eat. While standing they keep stamping their feet. My pigs are troubled the same way. I only raised pigs from one sow that had the disease and her pigs were all right. They have all t>.o exercise they want. Ans.: Tour pigs are affected with spinal meningitis. Those that lost the power of their hind legs and died had softening of the spinal cord which is always fatal. It ia impossible to state what caused the dis- ease. It was possibly due to something they had eaten. If your state veterinar- ian is notified through your local board of health, he will help you out. This is what you had better do. Hogs Weak in Back. I have some young hogs that are weak 42 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. In the back. Some can scarcely walk. Can I do anything for them? Ans.: It is probably too late to do any- thing, as these cases are usually hopeless from the start. It is a spinal trouble, and one which rarely can be cured. The only thing that you could possibly do for the pigs would be to give them a laxative. A tablespoonful of epsom salts to a fifty pound hog. Give ten drops of tincture of nux vomica to each hog three times a day. Spinal Trouble. I have a young sow that had pigs about five weeks ago. She did well for about four weeks and then suddenly seemed to lose the use of her hind quarters. If her hind legs are moved she squeals as if in pain. Her appetite is good. Is there any- thing I can do for her? Ans.: There Is a spinal disease and very probably the joints of the hind extremities have taken on a form of rheumatic arthrit- is. It is a very serious and dangerous disease as you cannot give the treatment she should have without injuring the little pigs. Give a dram of salicilate of soda three time a day and apply a mustard paste on the loins once a day for three days. You may wash the legs in mustard water once a day for a week. This may relieve her. Feed laxative food. Stiffened Hog. About a month ago one of my hogs be- came stiffened. He seemed to get worse and after a while would not come to the trough with the others. I put him by himself about two weeks ago but now he lies nearly all the time. Have to move him sometimes to get him to eat. He is about eight months old. Ans.: Don’t waste any time or money on the hog. If you do not destroy him now, he will certainly die in spite of what you do for him. It is discouraging but true. Stiff in Hind Quarters. I have a sow that had pigs last summer. When they were about six weeks old she got stiff in her hind quarters and is not able to use her hind legs. When I raise her up her hind legs are crossed. I feed her corn and have her out on grass. What can I do for her? Ans.: There is no use treating the case as she will never recover. If she is in good flesh you had better butcher her as she will be liable to get worse instead of better. There is an affection of the spine. Stomach Trouble. My hogs are not doing well. Some of them turn their noses up continually in breathing, and blow all the time. Ans.: It is very difficult to state the cause of the trouble without seeing them. You had better change your feed and give quite a considerable amount of roots. Feed them mixed either with ground feed or shorts, in moderate quantities; feed the roots cooked. There Is no medicine that could be recommended for this trouble. Sour Stomach. I have a number of hogs that seem to be troubled with sour stomach, xhey keep gagging all the time, and seem to be full of gas. What shall I do for them? Ans.: See that they are provided with a box of salt and wood ashes, 2 quarts of salt to a bushel of wood ashes is a proper combination. Give hogs all the wood ash- es they will eat, and in the absence of this, charcoal or even soft coal will answer. Hogs that have not been used to salt should be given it sparingly until they become used to it. Sun Scald. My pigs are running on a rape and oats pasture. Their ears get sore and they have sores along their backs also. It seems to be from the heat of the sun, and a shower of rain makes them itch terribly. Ans.: The trouble is probably caused by their running in tall rape and oats while both are wet. Under such conditions the sun is likely to produce the result com- plained of. It is possible, even probable that white pigs are more liable to sun scald than black hogs. Sunstroke. I have a young sow that got very fat after her pigs were weaned. During the last spell of hot weather she seemed to have a touch of sunstroke. I made her a movable pen and put it where she could have shade all day and fed her a thfn slop of oats. She seems to be all right now ex- cept that she is unable to use her front legs but walks around on her knees. She lies down most of the time. What can I do for her? Ans.: These cases are very serious and the majority never regain their normal condition. There is a softening of a small portion of the brain due to a congestive condition of the blood vessels at the time of her acute attack. You may try a half teaspoonful of iodide of potassium in her feed twice a day for a few weeks and if you do not get good results you may as well stop the treatment. If you can keep her in a cool place it may have a bene- ficial effect on the case. Keep the bowels open with laxative food. Throat Trouble. I have a boar pig about five months old that has been quite fat and was doing well until about two weeks ago when I noticed his wind getting bad. He breathes quite loud and has a cough. He has a swelling in his throat and is get- ting thin. It seems to hurt him to eat. I have been feeding corn. Is this trouble contagious and what will help him? Ans.: If he is not a very valuable pig you had better destroy him. It is the safer way, as the disease may prove to be contagious. If you keep the pig he should be removed from the healthy pigs SWINE DISEASES. 43 at once. Bathe the throat with hot water three or four times a day. Mix a tea- spoonful of chloride of potassium in the water he drinks. If any abscess forms it should be operated upon as soon as it is ready. Thumps. What is the matter with my six-weeks- old pig's? They are taken with coughing 1 by spells and are soon unable to breathe, and soon die. Is it thumps? Ans.: Yes, it is thumps. Prevention is cheaper than drugs and more satisfactory. Thumps seldom occur except in the winter and early spring months, when sow and pigs are confined to pens. As a rule the sow is a great milker. Here, then, some judgment is needed, as long as the sow and the pigs are not able to take outdoor exercise. Feed her more ju- diciously and overcome all weakness of the heart. As soon as the pigs are able to follow the sow outdoors, turn her out each sunny day, the first day for an hour, the next day longer, until they are ac- customed to take regular exercise for several hours each day, out of doors. Thi3 will prevent thumps. Thumps In Pigs. What is the best treatment for thumps in pigs and is there any successful cure? Ans.: After pigs once get the thumps there is little chance of recovery. This trouble comes on gradually. One may feed his pigs in the morning and they may appear to be in perfect health. At noon he may find that one or more lies still in their bed while the others rush up to the trough, or perhaps they will get up and. take a few steps in that direction only to turn around and lie down again. When the trouble has advanced this far there is small chance of recovery. The best way to treat this disease is to pre- vent it, which can only be done by forc- ing the pigs to take exercise when they are very young. Pigs that are confined to the narrow limits of the pen become slug- gish and large chunks of fat form around the heart. This injures its functions, and the lungs in trying to repair the damage, cause the rapid heaving of the sides commonly known as thumps. The pigs should be gotten out on the ground as quickly as possible where they can have plenty of room to run about for exercise. If any are noticed to be sluggish or in- different as to whether they leave their bed with the others, force them out and fasten the hog house door to prevent them from returning to their bed. Exercise, good feeding and sunlight are the only remedies for thumps. The sows should have very little corn during the period of nursing, and while the pigs are making their growth they should be given food containing a large percentage of protein, such as green clo- ver, oats or milk and just enough corn to keep them growing nicely without getting too fat. Sunlight is also necessary for the little fellows’ development and if they can’t get it in their pens they should be turned out and the door fastened for a few hours every day. Tuberculosis. If hogs are confined in pens or yards where tuberculous hogs have died some time ago, is there danger of their con- tracting the disease? Are hogs running with tuberculous cattle subject to the dis- ease? Ans.: Hogs will certainly take tuber- culosis if the disease existed in the former herd. This is especially true if no rain fell in the meanwhile. Do not put hogs in pens or lots where any disease existed in a former herd until a winter has passed and you have thoroughly disinfected their quarters. Hogs are very liable to contract tuberculosis if allowed to run with cattle that are badly affected with the disease. May be Tuberculosis. My hogs have contracted a cough that will not leave them. It seems to be catch- ing as many of the young pigs have it also. Ans.: You probably have tuberculosis among your hogs. If so it will be liable to affect the whole herd. You might try five drops of creosote to each hog three times a day, and continue the same for two or three weeks. If you see no good results from this treatment you had better dispose of the hogs at once. Fumigate the prem- ises and disinfect thoroughly before put- ting any other hogs in their place. Tumors on Pigs. A week or two after I castrated my boar pigs I noticed that bunches formed on the cords of some of them. What is the cause and what treatment should I use? Ans.: The cause is generally the result of infectioin from dirty instruments or hands during the operation. The trouble may also be caused by leaving the cords too long, thus increasing the liability of their becoming infected. These tumors have been known to grow until tney were almost the size of a man’s head. In treat- ing this trouble cut down on the tumors the same as in a case of castration. Then separate the skin from the tumor and follow the cord up as high as possible with the hand and cut off. The wound must be thoroughly disinfected. Any of the com- mon disinfectants will do, but if there are none on hand a teaspoonful of car- bolic acid in a quart of water should be used every day until the wound is healed. 44 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. Great care should be taken with regard to cleanliness about the pens after the operation. Weak Pigs. I have been feeding some two-months- old pigs on bran, s'horts and milk, but they are weak and can hardly walk. Ans.: Give the little fellows a physic — a tablespoonful of castor oil and follow it up with ten drops of tincture of nux vomica three times a day. Change the feed. Stop giving shorts and milk for a few days. You may also apply a light mustard blister along the spine over the loins. Weak Pigs. What makes my pigs get weak in their limbs? Ans.: Too much fattening food, such as corn, and not enough of that feed that is rich in bone and muscle material. If they are not confined and have clover pasture with a feed of wheat middlings every day you will not meet such trouble. Worms in Hogs. What causes worms in hogs, and how can I get rid of them? Ans.: There are several kinds of worms which infest the intestines of hogs and pigs, but all have, in general, the same life history. First comes the egg, then one or more immature stages, and finally, tho mature worm, which, in turn, furnishes another crop of eggs. Some of these parasites pass their whole life in other parts, or in mud and stagnant water. It is essential, when once we know of the existence of worms in our herds, to use the utmost care in remov- ing all excrement, manure and filth, about pens and yards, and disinfect ;hem with lime, so as not to have a recurrence of the same trouble, year after year. If salt and ashes are kept before hogs, and they are fed on healthy food that has not un- dergone fermentation, the trouble seldom occurs. But, if hogs are wormy, give them a dose of Santonine, from three to ten grains, depending upon the size of the hog or pig. Santonine is soluble in boiling water or alcohol. Give it to them in a light feed when the bowels are as empty as possible, twice the first day and repeat on successive days. When the pig is getting too much he shows it by tumbling movements, and if the dose is too large there are actual convulsions or colic. Follow this with a purgative of either calomel or linseed oil. For the common worm, which is the size of a goose quill and four or five inches long, boil down a strong decoction of tobacco, and give to each one hundred pound hog a tablespoonful in some swill, a few days In succession. Worms In Hogs. Some of my pigs are coughing and sneezing. They get poor and finally die. They seem to be wormy, for after death the worms come up into their throat and mouth. I have an idea that the worms w'ork up into their throats and choke the pigs to death. They are fed corn, with water and a little milk to drink. Ans.: You did not state the size or the appearance of the worms. They probably came from the stomach, though not \mtil after death. It is not probable that they choked the hogs. The symptoms given are more like lung fever than anything else. Give the sound ones one-third of a tea- spoonful of sulphate of copper in feed twice a day for a week. They ’shou3d then have an ounce of castor oil to a hundred pound hog at the end of the above period. Keep the sound ones in a warm, dry, well ventilated pen, and change bed- ding very often. If your hogs continue to die, you had better have the state send their veterinary inspector at once. Pigs Have Worms. What shall I give my pigs to prevent them from having worms? I killed a ten- months-old pig and found four white worms in the small intestines; the worms were all together; they were about ten or eleven inches long and about as largo around as a slate pencil. Ans.: In dealing with such an affection preventive measures are better than those of a remedial nature. A good mixture to give them is made up as follows: Mix six bushels of corn cob charcoal that has been well crushed, or three bushels of common charcoal, with one bushel of coal ashes, eight pounds of salt and two quarts of air-slaked lime. Dissolve l-% pounds of copperas in hot water. Sprinkle it over the mass and mix thoroughly. Put into self-feeding boxes and let the pigs partake of the same at will. Probably Stomach Worms. My May and June pigs have been cough- ing ever since I weaned them. I gave them shorts and skim milk for a while, and now I feed them a little new corn. They always ate well until tonight. One of them refuses to eat now. They cough mostly after eating. Ans.: The cough may be due to catch- ing cold, but it is more probable that it is from stomach derangement. Stop feed- ing the shorts entirely. Green stuff is very good, but they should be allowed some nourishing diet such as crushed corn or oats, scalded and fed in conjunc- tion with other and light foods. Keep warm and dry. Medicines are of no avail in these cases as it is very unsatisfactory to be doping little pigs. Worms. I bought a little pig and see that it notr has worms. What can I do for it? BREEDS COMPARED. 45 Ans.: Give the little pig plenty of ashes, charcoal and good, rich, nutritious food. In a short time he will not be bothered with worms. Worms. Please tell me what will free hogs from worms? Ans.: Give the hogs a teaspoonful each of the following on their feed twice a day: Sulphate of copper, one pound, powdered fine, hardwood ashes, five pounds. Mix thoroughly and give as directed. Send for the State 'Veterinarian. I purchased a Poland-China boar last fall that was not related to my hogs m any way. He seemed to be a vigorous animal and perfectly healthy. After I had used him for several of my sows he sud- denly became very sick. He was all right at night but the next morning he refused to eat or drink and his breath came very hard and short. He died two or threw days later. His pigs seemed strong and healthy until they weighed from sixty co 100 pounds w-hen occasionally one will be- gin to thump and breathe hard and short. They do not seem to have any appetite but continue in this dumpy state for two or three weeks and then die. I have lost six or seven in this way. Did they inherit the trouble from the sire and is there any- thing I can do to prevent the sickness? With the exception of the sick pigs they all seem healthy. I thought the trouble might be worms and gave them copperas but that doesn’t prevent the disease. The pigs have run in a good pasture and have been well fed on corn, shorts and swill. I turned them into a corn field where I planted rape. What is the trouble? Ans.: You had better call in a com- petent veterinarian to hold a post-mortem examination on the next pig that dies or notify Dr. Morton S. Whitcomb, Secretary of the Live Stock Sanitary Board, St. Paul, Minnesota. It looks very much as if the hogs were affected with tuberculosis and if they are you do not want to breed any of the diseased ones. Serious Pig Trouble. We have some young pigs from one to four weeks old that are troubled with sores on inside and outside of jaws, on the nose and lower joints of the feet. The sores first appear in the lower jaw in the shape of small holes which contain proud flesh. These holes gradually grow larger until at last they get about as large as a 25 cent piece. The proud flesh or matter in the center of sores hardens up leaving a little space open at the outer edges. The sores become quite deep. Ans.: It is difficult to state definitely the trouble with your little pigs or what the cause may have been. It would be well to secure a qualified veterinarian to inspect your hogs. In the meantime, use some good disinfectant freely about the pens and yards. Have the chairman of your local board of health send for the state veterinarian to look at your pigs. This will be done upon his request and without expense to you. Consult a Veterinarian. We have a lot of young pigs about two weeks old. Their teeth rot off and their mouth all matters. Holes rot through the mouth, and the pigs die. Ans.: It would be impossible to tell the trouble without seeing the pigs. By all means consult a veterinary surgeon and have him make a thorough investiga- tion into the cause of the disease. Contagious Disease. My pigs get sore eyes and swell up, especially about the head and neck. They breathe hard and soon die. Ans.: Have your local board of health send for the state or district veterinarian at ’•once. No doubt you have a serious contagious disease in your neighborhood, and should take measures to stamp it out immediately. Breeds Compared. The Berkshire. I have heard a great deal about Berk- shire hogs but know little about their history, their possibilities or general characteristics. Please tell me all you can about these hogs, as from what I can find out they come nearer to being what I want than any of the other breeds. Ans.: As the name indicates, this breed of swine originally came from the county or shire of Berks, England. The original Berkshire, unlike those of today, were large, rawboned, coarse hogs, with droop- ing ears; in color they were black and white, and even occasional red or sandy spots would crop out. The improvement of this breed began about 1780 when they were crossed with the Chinese hog; but not until about 1820 were they brought to any degree of per- fection. It is stated by some that the Neapolitan hog was the main source of Berkshire improvement. This, however, is firmly denied by others, and there is little authority for the statement that the Neapolitan was used at all in this connection. One of the first Importations to the United States was made by John Brentnall, of New) Jersey, about 1823. Some years later an English farmer living near Al- bany, N. Y., brought over a few head. Since that time great numbers have been im- 46 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWJNE. ported, and the improvement made by the American breeders has been so marked as to cause competent judges to decide In favor of the American bred hogs. In "The Book of the Pig," Professor James Long, speaking of the breed for exhibition, says, "In America the Berkshire pig is much more extensively bred than with us, and there is in that country not only a very large number of breeders of pigs of an exhibition type but there is a Berkshire Pig Association, which is supported by a large number of members, although Eng- lish breeders to whom the Americans originally came for the foundations of their herds have hitherto lacked sufficient spirit and energy to carry anything of the kind to a successful issue.” Although the Berkshire is an English breed of swine, the standard of American breeders is usually accepted in preference to that of the English. Among all swine, the Berk- shire has continued to hold its place in high esteem, and is today, a’s has been the case for many years, the standard for com- parison for other breeds. In characteristics, the Berkshire is pos- sessed of muscular power and heavy bone, and is more of a bacon than a lard hog. If desired they may be fattened for market at any age and when continu- ously and properly fed, attain great size and weight. The average live weight of the well kept Berkshire shoats placed on the market at nine to twelve months old should be 250 to 300 pounds. When ma- ture, they should weigh from 500 to 6D0 pounds. These weights are not at all un- common. When used in crossing or grad- ing up common stock, Berkshire boars transmit all the valuable qualities of their breed with considerable certainty. Poland-Chinas. We have several registered Poland-Chi- na hogs. Some of them have red hair on the ends of their ears, also on their backs. Is this a sign that they have any Red Jer- sey blood in them? Ans.: It is impossible to say definitely whether your Poland -China hogs are mix- ed with Duroc-Jersey blood. The color accepted by Poland-China breeders is white and black, but as recently as 1816 the "Big Chinas 1 ,” as they were then called, were large white hogs with sandy spots, so that in accordance with the law of atavism your hogs may be pure-bred and yet have a few red or sandy bristles on them. At the same time, however, it looks as though there was an admixture of either Duroc-Jersey or Tamworth in your hogs, somewhere a few generations back. Polnnd-Cbinns vs. Dnroo-Jersoys. Which kind of hogs is the best to breed, the Duroc-Jerseys or the Poland-Chinas? Ans.: There Is probably but little dif- ference now between the two breeds. They are becoming so nearly alike In form that If the Poland-Chinas were red thej r would pass for Duroc-Jerseys. There is probably no material difference between the feed- ing properties of these pigs. Years ago the Durocs were longer in limb and better rustlers than the Poland-Chinas, while the latter fed more easily. But it would not be safe to say that the same difference exists now. Duroc-Jersey Swine. I am an Eastern man and intend *o move to Iowa next spring. I would like to know if the Duroc-Jerseys are popular in that section of the country. Are they vigorous and rangy and do they produce as strong, healthy litters as in former years? Ans.: The Duroc-Jersey of today is an animal that stands high in favor with many western growers. When first brought west into the corn belt, Duroc-Jerseys commended themselves to swine growers largely because of their good rustling qualities. In those days much of the corn was harvested by the swine where it grew Duroc-Jerseys are active and vigorous, and give a good account of themselves while thus harvesting the corn. The act- ive powers which made them good rust- lers also had a favorable influence on the breeding qualities; hence they were pro- lific also. Gradually, however, modifica- tions have been going on. The leg and body have grown shorter and at the same time more massive. This change of form has brought with it a more sluggish dis- position which the breeders will do well to cultivate. It is possible to make the legs so short and the body so dumpy and compact as to interfere seriously with the breeding qualities and also hurt their reputation. While it is not desirable to change the breed so as to revert to the rangy type, they ought to have enough length of body and limb to keep them active and enable them to rear healthy and strong litters. Duroo-JCTseys. Is the Duroc-Jersey a profitable breed of hog? Ans.: The Duroc-Jersey is the same as the Jersey Red and is both popular and profitable. This breed is noted for pro- ducing large litters and they are good rustlers. Duroc-Jerseys. Is there any difference between Duroc- Jerseys and Jersey Reds, and if so which are better and why? Ans.: There is no difference between the Duroc-Jerseys and Jersey Reds. Both names are applied Indiscriminately to this breed. BREEDS COMPARED. 47 Dnroc-Jerseys vs. Chester Whites. Is the Duroc-Jersey an all around bet- ter pig for the farmer than the Chester White? If so, why? Ans.: It would scarcely be correct to say that one of these breeds has any marked superiority over the other, so far as econ- omy in production is concerned. Which' of these a farmer should grow should be determined by his tastes and also by the market which he will try to meet. Both are excellent breeds when rightly chosen and grown; but the Chester White is a larger breed than the Duroc-Jersey, whereas the latter, being smaller, is prob- ably rather the more active of the two. In prolificacy it would scarcely be safe to say that one breed has an advantage over the other. O. I. C. Swine. I would like to know what the O. I. C. swine are. Ans.: The O. I. C. swine are the Ohio Improved Chester swine. They are a somewhat carefully bred variety of the Chester White breed. Whether they are superior to the Chester White, is, of course, a matter of opinion. Improved Chester Whites. I would like a description of the im- proved Chester White swine. Are they a large or small breed, fine or coarse? What is the difference between them and the Improved Yorkshires? Ans.: Improved Chester White swine are a large breed of white hogs, as the name indicates. As now bred they are fairly refined and are stronger in limb and bone than the average Poland-China. Com- pared with large Yorkshires, they are broader in the back and, in fact, broader everywhere, but have not so much depth of side in proportion to the width. They incline to the fat hog when finished, while the Improved Yorkshire inclines to the bacon type. Both classes are reason- ably prolific, but in this the advantage lies with the Yorkshires. O. I. C. and Chester White §winc. What is the difference between the O. I. C. and the hog commonly called Ches- ter-White? Is the former a better hog, and if so, in what respects? 2. Is it true that the O. I. C.’s and Chester Whites do not mature as early as Poland-Chinas, and that they are harder to fatten? My own experience would lead me to believe that while Chester Whites may not al- ways look as smooth as Poland-Chinas, they make more growth and more pounds of live weight for what they consume. Am I right? Ans.: The difference between the Ches- ter White swine and the O. I. C. swine is, that the latter is an improvement on the former. That is, they are a little more refined, ■will breed better and are truer to type. 2. There is a little truth in the idea that Chester White swine do not mature quite as quickly as Poland-Chinas. but much depends upon the way in which they have been bred during recent genera- tions. On the whole, the Poland-Chinas. probably mature a little earlier, and the Chester Whites grow better for a period somewhat longer. On the average, Poland-Chinas will make more growth than Chester Whites up to a limited age, but the reverse will be true when that age, say four or five months, is past. The Essex. Please tell me something about the Es- sex hog. I want to know something about their history and how they compare with the Durocs, Poland-Chinas and Berkshires. Would this breed be profit- able in North Dakota and Northern Min- nesota? Ans.: This breed takes its name from the county or shire of Essex, England, where it originated. It is valued more for its quiet disposition, rapid growth when young and early maturity than for its size or ability to produce a large amount of meat. The old Essex hogs were large, gaunt and “slab sided” with no par- ticular color. This breed has become well known in America particularly in the south where they are being pushed with great vigor. Wherever there is a local demand for well matured hogs of small or medium size, or for pigs of which one or two are to be kept in a small pen and fed principally on slops from the house and the refuse from the garden, the Essex is a valuable animal. The mod- ern American bred Essex is a medium sized hog weighing, when mature, some- thing like 250 to 400 pounds. They have fine heads, firm boned legs, close “chunk- ed” bodies and are good rangers. They fatten easily and are seldom troubled with mange or sun scald. It is a question as to whether the Essex can ever com- pare favorably with the Duroc-Jersey, Po- land-China or Berkshire in the western states, as long as corn remains the cheap- est, or at least the principal swine food. In the South where cotton is still king, the Essex has no equal. The tendency on the part of this breed to fatten easily has been raised as an objection against it, but it would be hard to find, the breed- er who desires the acquaintance of a large number of lean hogs. He is generally looking for animals that fatten quickly, giving the greatest possible returns on the investment. The Essex swine have a great future. They would be found profitable in North Dakota and Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin where corn as yet does not comprise most of the swine 48 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. ration. There are some excellent types of this breed to be found in Minnesota. Victoria Swine. Do Victoria swine raise large litters and are they hard breeders? Are they getting to bo heavy-weights? Do the sows take good care of their litters? Ans.: There are a few Victoria breeders in the northwest, although it is hard to explain why these hogs are not as popu- lar as in some sections of the east and southeast. These animals are white in color and range from medium to large, weighing when twelve months old from 300 to 400 pounds. Victoria breeders claim them to be an economical breed for pork production. The sows generally pro- duce large litters and are good mothers. It is claimed for them that they are not susceptible to mange, scruff, sun scald or other similar troubles which have made hog breeders fight shy of white hogs in general. Small Yorkshires. I have just ordered two small York- shires. How are they as porkers? Did I make as good a purchase for fat produc- ing and for market as if I had chosen the large Yorkshires? Also for quick ma- turity? Ans.: For quick maturity and for pro- ducing fat pigs for market that may be sold from 5 to 6 months, there is probably no breed superior to the small Yorkshires. The large Yorkshires are a bacon breed and should be kept 7 or 8 months before being slaughtered. Large Yorkshires, Please tell me something about the characteristics of the large Yorkshires and whether they are popular for crossing on Poland-Chinas and Berkshires. How are they for producing bacon? Are they good feeders? Ans.: With regard to the most important characteristics of the large Yorkshires, these hogs should always be white all over the body, although bluish or black- ish spots which occasionally appear on the skin do not necessarily disqualify them for registration. The head is of medium length with but little upward curve. Broad, strong under jaws and short heads are prominent features. The ears droop forward and should be of medium size, heavy but never loppy. The back is broad like that of a Poland-China and should be both lengthy and deep. The hams of the large Yorkshire are never ex- tremely fat or heavy but should be of good thickness and size. Sows of this breed have been known to weigh 1203 pounds while they frequently reach 1000 pounds. Many breeders claim that large Yorkshire boars crossed with either Berk- shire or Poland-China sows will pro- duce excellent feeders, the combination giving pigs that grow rapidly, feed well and make a fine smooth finish with an excellent quality of meat. As a bacon producer the Yorkshire is noted. The celebrated Danish and Irish bacon is pro- duced very largely from this breed. Some objection is raised by feeders of other breeds that the large Yorkshires do not eat the ordinary foods that are relished by Poland-Chinas or Chester Whites, but ex- periments along this line prove the York- shire to be an excellent feeder, produc- ing prime bacon and lots of it. About Breeds. Is there any difference in the breeds of Jersey Red, Tamworth and Duroc hogs, or are they all one breed? Ans.: The Tamworth and Jersey Red breeds of swine are essentially different breeds. The Tamworths are an English breed of the most pronounced bacon type. They are long in body, nose and neck and are inclined to length of limb. The Jersey Reds or Duroc-Jerseys are an American breed, and except the color are much like the Poland-Chinas. They are thought by some to be a little stronger i* the limb than the Poland-Chinas. The only resemblance between the Tamworth and Duroc-Jerseys is the color. Breeds of Swine • Compared. Are Berkshires and Duroc-Jerseys as easy keepers as the Poland-Chinas. an 3 which of the three breeds can be put on the market the quickest? Ans.: It would not be safe to claim that anj’- one of the three breeds of pigs named has any advantage over the others in easy keeping qualities or in early ma- turity. Experiments that have been con- ducted with reference to this question have shown that there is more difference in the individuality of the animals them- selves than in the breeds. Breeds Compared. Are Duroc-JCrueys as good hogs to raise as Poland-Chinas or Chester Whites? Are they prolific and are they good mothers? Ans.: Duroc-Jerseys are giving excel- lent satisfaction. They, as a breed, do not mature as early as the Poland-Chinas, but are usually considered as good moth- ers and more prolific. As to size of lit- ters and time of maturing they are about on a par with Chester Whites. By similar methods of feeding and breeding the three above mentioned breeds are coming nearer together in general characteristics. Are Poland-Clilnns Prolific? In an exchange I notice a complaint of a Poland-China breeder to the effect that his sows are lacking in prolificacy, hav- ing produced only four pigs to the litter. What is the cause? BREEDS COMPARED. 49 Ans.: When such results take place the management is in some way at fault. By proper selection and feeding Poland- Chinas will produce freely enough. In making selection, sows should be chosen from large litters. This plan should also be followed in choosing males, although with sows such selection is of the first im- portance. Other precautions are necessary but the course of action recommended will in itself go a long way toward in- creasing the prolificacy of the dams. Finishing Age. At what age is it best to finish the Po- land-China for market? Ans.: In growing Poland-Chinas for market, have them ready to go at about six or seven months old, weighing from 200 to 225 pounds. When raising a large number of hogs for pork, it might pay you to raise two crops a year. Best Breed of Hogs. Which is the best kind of pure-bred pigs to buy? Is the Small Yorkshire a good kind? Can as much money be made with them as with the Poland-Chinas or Large Yorkshires? There don’t seem to be many farmers raising the Small York- shires. What is the reason? Don’t they grow as fast as other breeds? Is the Chester White the largest breed there is? Ans.: The best breed of swine will al- ways be a matter of opinion. It is affect- ed considerably by the local conditions of the market. Small Yorkshires are suitable pigs for any one haying a mar- ket for young animals that will grow quickly and can be turned off at any age under six months. The Large Yorkshires do better to be kept until seven or eight months old. They are bacon hogs and wherever there is a market for the bacon hog it will be profitable to raise them. They produce large litters and are vigor- ous and healthy. The Poland-Chinas are also a good breed, one of the best where they have not been allowed to become too small in bone or too short in body and where their breeding qualities have been kept up in good shape. The Berkshires are becoming more popular all the time. It would not be correct to say that any one breed will positively prove most prof- itable under all conditions. The Chester Whites are about the largest of the breeds but in some instances the Large York- shires are larger. Best Hog for Market. Which is the most profitable for the farmer to feed for market, the full-blood or the cross-bred hog? Ans.: Do not pay an extravagant price for a full blood sow where the object is to raise pigs for pork. However, if you can buy at about pork prices full-bloods that have not been bred too fine or overfed on fattening foods, and that have not been overconfined, it would pay to get them. Buy a pure-bred boar no matter what your females may be. The Best Hog. What is the best hog to grow? Ans.: The best hog for the farmer to grow is the breed that he is in love with, as that is the pig he will give the best care and will make him the most money. There is no “best hog.” The best hogs are those that get the best attention. Selecting a Breed. I am going into the hog business. Du- rocs seem to be in favor here but I prefer the Berkshire. Shall I cater to the trade or raise what I prefer myself? Ans.: The man who is raising hogs to be sold for breeders cannot be too careful to grow only such animals as come near- est his ideal type and breed. Don’t try to raise something you do not like your- self. Color In the Swine. I have a pure-bred Poland-China boar and I wish to know if he is bred to some scrub sows mostly- white, if the pigs will be of the color of the sire or marked like the sows? Ans.: If the sows are of mixed breeding, which in all probability they are, the pre- ponderance of color in the young pigs will be black; but in all probability they will be spotted. The Pork Breeds. Can any particular breed be recom- mended as being profitable? Ans.: No, but for anybody raising hogs for pork he shouldn’t go outside of the Poland-China, Jersey-Reds, Berkshire or Chester Whites; those are the best four pork breeds. Bacon vs. Pork Hogs. Which of the two classes brings tho best price on the market, bacon or pork hogs? Ans.: According to reports, the bacon hog appears to be selling for the most money, that is, the Irish and Danish bacon. Lard or Bacon Type. Is the Duroc-Jersey considered a lard or bacon hog? Ans.: Duroc- Jerseys are classed as a lard type, although environment has a great deal to do with it. In the corn states the Duroc-Jersey is pronouncedly of the lard order but if taken up into the wheat belt of northern Minnesota or the Dakotas and fed largely on rye and barley, it is likely in time to incline somewhat toward the bacon type. Crossing Swine. Of the two breeds of swine, Large Im** 50 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. proved Yorkshires and Tamworths, which is the best to cross with Berkshires? In mating for a cross, which sex should the Berkshire be? In what respect have the Yorkshires and Tamworths been im- proved, and which of these two breeds at- tains greatest weight at six months of age, and also at maturity? Which is the easier keeper? Ans. : There is very little real choice be- tween the Yorkshire cross upon the Berk- shire and the Tamworth cross upon the same. The progeny from the Yorkshire would be white and from the Tamworth •cross red and black intermixed. Breeders generally prefer using Berkshire females for the reason that they are far more num- erous than the females of either of the other two breeds, at least in this country. The Yorkshires and Tamworths have been improved by more than a century of care- ful breeding. The Tamworths are pro- bably the largest breed of swine in Ameri- ca at this time. There is but little differ- ence, if any, in the average weight of the pigs at 6 months of age. At maturity, possibly the Yorkshire is the larger, but this also may be disputed. There is prac- tically no difference in their keeping qualities. Effects of Crossing. Will crossing two breeds have much to do with producing uneven litters? 2. In raising hogs to fatten for market, would it be best to breed in line or cross? 3. How would a Poland-China on Chester White be for a cross for this purpose? Ans.: Whether cross-breeding produces uneven litters or not, depends upon the af- finity or lack of affinity, in the breeds crossed. They cannot be determined until the experiment has been made. 2. In rais- ing hogs to fatten for market a judicious cross generally brings more rugged ani- mals and somewhat more growth than breeding in line, but an injudicious cross will have the opposite effect. 3. Poland- Chinas on Chester Whites usually give satisfaction. The same is true of the op- posite mode of crossing. Miscellaneous. Castrating Boar Pigs. I have six sows that farrowed last week. Two-thirds of the pigs are boars. Shall I castrate them, and if so when is the best time to do it? Ans.: Castrate all boar pigs not needed for breeding. This can be done any time after the pigs are a month old, and if done at from four to six weeks they will have fully recovered before they are weaned. If not done then it is better to wait until a month after weaning, so that they will have become thoroughly accustomed to eating solid food. Castrating Pigs. Is it dangerous to castrate pigs in cold weather? Ans.: If the pigs have good, warm, clean sleeping quarters, they can be castrated in cold weather, but fall or spring weather is ^referable. Castrating November Pigs. When should I castrate November pigs? Ans.: While they are yet nursing the dam. As soon as you can distinctly get hold of the testicles. The earlier the bet- ter. Castrating Old Boars. I have a fine boar but he is too old for service and I have been unable to find a purchaser. Will it be safe to castrate him and what is the best method of conduct- ing such an operation? Ans.: Draw up one hind leg and fasten It securely to a post. Fasten another rope around the upper jaw, back of the tusks, draw it tightly and fasten it to another post. An animal in this position can offer very little resistance. In castrating, the cuts should be low down and no longer than necessary. The cut should extend low enough, however, so that there will be no pocket left in the sack to hold pus which forms during the healing process. An op- eration of this sort should not be con- ducted on boars that are very fat or dur- ing the hot weather as the risk is then much greater. If they are castrated early in spring and kept on grass through the summer, they will fatten up readily and in the fall their flesh will be very little more rank than that of other hogs. Emasculat- ed boars are apt to be cross and quarrel- some if kept with other hogs and on ac- count of their tusks to do great damage. It is therefore advisable to fatten stag hogs by themselves. Trouble With Pigs After Castrating. Last spring we had some pigs castrated. A long opening vas made and the cords well drawn. ^The pigs did well at first, but later a large growth formed and now it seems hard. Some break open but do not suppurate. The season has been very wet and muddy. Ans.: It Is probable that your hogs are suffering from scirrhus cord. It is hard to understand how you could have any other trouble with the pigs if you did the opera- tion neatly and were careful to have your hands and knife clean. It will not pay you to go to much expense with the ani- MISCELLANEOUS. 61 mals. Fatten them for the butcher and get them off as quickly as possible. Trouble After Castration. What is the matter with one of my hogs? About five months after he was altered a large swelling or boil gathered at that place. It grew to be as large as a three-quart pail, and then broke. In a few weeks it gathered again and broke and has done the same several times. Each time it was larger than before. It does not seem to affect his health. He eats and grows well. Is there any cure? Ans.: The only relief for your hog is to have an operation performed and remove the cause. The operation should be per- formed before the weather gets too warm. Operations of this sort are so rarely suc- cessful, however, that it will probably pay you to fatten the animal and sell it to your butcher as quickly as possible. Trouble With Castrated Pigs. My renter has suffered this year from the male pigs not healing well after cas- tration. They swell up behind as though ruptured. Four or five out of twenty are troubled this way. The same man per- formed the operation last year but had no trouble. Ans.: The trouble is usually due to scir- rhus cord, from not being careful in the operation, leaving too long a cord or not being clean with hands or instruments. They are not ruptured or you would have seen evidence of it at the time of opera- tion. Do not allow the pigs to crowd each other through doorways in going to the trough, or to pile up too much at night. Quarrelsome Hogs. I have been very much troubled, every time I have a lot of hogs to be fed, with their quarreling, and often find it neces- sary to go into the pen and separate the animals, but they generally begin again as soon as I leave them. What can be done? Ans.: Many swine breeders claim that this restlessness is due to a feverish con- dition and that they will bite each other for want of something to cool their fever. Stone coal has been given to such hogs with a claim that it has effected a com- plete cure. It will at least be worth your time to give it a fair trial. To Prevent Sows From Fighting. What can I do to get two sows used to each other so that I can keep them to- gether? They fight all the time and I want to get them so I can put them in the same pen where they can sleep and eat together. Ans.: Sows can sometimes be quieted by placing a boar in with them as he often acts as peace-maker when two sows get to fighting. High Tempers In Pigs. Why do pigs show high tempers and bite each other? Ans.: It is pretty hard to tell, but it is often necessary to remove one of the pigs, or take nippers and pull the baby teeth or tusks. This usually brings peace to the family. Hogs Eat Each Other. My hogs were on clover last fall. I brought them in and shut them in the pen. They all jump on one and kill it. They do not eat the carcass but seem sat- isfied as soon as one is dead. I feed a variety. What makes them do it? Ans.: Turn a boar among them. He might stop their fighting. There is noth- ing else to do unless you watch, find which are the offenders and cut them out of the herd. Sows Eating Their Own Pigs. How can I prevent my sows from eat- ing their own pigs at farrowing time? Ans.: If this unnatural appetite is not caused by a diseased condition of the uter- us, which is seldom the case, it is gen- erally caused by the confinement of the sow, with no exercise, and being fed on a food that is heating and constipating in its nature. Often the withholding of salt for a long period causes derangement of the bowels and liver. It will seldom occur if she has been fed on a mixed food with an addition of roots or oil meal. However, if it should occur, take all the pigs away at once, and when she lies down pour into the ear a mixture of ten to twen- ty grains of spirits of camphor, with one to three of tincture of opium. The sow will lie down on the side the application is made and will remain so for hours, and will lose her irritability in regard to the pigs. Of course, let them nurse while she is in this state. Sometimes it is caused by the pigs biting the sow. If so, remove with a pair of nippers, the upper and low- er tusks of them all. Sow Eats Pigs. I have a sow that has commenced eat-' Ing her pigs. They are about three weeks old. How can I prevent it? Ans.: Remove the little pigs from the sow as soon as they are done sucking. Feed good rich food and a little sprinkle of salt occasionally. Do not breed this sow again as she is liable to commit the same offense. Sows Eating Young. Have been troubled with sows eating their young. Tried giving them salt pork, but it did no good. Ans.: Give them a dose of epsom salts in feed every five or six days for a time be- fore farrowing, and feed raw potatoes freely. This has been suggested by an old swine breeder. Hogs Eating Their Young. My hogs eat their young after they are 52 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. five weeks old. How can I prevent it? Ans.: It is generally some defect in the food which leads sows to eat their own pigs. They do not get enough nitrogene- nous, or flesh-forming food. Change the ration and watch them carefully. If the sows still continue to eat their young do not retain them for breeders, but fatten and sell them off as quickly as possible. To Prevent a Sow From Fating Her Pigs. How can I prevent a sow eating her pigs? Ans.: Feed her largely on food that tends to promote growth and not fat. It is the corn fed sow that eats up her pigs, and not the one that has the run of the barnyard and that is fed largely on slops’ Hogs Eat Chickens. Is there anything to feed hogs to keep them from eating chickens? I have a pen of fattening hogs and every time a hen gets in the pen the hogs catch and eat it. Ans.: It looks as though your hogs are getting too much corn, and that they eat the chickens to satisfy a craving for food that is not so rich. You had better feed less corn and try giving them some oats, bran or middlings. You will then have a more balanced ration, and if your hogs have not acquired a fondness for chicken, you may save the others. If- possible, you had better cover the yards over with chicken wire. Give the hogs charcoal and salt and all the clover pasture you can. Hogs Eating Hens. In the fall of the year I always lose a number of hens that fly over into the hog pen while the hogs are eating. Why is it that at this time hogs will kill and eat poultry? Ans.: There is evidently something wrong with the feed they are getting that causes this unnatural desire. It is gener- ally due, however, to a lack of variety, and is most noticeable when they are on a strictly corn diet. A little middlings and milk or water, or an occasional feed of barley and rye serve well to overcome this difficulty and it is also well to have before them constantly a little salt and charcoal or wood ashes where they can get it at all times. Expensive Pens. My neighbor has been in the hog busi- ness quite a number of years and is now putting up some very expensive pens. I am only a beginner as compared with his experience with swine, and want to know if it would be advisable to start with ex- pensive pens and fewer hogs or more hogs and common pens. Ans.: Expensive pens are not always the most comfortable. The aim should be to secure comfort first and appearance later. It is better to start with a moderate num- ber of hogs at first until one becomes somewhat familiar with the business, in- creasing the size of the drove as occasion would seem to warrant. It is surely a mistake for a beginner to spend a very large amount of money on buildings be- fore he sees his way out of the woods. Room for Brood Sow. How large a room would be best for a brood sow? Ans.: Good brood-sow pens can be made six by eight feet with a pen in front of the same size which is not covered. Be sure to have a guard rail all around the pen if the sow is placed there before farrowing. Sleeping Pens. Should the sleeping pen be in the far- rowing pen? Ans.: The sleeping pen should be where the sow and pigs are kept, in the farrow- ing pen, until the pigs are large enough to run out. In front of that have a large feeding floor and a double door, which you can open and let the pigs run out. Pro- vide a sloping floor where they farrow and sleep. Pens. Is it best to let hogs sleep and exercise all in the same pen? Ans.: You can fall into no greater folly than to confine pigs to a pen. Exercise and fresh air are essentials to the feeding of animals. If you feed your hogs in a pen and do not give them exercise, and they have no access to the earth so as to get the phosphate from the ground by rooting, they will surely go wrong. nog House. How shall I build a hog house for eight brood sows, one boar and the litters? I want feed room, sleeping room, feeding floors and farrowing pens. Ans.: Build an out-of-door feed floor to feed on, portable farrowing pens for the sows at farrowing time, and a good, warm building about 16x24 for sleeping quarters for the sows and their litters after the pigs get a nice start in the spring. Farrowing Pens. How large should I make my farrowing pens? Of course, I mean to have but one sow in each pen at once. Ans.: The farrowing pen need not be large, 10 feet square is ample but it should be where the sow will not be disturbed by other animals and if possible have it placed where she can have plenty of sun- shine in her pen most of the day. Bother by Wind. Is there any danger that the wind will blow over the little individual farrowing pens? Ans.: No. Have your yards well pro- tected and there will be no danger. MISCELLANEOUS. 53 Summer Shelter for IJogs. I have a fine pasture for my hogs this year, but it is getting very hot and as there are no trees in the field I am afraid my hogs will suffer from the sun. What kind of shelter can I put up for them? Ans.: A very cheap but effective shelter can be made by putting up a board roof supported by four posts in some corner of the pasture, or if you have a number of portable farrowing pens elevate them on posts about Zy 2 or 4 feet above the ground. Tour hogs will soon learn to appreciate the shade they will thus make. Ventilation. What is a good way to ventilate? Ans.: Ventilate a good deal as in a dairy barn, but these low hog houses so much in use can be ventilated by the door on top. If it is a warm day, those doors should always be open. Windows in Hog Houses. I am thinking of putting up a new hog house with glass all along the front and one side. It seems to me that there would be less danger of hogs taking diseases in winter if they could get more sunlight. Ans.: Windows are necessary to admit light, sunshine and air, but too much win- dow space lowers the temperature and would probably be more injurious than beneficial. It would hardly be economical to have so much glass -in hog houses in this climate. You had better drop the glass front and side scheme and substitute windows instead. Keep your pens clean and use disinfectants liberally and you probabJy won’t be troubled with much dis- ease. Hog House Floor. I intend to build a hog house. What kind of floor should I put in, plank or cement? Ans.: While cement is easier to keep 1 clean it is generally supposed to cause rheumatism unless the sleeping quarters are kept well bedded. A combination would answer the purpose better th it and sewed so as to keep the flies out you should have no trouble. If you mean, how should pork be kept that is killed in hot weather, there is perhaps no better way than to salt it thoroughly and allow it to remain in salt in a cool cellar for about six weeks. Then smoke it and when dried wrap as described above. Curing Meat. How can I cure my own pork where I have only the common facilities of the farm? Ans.: Handle your hogs carefully; catch and kill them just as quietly as possible, butcher just as cleanly as possible, see that the meat is chilled down to the freez- ing point for at least twenty-four hours; then cut up and salt, being careful to get it in nice shape, cut regularly and smooth- ly in every respect, cutting the ham off with a saw instead of an axe; use rock salt and let stand so the brine will escape. At the end of a week, salt again. Use granulated sugar before using salt but brown sugar will give good results. Later in the season dry and smoke for a short time, and if you wish to hold, pack the hams in a dry salt, being careful that the hams are dry when put away, or they will take up too much salt. Pack the side meat and shoulders in oats that have been run through a fanning mill and are clean. Be careful to put your meat away on a dry day, because if it is damp it will accumu- late moisture and mould in the oats. A Good Hog Fence. How can I make a hog fence that will hold hogs? _ Ans.: First set the corner posts very se- curely and brace them well. Then draw a barb wire tight along the ground. This will serve as a line to set the other posts by. This wire is left to keep the pigs from rooting under. Next set the inter- mediate posts one rod apart. Set the posts in the fall and let them freeze in. Put in a two-foot woven wire in the spring on a warm day before the ground thaws out. Each post is then as solid as a tree and the wire can be drawn as tight as de- sired. Next put on a second wire six inch- es above the woven wire and finish by a third barb wire breast high to keep out other stock. A fence made in this manner will last many years. Hogs Eating Sand and Gravel. Why do hogs eat so much sand and gravel? Ans.: Tour hog’s digestive apparatus is out of order and you are feeding too high. Furnish them salt, charcoal and ashes with plenty of room for exercise and you should not be troubled this way any more. What Killed the Pigs? About the middle of April we had twelve sows come in with eighty-four pigs. They had been sleeping in the barn, but ran in a good pasture during the day. One night, as it was pleasant, we shut them all out in the pasture and let them sleep in the straw pile. Next morning there were dead pigs in the pasture, in the yard and in the barn. The pasture fence was not fixed at that time so the pigs could get out. Within 24 hours 27 of the biggest and best were dead. They did not struggle as if poisoned, but were stupid, lingered and died. It is a mystery to us. One man suggested that the sows got poisoned roots. In that case wouldn’t the sows be poisoned? Ans.: It was something they had eaten that caused their death. The sows could take enough of certain poisons to cause the death of the little suckling pigs with- out killing themselves. Pigs Disappear. I have lost several small pigs and do not know what becomes of them. Would- it be possible for rats to kill and carry them away? By putting in a plank floor can I keep the rats out? Ans.: It is quite possible that the rats have destroyed your little pigs, but it is more likely to* be some larger animal. It would be well to put in a plank floor, but you had better build a pen so that no ani- mals can get in. Fresh Lime in Hog Houses. Would it do any good to scatter fresh lime in hog houses? Ans.: Yes, in warm weather. Scatter the lime in wet places that are apt to give off a stench, and a good coat of white- wash on the inside and outside of the hog house will help toward maintaining sani- tary conditions. Time to Care for Hogs. How much of a man’s time would it take to care for 155 hogs? Ans.: On the whole, probably not more than one-fourth, if he is a good man. Cause for Hogs Eating Ice. Why does a hog eat ice when water Is plentiful ? Ans.: Sometimes a hog will eat .Ice which is chopped from a trough to get the MISCELLANEOUS. 5? ground feed that it contains. Other times they eat ice because they are feverish. Can Land be Kept by Hog Raising. Can land be kept fertile by raising hogs as well as by raising cattle? Ans.: The ideal way to keep hogs and keep up a farm is to keep them in con- nection with the dairy. You could hard- ly keep up the fertility of a farm growing hogs alone. What to do With the Runts. Each year I have from eight to ten little runts. Is it well to allow them to run around with the rest of the swine, or what can I do with them? Ans.: There is always one good thing about the runt. He makes a prime roast- er. But the scurvy, sickly, runty pig should not be permitted to run at large with the rest of the herd. If a contagi- ous disease comes into the neighborhood he is almost certain to catch it and spread it among the others. He should either be kept by himself or disposed of. Cutting Pig’s Tail Off. Does it help a pig to fatten to cut its tail off when small? Ans.: Better leave the pigs tail on, as It costs very little to grow it, and is a good thermometer to tell how your pig is doing and also comes in very handy at scalding time. Sheep or Hogs? Which would be the quickest way for a man with limited means to get a start, with sheep or hogs? Ans.: Consult your own taste In the matter and decide to raise what you be- lieve to be best suited to your own par- ticular conditions. If you have no ex- perience with sheep, you would make a serious mistake if you started in with them while prices are at the flood tide. If you have had experience with swine it would be better for you to continue with them at least until sheep take a drop in price. Low Prices. Hogs are pretty low, shall I stick or sell out? Ans.: Keep right on just the same, only give your animals a little better care so that you can make a good, fair profit in spite of low prices. Registering Swine. Please tell me if pigs that are brought from another state can be registered here in Minnesota, and at what price? Ans.: Swine, if purely bred, can be regis- tered in the record to which they proper- ly belong in any part of the United States. The same is true of any kind of pure-bred stock. In order to record them, you must first decide in what association you would have them recorded and then write to the secretary for blanks, which will give all information in regard to registra- tion and prices. These we cannot give, as they vary with the different kinds of stock. Index. BREEDING. Page. Age of Sire 1 Age of Breeding Swine 2 A Bad Sort of Breeder 2 A Bad Grazing Type 2 Always Buy a Pure Bred Sire 3 Age to Breed 3 Age to Breed Sows 4 A Poor Sow for a Breeder 5 Age, Breeding 5 Age Limit of Sows 5 A Question in Weaning 6 LI 11 VsiCLJl -M.UU1 O Brood Sow and Boar, The Conforma- tion of the, 1 Boar, Impotent 1 Boar, Trouble with 1 Boar, Selecting a 1 Breeding Age of Sire 1 Better Blood Needed 1 Boar, Correcting Weak Points in the. 1 Boar or Sow? Pure Bred 2 Breeder, A Bad Sort of a 2 Boar, Buying a — The Age 2 Boar, Time to Buy a 2 Boar Running with Sows 2 Boar Pigs not up to Standard 2 Boar, Handling the 2 Boar, Selecting a 2 Boars, Selecting for Breeders 3 Boars, Changing Boar, Selecting for Fattening Quali- ties 3 Breed, Age to Bringing Sows in Heat Bone, Cross Breeding Hogs for Bone, Exercise for Brood Sows, Selecting Future.’.*.’ Breeders, Poor Sows for Breeding, Old Sows for Breeding Age !!!!!! Boar and Brood Sow !!*’’* Breeding Young Sows !!.!!! Breeding Twice a Year Birth, Pigs Die Soon After !!!”* Breeding with a View of Fattening Breeding vs. Feeding j Broken Down Pigs * * Conformation of Brood Sows and Boar Correcting Weak Points in the Boar. Changing Boars Care of Brood Sow Before Farrow- ing Cross Breeding Cross Breeding Hogs for Bone Correcting Defects in the Sow Exercise for Bone Early Maturity Farrowing, Penning Before. . . 3 3 4 4 4 4, 5 5 5 5 5 6 1 1 3 3 4 4 6 4 9 3 58 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE. Page. Farrowing, Care of tne Brood Sow Before 8 Fall Litters 7 Fall or Spring Pigs 7 Farrowing, Lose Pigs After 8 Farrowing, Trouble in 8 Fattening, Breeding with a View of.. 9 Feed vs. Breed 9 Grazing, A bad Type 2 Gestation, Period of 3 Gilts? Old Sows or 5 Gilts, Milking Quality of Hogs for Market Only 1 Handling the Boar 2 Heat, To Get Sows in 3 Hogs, Cross Breeding for Bone 4 How Long are Sows Profitable? 5 Impotent Boar 1 Inbreeding 4 Litters, Two a Year 6 Litters, Number of a Year 6 Litters, Number of 7 Litters, One Each Year 7 Litters, Fall 7 Litters, Time for Spring. 7 Litter, Number of Pigs to the 7 Large Litters 7 Lose Pigs after Farrowing 8 Milking Qualities of a Gilt 5 Maturity, Early 9 Nursing Pigs 6 Number of Litters a year 6 Number of Litters 7 Number of Pigs a Sow Should Have.. 7 Number of Pigs to the Litter 7, 8 Number of Pigs Dropped 8 Old Sows for Breeding 5 Old Sows or Gilts? 5 One Litter Each Year 7 Pure Bred, Use Sires 1 Pure Bred Sire or Sows? 2 Pedigreed Scrub 2 Producing Healthy Pigs 3 Pure Bred Sire, Always Buy a 3 Period of Gestation 3 Penning Before Farrowing 3 Pregnant Sows, Shipping 4 Poor Sows for Breeders 6 Profitable? How Long are Sows f Pigs, Weaning 6 Pigs, Nursing 6 Pigs? Spring or Fall Born 7 Pigs, Number of a Sow Should Have.. 7 Pigs, Number of to the Litter 7 Pigs, Number of Dropped 8 Pigs, Losing After Farrowing 8, 9 Pigs. Broken Down 9 Be-Breeding Sows 5 Raising Pure-Bred Animals 9 Sows, Conformation of Brood and Boar 1 Selection of a Boar 1 Sire, Breeding Age of 1 Sires, Use Pure Bred 1 Sows? Pure Bred Boar or. 2 Swine, Age of Breeding 2 Sows, Boar Running With 2 Scrub. Pedigreed Standard, Boar Pigs not up to 2 Selecting Boars for Breeuers 3 Selecting a Boar for Fattening Quali- ties 3 Sire, Alwavs Buy a Pure Bred 3 Sows, To Get in Heat 3 Shipping Pregnant Sows 4 Selecting Future Brood Sows 4 Sows, What Age to Breed 4 Sow, The Brood 5 Sows, Breeding Young 6 Sows, Re-Breeding 5 Sows, Age Limit of 5 Sow, Correcting Defects in the 6 Page. Spring or Fall Born Pigs? 7 Spring Litter, Time for 7 Sow Over-Lying her Young 8 Time to Buy a Boar 2 Two Litters a Year 6 Time for Spring Litters 7 Trouble in Farrowing 8 What Time to Breed Sows 4 Weaning t> Young Sows, Breeding 5 FEEDING. Feeding Hogs. Amount of Corn necessary to Feed a Hog 10 Boar, Feeding The 9 Balancing the Ration 10 Barley Meal 12 Beans, Spoiled for Hogs 12 Butter Milk for Hogs 12 Butter Milk or Skim Milk? 12 Corn for Fattening Hogs 9 Corn, Profitable Way to Feed 10 Corn Fattened Hogs 10 Corn, Feeding in the Corn Belt 10 Corn, Amount of Necessary to Feed Hogs 10 Corn, The Value of as a Food 10 Corn, Green 10 Corn, Feeding Screenings and 11 Corn-and-Cob Meal 12 Creamery Milk for Hogs 12 Copperas or Sulphur in Slop 12 Feeding the Boar 9 Feeding Fattening Hogs 9 Feeding Corn in the Corn Belt Ill" Food, The Value of Corn as a 10 Fodder for Hogs, Green 11 Feeding Screenings and Corn 11 Fattening Swine, Millet Seed for 11 Flaxseed for Hogs 11 Feeding Squash 13 Feeding Value of Potatoes 13 Food, Mixed 14 Green Corn 10 Green Fodder for Hogs 11 Green Speltz for Hogs 11 Hogs, Feeding Fattening 9 Hogs, Corn for Fattening 9 Hogs, Corn Fattened 10 Hogs, Green Corn for 10, 11 Hogs, The Value of Speltz for 11 Hogs, Millet for 11 Hogs, Flaxseed for 11 Hogs, Spoiled Beans for 12 Hogs, Creamery Milk for 12 Hogs Without Dairy 12 Hogs, Sugar Beets for 13 Hogs, Pushing for Market 13 Linseed Meal 12 Millet Seed for Fattening Swine 11 Millet for Hogs 11 Meal, Linseed 12 Meal, Oil 12 Meal, Barley 12 Meal, Corn-and-Cob 12 Milk for Hogs. Creamery 12 Milk? Butter Milk or Skim 12 Mangels for Hogs 13 Market, Pushing Hogs for 13 Mixed Food 14 Number of Meals a day 14 Oil Cake for Fattening 12 Oil Meal 12 Profitable Way to Feed Corn 10 Pumpkins, When to Feed 13 Potatoes for Hogs 13 Pushing Hogs for Market i3 Ration. Balancing the 10 Rye, Winter 11 INDEX. 59 Page. Roots for Swine 13 Screenings and Corn, Feeding 11 Speltz for Swine 11 Swill 12 Sulphur or Copperas in Slop 12 Squash, Feeding 13 Sugar Beets for Hogs 13 Small Potatoes for Swine 13 Silage for Hogs 13 Variety? One Food or a 14 Wheat for Hogs 11 Feeding Brood Sows. Brood Sows, Feeding 14 Brood Sows in Summer, Feed for 14 Brood Sow, Feeding the 14 Brood Sow, Grain for the 14 Brood Sows, Ground Oats for 14 Brood Sows, Flaxseed Meal for 14 Brood Sows, Skim Milk for 15 Brood Sows, Feeding 15, 16 Best Ration for Sow 16 Brood Sows With Cattle 17 Brood Sows and Fattening Hogs 17 Breeding Sows on Shares 17 Changing from Corn to Oats 14 Corn-and-Cob Ration 17 Corn Fodder 17 Feeding Brood Sows 14 Feed for the Brood Sow in Summer... 14 Flaxseed Meal for Brood Sows 14 Feeding Flax to Sows 15 Feeding Horse Flesh 15 Feed Before Farrowing 15, 16 Farrowing, Treatment of Sow Just Before 16 Grain for Brood Sows 14 Ground Oats for Brood Sows 14 Hogs Running With other Stock 17 Increasing the Size of Litters 14 Linseed Meal for Sows 16 Middlings for Nursing Sows, Skim Milk and 15 Middlings, Sows Refuse to Eat 15 Maintaining the Milk Supply 16 Oats for Sows 14 Oats and Peas for Sows 14 Oil Meal for Sows 16 Roots 15 Size of Litters, Increasing the 14 cows in Summer, Feed for 14 Skim Milk for Brood Sows 15 Sugar Beet Pulp 15 Too Much Milk 16 Treatment of Sow Just After Farrow- ing 16 What Feed Before Farrowing? 15 Feeding Pigs. A Question of Profit 17 Average Gain of Young Pigs 22 Barley for Pigs 19 Bone Meal 19 Best Food for Pigs 20 Bran, Corn and Oats for Pigs 20 Bran for Pigs 20 Creamery Milk 18 Corn Meal for Young Pigs 20 Cotton Seed Meal for Pigs 20 Cooked Grain 22 Cooking the Feed 22 Cooking and Gringing of Food 22 Charcoal for Hogs 23 Feeding, A Difference in 18 Feeding, Winter or Summer 17 Feeding Questions 17 Food for Pigs 18 Feeding Corn 19 Feeding Corn Alone 19 Feeding Sow with Pigs 19 Feeding Pigs Before Weaning 20 Fattening Young Pigs 21 Feed for Pigs 21 Food for Young Pigs 21 Feeding Rye or Barley 22 Fresh Water 23 Page. Ground Barley and Oats for Pigs... 19 Grain Fed to Little Pigs 21 Grinding Hog Food 22 Gain .of Pigs per Day 22 Heavily Fed Pigs 21 Is Charcoal Good for Hogs?. 23 Keeping Pigs Through Winter 22 Milk, The Value of for Pigs 18 Milk, Substitute for 19 Middlings for Small Pigs 21 Mangels for Swine 22 Profit, A Question of 17 Pay to Sell or Feed? Will it 18 Pushing the Pigs 20 Ration for Pigs 18 Small Pigs in Spring 18 Sour Milk 18 Shorts Soaked for Pigs 19 Starting Pigs after Weaning 19 Stock Food for Swine 20 Swine Not Growing Well 20 Steaming Food for Swine 22 Soaked Corn 23 Swill in the Winter 23 Soapy Water for Pigs 23 Winter or Summer Feeding 17 Will it Pay to Sell or Feed? 18 Whey for Pigs 19 PASTURES FOR SWINE. Alfalfa for Hogs 23 Artichokes for Swine 23,24 Barley and Oats, Pasture of 26 Barley and Rape In Place of Clover.. 26 Clover Pastures 24 Continuous Pasture 25 Dividing Hog Pastures 27 Diseased Pasture, Turning Hogs in... 28 Early Hog Pasture 25 Grain Feed for Pasture Hogs 24 Grass for Swine 25 Hog Culture Without Pasture 23 Hogs in Polk County, Minnesota 24 Hogs on Rape 26 Hog Pasture 26, 27 Oats and Rape 26 Oats and Vetch for Pasture, Quantity of 26 Pastured Hogs Injure Alfalfa 23 Pasture, The Best 24 Permanent Hog Pasture 25 Pasture for Pigs 26 Pasture of Barley and Oats 26 Pasture for Eight Hogs 28 Pasture for Ten Hogs 28 Pasture for 100 Swine 28 Pasture Running Short 28 Rape, Time to Sow 25 Rape for Swine 26 Rape Pasture Growing Too Fast 26 Rape and Oats for Pasture 26 Substitute for Clover Pasture 24 Time to Sow Rape 25 Temporary Pasture 26 Timothy Pasture 27 Turning Hogs in Diseased Pasture.... 28 Vetch on Sandy Soil 27 White Clover for Pasture 24 White Clover and Blue Grass for Pasture 24 Yield of Artichokes per Acre 24 SWINE DISEASES. Abortion 28 Abcess Forming 28 Acid Stomach 29 Anthrax 29 Apoplexy 29 Black Tooth, The 29 Blind Staggers 29 Blood Diseases 29, 30 Brain Diseases 30 Bronchitis 30 Bunch on Sow 30 Catarrh 30 Choking Hogs 31 60 500 QUESTIONS ANSWERED ABOUT SWINE l Page. Cholera 31 Contagious Disease 32, 45 Constipation 32 Cough 32, 33 Canker or Sore Mouth 38 Dead Pigs 33 Deafness 33 Debility 33 Deformed Pigs 33 Dialation of Meat Pipe.._ 33 Doctoring Pigs 33 Eczema 33, 34 Eyes, Sore 34 Feet, Sore 34 Feverish Sows 34 Fits, Pigs Have 34 Indigestion 34, 35 Injured Sow 35 Internal Affection 35 Itch 36 Kidney Trouble 36 Lame Hog 36 Leg Weakness 36, 37 Lousy Hogs 37 Lump on Pig’s Nose 37 Lung Fever 38 Mange, Cause of 38 Mouth, Bunches in 38 Mouth, Canker or Sore 38- Navel, Bunch on 39 Over-Feeding 39 Paralysis 39 Piles 39 Pnuemonia 39 Poor Hogs 40 Report All Cases of Hog Cholera 31 Rheumatism 40 Ruptured Pigs 40 Sore Eyes 34 Sore Feet 34 Scab 40 Scruff 40 Sheath, Imperfect 40 Sores on Hogs 41 Spinal Meningitis 41 Spinal Trouble . 41, 42 Stiffened Hog 42 Stomach Trouble 42 Sour Stomach 42 Sun Scald 42 Sun Stroke 42 Stomach Worms 44 Tumor in Brain 30 Throat Trouble 42 Thumps 43 Tuberculosis 43 Tumors On Pigs 43 Weak in Hind Legs 36, 37 Weak Backs 44 Worms in Hogs 44, 45 Veterinarian, Consult a 45 BREEDS COMPARED. About Breeds 48 Are Poland-Chinas Prolific? 48 Berkshire, The 45 Breeds of Swine Compared 48 Best Breed of Hogs 49 Best Hog for Market 49 Breed, Selecting a 49 Bacon vs. Pork Hogs 49 Chester Whites vs. Duroc Jerseys 47 Chester White Swine and O. I. C 47 Chester Whites, Improved 47 Color in Swine 49 Crossing Swine 49 Crossing, Effects of 50 Duroc-Jerseys vs. Poland-Chinas 46 Duroc-Jersey Swine 46 Duroc-Jerseys vs. Chester Whites.... 47 Essex 47 Effects of Crossing 50 Finishing Age 49 Improved Chester Whites 47 Lard or Bacon Type 49 Market, Best Hog for 49 O. I. C. Swine 47 O. I. C. and Chester^ White Swine 47 Poland Chinas 46 Poland Chinas vs. Duroc-Jerseys 46 Poland China Prolific? are 48 Pork Hogs vs. Bacon 49 Selecting a Breed 49 The Best Hog 49 The Pork Breeds 49 Victoria Swine 48 Yorkshires, Small 48 Yorkshires, Large 48 MISCELLANEOUS. Ashes and Salt 54, 55 Age of Pigs at Market Time 55 Bedding, Changing the 54 Barley Straw for Bedding 54 Castrating Pigs 50 Castrating, Trouble with Pigs After. 50, 51 Chickens, Hogs Eat 52 Cement Floors 53 Chaff for Farrowing Pens 54 Coal for Hogs, Soft 54 Charcoal, Best Wood for 55 Curing Meat 56 Care for Hogs, Time to 56 Cause for Hogs Eating Ice 56 Can Land be Kept by Hog Raising? ..57 Cut the Pig’s Tail Off 57 Fighting, To Prevent Sows from 51 Farrowing Pens 52 Floor, Hog House 53 Feeding Floor 53 Floors, Sleeping on Plank 53 Fence, A Good Hog 56 Hogs Eat Each Other 51 Hogs Eating Their Young 52,53 Hogs Eating Hens 52 Hogs Eating Sand and Gravel 56 Hog House 52 Keeping Pork 56 Lime in Hog House, Fresh 56 Market Time, Age of Pigs at 55 Meat, Best Age for 55 Meat not Affected 55 Meat, Boar 55 Meat, Curing 56 Oat Straw 54 Pigs, High Tempers in 51 Pens, Expensive 52 Pens, Sleeping 52 Pens, Farrowing 52 Plank Floors 53 Pigs? What Killed the 56 Pigs Disappear 56 Pork, Keeping 56 Prices, Low 57 Quarrelsome Hogs 51 Room for Brood Sow 52 Rings 55 Runts, What to do With the 57 Registering Swine 67 Sows Eating Their Own Pigs 61 Sleeping Pens 52 Summer Shelter for Hogs 53 Straw in Pens 54 Salt for Swine 54 Sulphur and Ashes for Hogs 55 Sheep or Hogs? 57 Timothy Hay for Bedding 54 Ventilation 53 Wind, Bothered by 52 Windows in Hog Houses 53 Watering Hogs 55 Weight, The Most Profitable 65 The Practical Farmers Library Especially Prepared for and Adapted to WORK ON THE FARM AND IN THE FARM HOUSE A COMPLETE AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY These Books are Handsomely Printed and Bound in a Uniform Series The Following is a List of These Books as far as Published OUR FARMING PRACTICAL FARM EXPERIENCE THE HOUSEHOLD GUIDE SHORT CUTS CROP GROWING AND CROP FEEDING MISTAKES AND FAILURES THE GARDEN BOOK. PART t THE GARDEN BOOK. PART 2 WHAT I DO, SEE AND HEAR 3,500 HANDY WAYS OF DOING THINGS SNAP SHOTS AT SUCCESS AND FAILURE THE P. F. FARMERS' INSTITUTE TERRY TALKS AND HEALTH HINTS We will send any one of the above books free to anyone sending \ new yearly sub. to The Practical Farmer at $1. Price, per Volume, postage paid, 50 Cents THE FARMER CO., Publishers PHILADELPHIA J^/yyays Remember TlAULE’S Seeds Lead all Handsomely illustrated and descciptireCatahyae mailed on receipt of /o cents Wm Henry/Iaule PHILADELPHIA U.SA.