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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1915)
3 Important Hog Breeding Hints HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION BY JOIIX UNDERWOOD. In Illinois Hog Kaiser. THE ultimate end of hog raising Is the pork barrel and the quicker the growth to market maturity the greater the profit for the owner. There are two essential factors to be considered by every farmer who raises hogs. First, the breeding of a type that has the power of applying food to the laying on of muscle and fat and will provide a maximum amount of choice meat at a minimum cost. Second, the feeding of the proper kinds and amounts of food to obtain the desired results. It may be said that one of these factors is as essen tial as-the other. There are in hogdnm several rec ognized breeds but all may be satis factorily placed in one or the other of the two great classes, the bacon hog and the lard hog. Each has a distinct purpose to perform which has been brought about by breeding and artificial conditions together with the natural cause, the different kinds of food found In different parts of the country, but In the corn belt the prevailing type Is the large early maturing lard hog. These hogs ma ture at from 600 to 700 pounds and with proper care weigh 250 pounds at seven months and about 300 pounds at nine months of age. By some this type is designated the medium type and by others as the large, smooth type, which means practically the same. The pure bred breeder caters to the farmer, the farmer depends upon the packer and the packer pays the best average prices for young hogs finished )n prime condition weighing 250 to 300 pounds. Qimlity Is Demanded. Tho packer demands quality, the farmer seeks prolificacy and size com bined with easy feeding qualities and by studying the characteristics of all the lard hog breeds it will be found that the pure bred breeder is supply ing these demands. Great care should be taken in selecting the foundation for the breeding stock. Whatever breed a man select It should in all cases be bred pure. It is indeed a poor practice to cross this year with one breed, next year with another and the next with some thing else. Is it not a fact that a nice bunch of black pigs as even as pdssible In size present a more pleas ing picture than an equal number of ring streaked and speckled ones. Some Bay that a cross bred animal Is a better feeder than a pure bred. This Is surely a mistake. I believe those who cross their hogs are intelli gent men and think cross breeding is the proper thing to do simply because they have never tried any other meth od. After a number of years of ex perience with pure bred hogs I cer tainly would not go back to tho cross breds If I were only raising them to supply meat for family use. Many farmers seem to think that breeders are getting pure bred hogs bred down too fine with bone too small and too short bodied. True, some breeders lay more stress on size of ear and length of snout and the curl of the tall than they do on bone length and Quality, but not all. Those minor points are all right if quality is not sacrificed for them. There Is a good deal of difference of opinion among breeders themselves as to what an Ideal hog Is. Any man can very near ly get the exact type of hog he pre fers without mixing up the various breeds. Crow Breeding. Another argument some use for Crossing Is that they think pure bred sows do not farrow enough pigs. Now which is it that counts for most, the number of pigs that a sow far rows or the number she is capable of raising well? In my actual personal experience I have gotten larger litters and raised a much larger per cent of pigs farrowed from pure bred sows than I ever did from grades. I have had pure bred farrows that weighed 285 pounds at seven months old and out of litters where the sows raised 10 to 12 pigs each. I can think of no reason why every farmer who raises hogs should not keep pure breds. Pick the breed you like best and when you get a sow that raises good, uniform litters, by all means keep her. Give her extra care, for one such sow Is worth two or three grades. I believe one reason a good many farmers mix their hogs Is be cause they have something that is not doing right and cross them to try to overcome the evil. Sometimes one outcross will Improve the herd but if they had looked around a little it is more than probable they could have found something of the same breed that would have corrected the evil Just as well and still left the herd pure. I'sing One Type. There are enough different types In any one of the breeds to correct almost any fault that comes up if proper care is used in mating without any outside crossing. If a man raises two litters of pigs a year one litter should come about the middle of March and the other not later than October 10. I have had men tell me that they could not raise two litters a year at a profit; the Fall pigs, they said, being too ex pensive and troublesome. In my ex perience of several years In raising two litters annually, I have always been able to bring the Fall litters through in fine shape at a handsome profit. The sow Is able to raise two litters a year and I can find no reason why this practice should not be gen erally adopted. Let me make one more suggestion. Many of us are in too much of a hurry, as a rule, to breed our sows. A sow should not be bred until near the middle of the period, which usually lasts three days although I have known them to be In barely 24 hours. A sow that is bred very early or very late In the period Is apt to bring few pigs. It will pay to bear this in mind. f ITT" iTzhlJ -J AfWiiTx. wv-rrrzx- "Aw -.1 Using Turnips as a Feed for Sheep BY, DAVID EVAN'S. TURNIPS of many varieties play an important part in the sheep hus bandry of New Zealand, and where climatic conditions are so pre-eminently suited to the growth of root crops of all kinds It can be expected that very heavy yields per acre are the result. Root crops are the "stand-by" of "Insurance" of the New Zealand sheep farmer and naturally add greatly to the carrying capacity of his lnnds. In fact he is not looked upon as up-to-date unless he prepares this root crop for his sheep and cattle. While the Isle of Angelsea in North Wales is considered to be the best root-growing country in Britain, It is doubtful if they can show the weight per acre that is sometimes grown In New Zealand. It is true that much of the turnips grown In New Zealand Is grown upon virgin soil and on this newly broken land roots are gener ally the first crop taken off and their methods of growing them are crude. When the land not by any means always level is cleared of stumps, plowed and harrowed, the turnips are merely drilled in like any grain crop and Nature does the rest. This is as I have said on new country. At the same time In the older farming dis tricts of the South Island, especially where the land has been under culti vation for a long time, different methods are used approaching those used in England, where the land Is carefully cultivated and fertilized and sometimes ridged. Sooner or later In the Fall, It de pends on the season, sheep by the thousands are fenced in on these tur nips with temporary fences that are moved from time to time as the roots are eaten off. As a rule turnips are augmented with hay placed In racks at different Senators, Congressmen and others in the prominent walks of life chew tobacco. With them it is not a question of economy but of pleasure The great American custom tobacco chewing has its de votees among men of all clas sesand the national chew is good old dependable $4 STAR CHEWING TOBACCO A little nibble now and then It welcomed by the beet of men. ' - ... jD-' ' ' V 'TtiLfrm' irtj VjH tim parts of the field or paddocks as they are called. Of course, it is only young sheep and sheep that are being fattened that are fed on turnips. It goes without saying that sheep do get very fat on roots and hay with out the addition of any other feed. It Is true the New Zealand sheep farmer has a great advantage in climate as he never has to worry about his root crop freezing. This system of hurdling or fencing sheep on turnips could not be adopted here except In those sections where it does not freeze, such as the Willamette Valley In Oregon or in sections of the South. One drawback to feeding lambs on turnips In this manner is that it In jures their teeth and this contingency has to be watched for very closely. Especially does it affect the' teeth where hard varieties of turnips are fed. Usually when the teeth become loose the farmer puts the sheep on, barley or Winter oats. He then se lects a band of older sheep to feed off the turnips. Smiling Skits. Smiling skies are o'er us, dear, Sorrow is asleep; Life and love are with us her. Yet the skies can weep. I am gazing In your eyes Eyes of tender blue My heart's joy within them lies. Can they be untrue? Like a mirror is the Bea, Her deep, vibrant tone Brings fresh strength and hope to ma, Yet the sea can moan, After crushing grief that Bears Loneliness and pain After floods of bitter tears Skies mav smile again. Belle Willey Cue, in L. A. Times. FARMS 100 acres Willamette River bottom land lying right on the river. Boat landing on the place. 38 miles from Portland. 12 miles from Knlem S miles tn Oregon Electric. Two eood houses: large, new barti on concrete foundation. Other outbuildings. Woven wire fences. No rock or gravel. Soil is un usually rich. Will grow alfalfa, com and onions and, in fact, anything that is grown in the State of Oregon. Soil Is warm, therefore has an early crop. Grass in great abundance. Just the iaee for hogs and cattle. The price has been $12,000, and is cheap at that. The owner is hard pressed for money, and In order to make a quick turn will let ..it go for $9000. $2500 cash, and the balance on time at 6 per cent interest, ALSO 68 acres on the river, close to above. Has large three-story barn, with hay fork and track; steel stanchions for 15 cows, with concrete flooring; is partitioned off for horses, hogs and calves: cement dipping tank, two good houses and other outbuildings. Price $5500. Worth $9000. $2000 cash will handle. ALSO 80 acres under woven wire fence. Very rich soil, Biiltable for garden trucking, nursery stock or general farming. This land should produce a good revenue In a few years. It Is now used for pasturage, grass growing in great abundance. Has scattering maple and alder trees, with some brush, but is easily cleared. Lies on county road and close to school. Price $5000. $2000 will handle. The above properties are owned by one person who might accept some exchange In the Willamette Valley, providing the properties are put in at market values No inflated values considered. Must have 'the stated cash on each piece in order to make a deal. TO TRADE FOR A WILLAMETTE VALLEY FARM A -fine ranch of 66 ncres, 25 miles southeast of Spokane, in Palouse country, on electric line. 25 acres in 6-year-old apple trees, 6 acres In 3-year-old trees, 5 ncres in pears apricots ami peaches, and 6 acres In apple orchard, bearing heavily. ISalance of land under cultivation. Excellent fences. Close to town. IIouso modern, with fireplace and nil built-in effects. Excellent barn and all outbuildings. This place is well kept and Is a money producer. The owner is anxious to locate In the Willamette Valley, as his relatives are in that district. His price Is $16,250. Will tRke $ir00 cash and an Improved farm in the Willamette Valley for the balance or a hardware stock In the same district. SUBURBAN RANCH CLOSE TO PORTLAND 41 acres just outside city limits of Heaveiton, excellent soil, for which Beaverton is noted. Woven wire fence and cross-fence. 5 acres In full-bearing orchard, consisting of SpitzenburKh and Northern Spy. All kinds of berries. Has goud five-room house, excellent barn, 40x44, and all outbuilding". Has good well and pump. City water piped In front of the place. One acre sold from farm this Kali for $1000. Price is $2o,T00. . Will trado for a dairy farm in the Willamette Valley up to the full amount. JOHN E. HOWARD, 309 Chamber of Commerce, Portland, Or.