KEEPING PIGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1243, 25 September 1875, Page 18

KEEPING PIGS.

One of the regular contributors to the American Agriculturist had been on a visit to some of his farming friends, and on his return home, wrote as follows :—: — " I got several capital idea 3 from my short visit, one of which I have adopted since I came back. I always knew it was a good plan, but there is nothing like seeing the thing earned out on an extensive scale in practice. When I came home, I said to my men, " You recollect those three gentlemen who were here during the State Fair. They live near Boston, and I have just been to see their farms. And I wish you could see them too. I do not think I ever saw more active, enterprising, and intelligent farmers in this or any other country. One of them keeps 200 pigs, and I was on another farm where 150 were kept." "We've got pretty near as many," said Willie. " Yes, but do you see yonder big straw stack," I replied. "Big as it looks, we shall have to be very saving of it, or we shall be short of bedding before next harvest. Now, these gentlemen do not have one-tenth as mucli straw, and yet they manage to keep their cow stables and pig pens as clean as we do, and let none of the liquid run to waste." "Perhaps," suggested Willie, " they me com stalks, or potato fops, driedmuckfrom the s wamp. " " No, " I replied, "it is something that we have plenty of. There are loads of it close at hand." ."I know what it is," said Charley; "it's dirt." " Charley has guessed it," I aaid. "In the summer they draw a quantity of dry earth from the roads, or from anywhere most convenient, and store it up in the barn ready f«r use. And every day they scatter a few shovelfuls of this dry dirt about the pens and stables. And now," I continued, "right under the barn, where we are making the now cellar, is all the dry earth we need. Fill that empty pig pen with it, and use as much of it, every day as you want in tho cow stable and in the pig pens to keep them dry and sweet, {scatter a little of it on at a time. You will find a wheelbarrowful will go a good way." 'J his is a long story about a very simple matter. But ii had the desired effect. It carried conviction. And now, if I was writing an article for the papers, I should say we are using "dry earth as an absorbent and disinfectant." But in these plain " talks " 1 say, wo aro using dirt to keep the pig pens clean.