202 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



To prevent loss of pigs by overlaying, the best arrangement known is to 

 provide the two sides of the pen, where the bed is arranged with a boai-d or 

 joist running along the sides about eight inches from the floor, and ten or 

 twelve inches from the side of the pen. This gives a chance for the pigs to 

 slide under it out of the way of being crushed. There is annually a large loss 

 of pigs from overlaying, which might nearly all be avoided, if attention were 

 given to this small matter. It is the custom in the summer to give bogs a 

 range of pasture, some giving them the chance with other stock only, while 

 the appreciating ones prepare a good clover pasture for their benefit, on which 

 they do well without grain, though some feed sparingly of corn during the 

 season of good pasturage, increasing the feed of corn until pasture fails, when 

 they are forced ahead with all speed for the market, if the stock is to be mar- 

 keted that fall. Old corn is found much more desirable and economical to feed 

 to fattening hogs. Hogs while at pasture should be frequently moderately 

 salted, say once a week, and have access to good water, but not to wallow in. 

 In feeding corn, the feed should be only all they will eat up clean. 



COOKED FEED. 



There is no difference in the opinions of men Avho have thoroughly tried 

 cooked corn feed for hogs while fattening. ThejTec^ goes further, and the hog 

 will gain more rapidly on such feed, some careful feeders placing the saving at 

 least 30 per cent, over corn fed in the eai. The advantage would not be so 

 apparent, probably, were the hogs to have the range of a pasture, as the 

 change of feed and exercise would secure a better digestion of dry corn. The 

 recent inventions for cooking large quantities of feed at a small expense by the 

 use of a portable steam boiler made for the purpose, which is very safe, has 

 done much to encourage this method of feeding. The food to be cooked is 

 placed in any convenient receptacle, such as a hogshead or tank made for the 

 purpose, the steam to be conveyed to them through a flexible pipe, which ia 

 readily turned from one to another, as desired. 



The same apparatus is very convenient at killing time for heati.^g water and 

 trying out lard. 



FIELD FEEDING. 



In the large cattle feeding districts, where corn is usually to be found cheap, 

 the practice is to have two feeding lots near the corn-fields, the corn is cut up 

 and drawn to one of these yards, where the cattle feed for one day. The hogs 

 (one to three, as the size and age may warrant for each head of neat stock) 

 are then turned in to pick up and eat the corn scattered by the cattle, while 

 the cattle are turned into the other feeding lot and fed with fresh corn from the 

 field. Thus they are alternated until the cattle are turned off to the markets, 

 which is generally some weeks previous to the hog market. The hogs are 

 then put on old corn and pushed as fast as possible until ready for market. 

 The practice with some is to let cattle and hogs run together ; there is, how- 

 ever, much more'danger of being trodden upon or injured by the cattle. The 

 usual age for marketing hogs is from sixteen to twenty months. 



DISTILLERY FEEDING. 



I This has been a favorite method of feeding hogs. They are usually picked 

 up early in the spring at weights ranging from 100' to 150 pounds, an^ placed 

 in pens, when the slop is conveyed to them in troughs while hot. It is not 

 uncommon to confine them without ever removing them from the pens until 

 taken to the slaughter-house. At other places where distilleries are situated 

 contiguous- to ranges, they are allowed the range of a pasture, where they 

 obtain a change of feed. 



