Sec. 2.] 



SWINE— GAIJI IN FEEDING. 



23 



" Probably nine tenths of our best practical farmers could, without hesita- 

 tion, give you an approximate answer in general terms." 



This is exactly what we supposed, and tliat they would give nothing but 

 an approximate answer in general terms, because there is a general lack of 

 positive information upon this and many other imjjortant matters connected 

 Avith the farming interest. Mr. Eenick gives the gain upon five hogs fed by 

 himself in tlic common rougli method of the West — that is, turned into the 

 corn-field, 200 head together. Three of these hogs weighed, at seven months 

 old, 140 lbs. each, and two older ones weighed 125 lbs. each. After feeding 

 120 days, the tliree weighed 2S6 lbs. net average, and the two ISolbs. 



" Now, say that hogs on an average will eat 20 bushels of corn per hundred 

 head per day for tlie first 60 days, 10 busliels for the next 30 days, and 12 

 bushels per hundred head per day for tlie last 30 days, and we have 21 

 bushels i^er head for the whole time of 120 days (thougli this is under rather 

 than over the mark), and we have a production in the case of the three hogs 

 of lO-^lbs. of gross ]3ork for a busliel of corn, and but a small fraction ovei 

 5 lbs. per bushel for tlio two hogs."' 



Now, this is exactly in proof of what Ave originally stated. It is all guess- 

 work. Mr. Renick further says: 



"The large feeders of hogs and cattle are oftentimes greatly mistaken in 

 tlieir calculations iu regard to the quantity of stock their corn will feed, 

 sometimes largely overruiming, and again falling largely short of their. 

 calculations." 



Tliis is not to be wondered at, when it is considered that no one pretends 

 to have any settled rule of action, but buys as many lean cattle or hogs as 

 he guesses he can fatten. Mr. Reniek thinks the most common answer to 

 the question would be something like this : 



"That hogs fed in the ordinary way will gain from one pound to one and 

 a half pounds per day, and they will consume some twenty bushels or more of 

 corn in three and a half or four months ; that it all depends upon the quality 

 of the hogs, quality of the corn, M-eathcr, and other contingencies." 



The gain varies from five to twelve pounds gross per bushel. So he says: 

 " "We will compromise the matter by giwsslny that, all things favorable, one 

 bushel of corn, fed in the ordinarA' way, will make seven pounds gross weight." 

 It is, after all, then, nothing but guessing. And we guess that feeding corn, 

 where it is worth a dollar a bushel, as it frequently is in and about New 

 York, won't pay while dressed hogs are sold from the hooks, as they gener- 

 ally are, at seven or eight cents a pound, atul the average price of live li<igs 

 is less than six cents a pound. With our arithmetic we can not figure up any 

 profit for a farmer hereabouts to keep a single hog more than he wants to 

 cat up the milk and house-slops, and a little waste grain ; and probai)Iy that 

 could be more profitably fed to poultry. 



Tlic greatest advantage from feeding grain to nuike pork in all the Xew 

 England States must bo looked for more in the manure than in the meat. 

 Where manure must be purchased, it may be jDrofitablc to purchase corn- 



