1838] 



FARMERS' R K G r S T E R 



645 



could not conveniently keep a breeding;; cow. Having 

 this advantas^e. there is scarcely a cottager, or weaver's 

 family, in the neighborhood, who have not their fat 

 pig killed, after being fed on tiie refuse of their pota- 

 toes and the ollals of their kitchen, to the weight 

 of (roin eight to twelve stone.* In the vicinity of large 

 towns, antl particuhirly where there is the atlvantage 

 of a dairy, it will be found more pi'ofitable to keep 

 them until about four niontlis old, and sell tiicm fat as 

 porkers, unless when they are farrowed so early in the 

 spring as tliat they would become fit for the butcher in 

 the heat of summer, at which time pork is not usually 

 saleable. 



3. Store pis;s are those which have attained nearly 

 half their growth, and should be separated from others 

 in the course of May, when tliey may be turned 

 out upon the artificial grasses. Here they are to con- 

 tinue till Michalraas; but in order that this system ot 

 management may be attended with due effect, it is ne- 

 cessary that all the fences be in excellent repair, and 

 that there be a pond in the field to supply the animals 

 with water. A larger number of swine may be thus 

 kept, and they generally pay a fair price for their 

 feed ; but with all the advantages of the system, that 

 of. soiling swine in the yards, will usually be found 

 more profitable, notwithstanding the expense is great- 

 ly increased, and some portion of food will be ne- 

 cessarily wasted ; for, by being kept quiet and prevent- 

 ed trom rambling, they thrive faster than in the field, 

 and the manure is more valuable when thus collected, 

 than if dropped abroad. The proper vegetable crops 

 for this purpose are lucerne, cichory, clover,f tares, and 

 other green meat. But, in order to carry on this system 

 with etlect, there should be an ample supply of litter, 

 together with sand, peat, or earth, to be laid on 

 the ground for the purpose of absorbing the urine. 

 For the winter keep of store swine the various roots are 

 admirably calculated, such as turnips and potatoes, 

 which require to be boiled; and Swedish turnips, 

 cabbages, carrots, mangle-wurzel, and parsnips, which 

 may be given in a raw state. Potatoes, when given 

 alone, should be steamed ; but it has been found more 

 advantageous to give them in conjunction with turnips, 

 m which case the latter are boiled, and the liquor 

 is given with the roots, which are then made into 

 a mash ; the liquor from potatoes should never be 

 given. It may be almost unnecessary to add, that the 

 Swedish turnip is preferable to the white, whether 

 boiled or raw. With regard to the soiling of pigs. Sir 

 John Sinclair has noticed a discovery of considerable 

 moment; it is, that they may be soiled on cut green 

 beans with great profit, and that they are ravenously 

 fond of these. The Windsor sort is preferred ; and 

 the beans should be planted at three different times for 

 the sake of regular succession. The I'eeding may 

 commence in the beginning of July, and terminate 

 about the end of September. When pork is worth 

 T^d. per lb., the profit, besides a quantity of most valu- 

 able manure, is calculated to be about £10 per acre.f 



4. The business o[ fattening hogs is generally per- 

 formed in February or March, and in the month 

 of October. For pork, they are usually lattened 

 from six to nine months old ; for bacon, from nine 

 months to a year and a half; and store swine to the 

 same period, or very rarely, beyond two years; the 

 latter, however, is the preferable age, for substantial ba- 

 con for farmers' use, for which purpose the hog should 

 also be made quite fat. For porkers, butter-milk, 

 whey, and barley-meal are preferable ; lor bacon 

 hogs, equal parts of fresh pollard and pea-meal have 

 been recommended ; and it is a fact, that white pease 

 are much better calculated than beans either for feed- 



* Sir John Sinclair's System of Husbandry pursued in Scot- 

 land, vol. I, p. 149. 



t WhPre cottagers have gardens and keep pigs, it would he 

 profitable if they had a small spot of clover in tlieir garden to cut 

 for them. 



t Sir John Sinclair on ScotUsh Husbandrv, vol. H, p. 18. 



ing or fattening swine, as these animals not only fat- 

 ten more kindly when led with the first-mentioned 

 pulse, but their flesh swells in boiling, and has a good 

 flavor ; while that of swine fattened on beans will 

 shrink in tiie pot, the fat will boil out, and be less de- 

 licate in point oC taste. Hence many fanners even re- 

 ject grey-peas, as approaching too near to the nature 

 of the bean, and making the meat tough and diy. The 

 proportion of peas requisite to latten a hog necessarily 

 varies according to the size, breed, and kindliness of 

 disposition to fatten ; but forming an average judg- 

 mtrit from the weight of the animal, both beibre 

 and after he is put up, a hog in good condition when 

 put up, and intended to be fitted to twenty .score, will 

 consume about six or seven Winchester bushels of 

 peas; and it has been found that each bushel will in- 

 crease his weight after the rate of nine or ten pounds. 

 They are generally given raw; but some experiments 

 tend" to show that they might be more advantageously 

 used boiled to the consistence of thick sou]). It may 

 answer for porkers ; but we imagine that whole peas 

 will produce the best bacon. It is also said that eight 

 bushels of a mixture of equal parts of ground peas and 

 steamed potatoes, will fatten a hog of twelve stone 

 Weiiiht. 



The most profitable mode, in the estimation of Mr. 

 Young, of converting any kind of corn into food tor 

 swine consists in grinding it into meal, and mixing the 

 latter with water, in cisterns, in the proportion ot five 

 bushels of meal to one hundred gallons of water ; this 

 must be well stirred sev. ral times in the day, for a fort- 

 night, during warm weather, or for three weeks in a 

 colder season : at the expiration of which time it will 

 have fermented and become acid. In this state, and 

 not before, the wash is ready for use : it ought to be 

 stirred every time before feeding, and it will be neces- 

 sary to keep two or three cisterns fermenting in succes- 

 sion, in order to prevent it being used before it is duly 

 prepared. The difference of profit between feeding in 

 this manner, and giving the grain whole, or only 

 ground, Mr. Y. adds, is "so great, that whoever tries it 

 once, will not be induced to change it for the common 

 methods. The refuse wash, or grains of distilleries, 

 likewise furnish a wholesome and useful article in 

 the feeding and fattening of swine. The refuse of 

 starch manufactories is also employed with great ad- 

 vantage for the same purpose. For the general stock 

 of hogs, during the month of October, and part of No- 

 vember, cabbages are of incomparable use. Swine 

 are at that period often very cheap; and in such case 

 it is of material consequence, that the farmer be amply 

 supplied with an article of food, by which means he can 

 keep this stock for a better market ; in fact, without a 

 provision of cabbages, or other roots, it will be impos- 

 sible to keep large stocks of store swine to the best ad- 

 vantage. 



The time which is requisite for fattening may, upon 

 an average, be computed at five or six weeks, or 

 thence to two or three months; and tliis period will, in 

 most cases, be found fully adequate for the purpose, 

 though the length of time is necessarily regulated 

 by their kindliness of disposition to take on fat, the re- 

 lative goodness of their condition when first put up to 

 fatten, and the quality of the lood. On the latter sub- 

 ject more experiments have been tried on pigs, than 

 upon any other animal ; from an idea that in conse-' 

 quence of their extraordinary voracity, they will fatten 

 on any thing. It is true that they will grow with any 

 kind of garbage that fills their stomachs, and that they 

 will even put on a certain quantity of flesh when fed 

 only on potatoes; but good, firm bacon is oidy to 

 be made by means of sound corn and pulse, and in ex- 

 act proportion to the nutritive quality of the food will 

 ever be the weight and value of the meat. 



Whatever system of fattening swine may be adopted, 

 it is of essential consequence that they be kept waryi 

 and clean, especially in cold and damp weatiier, during 

 the period of fattening; and that they also be supplied 



