FARMERS' REGlSTER-FEEDlNa HOGS ON RAW AND STEAMED FOOD. ^80 



into profitably, wliere food is very high in price, and 

 coal very low. It must, however, be remarked, 

 that the winter 1832-33 was a remarkably tnild one; 

 on the contrary, had it been very irosty and cold 

 there can be nu doubt the cattle on raw Ibod (with, 

 every care) Avould have lallen back; and lastly, 

 that there cannot be a doubt that in the leedmg oi' 

 swine prepared tbod is tlie best. 



[By the accompanying certified statement, it 

 appears that, of the cattle, Lot Ijfed on raw food, 

 the weight was 183 st. 11 lbs. Dutch, while that 

 of Lot 2, fed on steam food, was 179 st. 10 lbs.; 

 but the weight afler the exjieriment is not mention- 

 ed, it being only stated in general terms, by Mr. 

 James Williamson, who purchased the catde, 

 that, on killing them, he "took particular notice of 

 the quality of the beef and weight of tallow in 

 each lot, and found them, to the best of his judge- 

 ment, to be perfectly alike." 



The cost of keeping the five cattle on raw food 

 amounted to £32 2 1, while that of the cattle 

 on prepared food Avas £31 5 10, there bemg a 

 balance of £2 3 9 in flxvor of the raw food. 



With respect to the pigs, it appears that the 

 five put on boiled food weighed at the commence- 

 ment of the experiment on the 1st December 5 

 cwt. 2 qrs. 22 lbs., and at its termination on the 

 1st March 10 cwt. 1 qr. 1 lb.; while the five fed 

 on raw food weighed at these different periods 5 

 cwt. 2 qrs. 22 lbs., and 8 cwt. 1 qr. 15 lbs., leaving 

 a very decided difierence in favor of those fed on 

 prepared food. The expense in the case of the 

 latter was £6 19 42, and in that of the pigs 

 ftixl on raw food £5 8 G, so that the profit was 

 after all inconsiderable.] 



REPORT OF EXPERIMENT OF FEEDING PIGS ON 

 RAW AND STEAMED FOOD. 



By Mr. Robert Walker, Ferrygate, Haddington. 



From the Prize Essays and Transactions of tlie Higliland Soci- 

 ety of Scotland. 



We put up to feed, on the 4th March 1833, five 

 pigs on steamed potatoes, and five on raw potatoes, 

 with an allowance of 2^ lbs. of broken barley each 

 lot, the barley, lor the steamed lot, being steamed 

 along with the potatoes. They were allowed the 

 same quantity of potatoes, but, from the circum- 

 stance of their being, when put up, only 2^ months 

 old, and from the same brood, we were not able to 

 keep so accurate an account of the quantity of po- 

 tatoes consumed; because as they increased in 

 size, they ate more potatoes. 



The following Table will exhibit the improve- 

 ment in pounds weight. 



1833 Weight in lbs. 



March 4. Live weight of five pigs, on raw 



food, - . - - 108 

 Ditto of 5 ditto, steamed food, 106 



Difference in favor of raw food, 2 



19. Live weight of five pigs, on 



steamed food, - - 114 



Ditto of five ditto, on raw food, 111 



Difference in favor of steamed food, 3 

 30. Live weight of five pigs, on 



steamed food, - - 137 



Ditto of five ditto, on raw food, 123J 



Difference in favor of steamed food, 13| 



May I, Live weight of five pigs, on 



steamed food, • - 205 



Ditto of five dittOi on raw fobdj 176 



Difference in favor of steamed food, 30 

 June 1. Live weight of five pigs, on 



steamctl food, - - 279 



Ditto of five ditto, on raw food, 223 



Total difference in favor of steamed food, 56 



In the three months, the pigs on steamed food 

 have increased 173 lbs., being 67 lbs. more than 

 double; while those on raw food have only in- 

 creased 115 lbs., being 7 lbs. more than double 

 their first weight, so that tJiere can be very little 

 doubt that steamed food is more profitable for feed- 

 ing pigs than raw food. In fiict, the reporter does 

 not think it possible to make pigs fat on raw pota- 

 toes, without other food, when confined to them 

 alone. 



ON THE IMPORTANCE OF I.IQUID MANURE IN 

 HORTICULTURE, AND THE PECULIAR AD- 

 VANTAGES OF SOOT AS AN INGREDIENT FOR 

 THAT PURPOSE. 



By Mr. John Robertson, F. H. S. Nurseryman, Kil- 

 kenny. 



From the Gardener's Magazine. 



Amongst the many advantages which horticul- 

 ture has derived from Mr. Knight's enhghtened 

 application of science to its practice, we may reck- 

 on as not the least important, his earnest and re- 

 peated recommendation of liquid manures. In 

 general, liquid manures have not had that impor- 

 tance attached to them by gardeners which they 

 merit. They may at all times be resorted to with 

 advantage; but, in a number of instances, and par- 

 ticularly where immediate effects is required, no 

 other manure can be so well applied. To enume- 

 rate their uses and preparation, however, would 

 demand more consideration than I am enabled to 

 bestow; — my present object being solely to point 

 out a material for the purpose, which I have long 

 availed myself of with success, though it seems- to 

 have been overlooked by most gardeners — it is 

 soot. 



Sir H. Davy characterizes soot as "a powerful 

 manure, possessing ammoniacal salt, empyreuma- 

 tic oil, and charcoal, which is capable of being 

 rendered soluble by the action of oxygen, or pure 

 vital air;" all which component parts rank high as 

 nutritious or stimulant manures. On meadows I 

 have used soot with great advantage in substance, 

 and though sown by the hand, one dressing gave 

 me always heavy crops of hay for two successive 

 seasons; but this is a wasteful mode of applymgit, 

 a great proportion of its ammonia, one of its most 

 active ingredients, being volatilized and dissipated 

 in the atmosphere. When dissolved in water 

 there is no Avaste:— it is all available, and for horti- 

 cultural purposes I have mostly used it in that 

 state, mixing it up in the porportion of about six 

 quarts of soot to a hogshead of water. Aspara-- 

 gus, peas, and a variety of other veo;etables, I 

 have manured with it with as much effect as if I 

 had used solid dung; but to plants in pots, par- 

 ticularly pines, I have found it admirably well 

 adapted: when watered with it, they assume a 

 deep healthy green, and grow strong and luxuri- 



