216 DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



they can thus cater for themselves; and the hours for so doing should 

 be in the morning, before they are let out, and in the evening, before 

 they are returned to the sty. Too many swine should not be kept 

 in one sty; and if one become an object of persecution to the rest, he 

 should be withdrawn. The introduction of strangers should likewise be 

 avoided. Bacon hogs fatten best by themselves ; they need no liberty; 

 and it is only necessary to keep the sty dry and clean, and to feed 

 abundantly, in order to prepare them for the knife. In order to fatten 

 a hog, his comforts must in every respect be attended to. 



Those who make pork-feeding a business, and consequently keep a 

 number of these animals, should so manage as to be enabled to provide 

 for tlieir maintenance and fattening from the produce of their crops. 

 They should therefore raise the potato, beans, pease, barley, buckwheat, 

 flax, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, Lucerne, Italian rye-grass, clover, 

 rape, chiccory, and vetches. Nor are we to forget the important articles, 

 mangold and Swedish turnips ; the latter especially, as being an article 

 that sad necessity has recently, for the first time, brought into the full 

 degree of notice it has always deserved ; and an article that is now found 

 to be no less valuable for human food than it is admitted to be for the 

 food of cattle. 



The best possible mode of feeding hogs is with a mixture of two or 

 more of the roots or plants enumerated, well steamed, and a little meal 

 or bran added, or, instead of meal or bran, add brewer's grains, wash, 

 half-malted barley, pollard, etc. Let these be well boiled and given 

 moderately cool, and in a moist state. 



Tlie advantages derivable from the use of hay-tea in store-feeding hogs 

 was, I think, for the first time demonstrated to the public, some years 

 ago, by Mr. Saunders, of Stroud, in Gloucestershire. Mr. Saunders was 

 induced to try this diet with hog-s, from an observation of its efficacy in 

 weaning calves; his experiments were attended with the most unquali- 

 fied success. 



The use of flax-seed, as an addition to the other food for fc^ttening 

 swine, has been recommended, but is found not to answer nearly so well 

 in the crude state as previously kiln-dried, and well crushed, so as to 

 crack the seed; otherwise the animal will pass a large proportion of the 

 seed in a whole state; the whole seed acts as a purgative and diuretic, 

 which will be opposed to the secretion of fat. To prepare the seed for 

 food, steep them for twelve hours in water, which may be poured on 

 them in a tepid state, but not at boiling heat ; and, prior to giving the 

 mess, add as much lukewarm wash as will bring it to the consistence of 

 gruel. This wash may be produced from brewers' grains, or simply 

 from mangold or Swedish turnips, well boiled and mashed, and given 

 with the water in which they have been boiled ; the addition of a pro- 

 portion of bran improves the mess, and, when one has it, it should not 

 be omitted. 



The adoption of hay -tea as the vehicle for mixing these ingredients, 

 will be found also advantngeons. Do not boil the flax-seed — boiling 

 will produce a coarse, tough, and not very digestible mass; but steep- 

 ing, on the contrary, furnishes a rich and nutritious jelly. Linseed cake 

 is a good substitute for the seed, and is to be given in a proportion of 



