311 



each pen, into which bog-mud and Utter are thrown for their 

 manufacture and compounding, and they have always a dry 

 and comfortable bed. They are fed regularly three times a 

 day. I shall subjoin an account given by himself of his mode 

 of management, which the farmers will read with interest ; and 

 shall annex in the Appendix,* a sketch of his styes or barracks. 



"An inquiry is often made as to the best time of killing, or 

 at what age it is most profitable to slaughter them. On a large 

 farrh where much green herbage is produced and where the 

 value of the manure is taken into the account, the pigs killed 

 at the age of 15 and 16 months, give the greatest profit. When 

 it is intended to kill them at this age, they may be kept on 

 more ordinary and cheaper food for the first 10 or 12 months, 

 or till within 4 or 5 months of the time of killing. The man- 

 ure they make and the extra weight of pork more than pay the 

 expense incurred in keeping them the longer time ; but the 

 spring pigs which are to be killed the ensuing winter and spring, 

 must be kept upon the best of food from the time they are ta- 

 ken from the sow until they are slaughtered. 



" The older class of pigs for the first 10 or 12 months are 

 kept principally upon brewers' grains, with a small quantity of 

 Indian or barley meal, or rice, ruta-baga, sugar-beet, &c., and 

 in the season of clover, peas, oats, cornstalks, weeds, &c., they 

 are cut green and thrown into the pens ; the next 4 or 5 months 

 before killing they have as much Indian meal, barley meal or 

 rice, with an equal quantity of potatoes, apples or pumpkins, 

 as they will eat, the whole being well cooked and salted, and 

 given to them about blood warm. During the season of fat- 

 tening, an ear or two of hard corn is every day given to each 

 pig. This small quantity they will digest well, and of course 

 there is no waste. Shelled corn, soaked in water made as salt 

 as the water of the ocean for 48 hours, with a quart of wood 

 ashes added to each bushel and given to them occasionally in 

 small quantities, greatly promotes their health and growth. 

 Their health and appetite is also greatly promoted by throwing 



* Appendix, L. 



