SWINE. 17T 



The difficult part of the problem is to carry his shotes through 

 the winter months at such an expense as to make the first two 

 hundred pounds cost about two-thirds as much as the last two 

 hundred pounds, or whatever the addition is, thus reducing the 

 actual cost of the dressed pork to a paying rate. To accomplish 

 this, the first essential, as already stated, is warm, dry, sunny 

 quarters, so that all the food given goes to growth and fattening. 



The second essential is perfect regularity in the times of feed- 

 ing, so that the pigs shall not fret and squeal away their flesh. 



The third essential is to give enough of nutritious food to 

 satisfy the natural appetite. Any attempt to save by short com- 

 mons or " extended " rations will make both pork and purse 

 without breadth and thickness. These three items, which are • 

 matters of care and judgment rather than cash, will make a 

 difference of at least one cent per pound in the cost of his pork. 



In selecting the kinds of feed, he will remember that growth 

 is a primary object, and take such as naturally produce bones 

 and muscle, and such as are adapted to generate animal heat. 

 And the mess should be fed warm for the same reason. On the 

 farm there is more or less milk, even in the winter, and this of 

 course goes into the swill-tub. Next to this, as a chief reliance, 

 both in goodness and cheapness, comes sugar beets. These are 

 highly relished by swine, in both a raw and cooked state, though 

 for winter feeding they should be cooked. The sugar of beets 

 goes to keep up the temperature and vigor of the system, as 

 well as afford nourishment. Sweet apples are of the same gen- 

 eral nature. But these alone will not satisfy the hunger and 

 insure growth. The animal must have gluten and lime and oil 

 as well as sugar. And these are most plentiful in the grains. 

 What kind of grain should be most relied on, will depend on 

 the ruling prices for the time being. Wheat bran, oat and bar- 

 ley meal more directly produce bone and muscle, and scraps and 

 corn meal supply the oil for producing fat. Variety is relished 

 by growing pigs, and a mixture of grains seems necessary to 

 keep up a healthy condition. The mess should be salted twice 

 a week. With corn at one dollar per bushel, and oats at sixty- 

 five cents, it is safe to depend mainly on them and the beets, as 

 these two grains contain in large per cent, both growing and 

 fattening properties. His pork thus made, the first two hun- 

 dred pounds will cost him under six cents per pound. 



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