rHE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



47 



besides the kinds or ihe quantity of (bod given 

 them. Much depends on the breed, as every 

 farmer luiovvs ; much on ihe health of the aniin;il ; 

 something on tlie season of the year. 1 tailed in 

 attempting to (atten several swine in one case, 

 though tiaey were careluliy attended and various 

 kmdsof leed were tried, and the failure was to- 

 tally inexplicable until they were slaughtered, 

 when the intestines were lound corroded with 

 worms, resembling those Ibund in the human 

 stomach, and this, I have no doubt prevented their 

 thrift. The same lact has occurred in another 

 instance, and with the same result. I failed in 

 attempting to fatten some other swine, who had 

 been driven a considerable distance and exposed, 

 probably not even hall" led on the road, to severe 

 cold and storms. Some of them were Irost-bitteii 

 in their limbs ; and though attended and fed in 

 the most carelul manner they made no progress 

 for months. In an experiment recently made, ol 

 giving swine raw meal mixed with waier, I have 

 Ibund a falling off in their gain of nearly one half, 

 compared with giving their Ibod cooked, such as 

 boiled potatoes and carrots, mixed with meal 

 while hot ; the result being in a sty conlaininj; a 

 number of swine, as 279 to 500. In respect to 

 confinement or Ireedom, various opinions are en- 

 tertained. The Shakers at Canterbury, N. H., 

 deem it indispensable to the thriving of their 

 swine that they should have access to water 

 to wallow or to wash themselves in ; and that 

 they by no means do so well without it. On this 

 point 1 have had no trial further than to satisly 

 myself that fatting hogs are sometimes injured by 

 being suffered to root in the earth. 



With respect to the age at which it is advan- 

 tageous to put up swine to fatten, I have only to 

 remark, that it is with swine as with other ani- 

 mals, there are some breeds which come much 

 'sooner to maturity than others. A successliji 

 larmer in Saratoga county, N. Y., says that 

 March pigs, killed about Christmas, are the most 

 profitable for pork. Four pigs of what is called 

 the grass breed, were slaughtered at Greenfield, N. 

 Y., which weighed 348 lbs., 318 lbs., 310 lbs. and 

 306 lbs. at nine months and seventeen days old. 



On this point, I present a letter with which 1 

 was honored by the late John Lowell, whose 

 authority in the agricultural community is justly 

 estimated. 



''Dear sir: — I have been prevented answer- 

 ing your inquiries as to my experience in raising 

 old or young pigs. 1 may say that I have fully 

 and clearly ascertained, Irom a trial of 20 years, 

 that young pigs of from 25 to 30 lbs. will give 

 nearly double, in some remarkable case three 

 times as many lbs. as shoats of 6 months weigh- 

 ing from 100 to 150. I have taken two pigs of 

 100 lbs. each, age six months, and never was 

 able between May and November, to get them 

 above 180, rarely above 170. 1 have taken three 



" 3 pigs of 90 wt. or 30 wt. each, will 

 give ordinarily 510 lbs. 



less original wt. 90 olten 



not more than 60. 



gain 420 lbs. 

 2 pigs of 100 wt. each, will give or- 

 dinarily 340 lbs. 

 less original wt..200 



gain 140 

 " But the 3 pigs of 90 will not consuine lor the 

 first 3 months halt so much is the 2 ol 100 each, 

 and I have kepi a 4ih and sold it in August tor 

 quarter pork. 



"There is nothing new or remarkable, in ihecje 

 lact?. It is the law ol' the whole animal creation. 

 It is true of the call and of man. The child of 7 

 lbs. quadruples its weight in 12 n)onths; and the 

 calf of 60 wt. if fine and well led will weigh 

 600 wt. at the end of the year, and (if a female) 

 will not double the last weight at any age. 



" P. S. I', should be remarked that the weight 

 at purchase is live weight, and at sale dead or net 

 weight, because in truth, to the owner this is the 

 true moile ot considering the subject. No doubt my 

 sort of Ibod is peculiarly favorable to young ani- 

 mals, it consisting in very liberal allowance of 

 milk. If the older pigs were at once put on Indi- 

 an meal they would attain to 250 lbs. at a year old, 

 but the cost of the meal at 70 cts. per bushel 

 would amount to 9 dollars, and if the first cost, 5 

 dollars 50 cents, be added, and the pig sold at 6 

 cents, there would be but 2 dollars gain on 2 pigs 

 of 100 lbs. each ; while 3 small pigs without 

 meal fed on miik would give 24 dollars in the 

 same time. I do not mean to give minute details 

 but general views. As an important qualification 

 of the tbregoing statement it should be added, that 

 shoals of 6 months bought out of droves have 

 usually been stinted in their growth, and ani- 

 mals like trees, recover slowly after a check. I 

 presume if shoats were taken from a careful and 

 iiberafowner the difierence would be less. But 

 as a general law it may be safely affirmed, that 

 weight for weight at the purchase, Ihe younger 

 the animal the greater the positive, and the far 

 greater the net gain. At least such is my own 

 experience and belief." 



The preceding diets and experiments encourage 

 the belief that hogs may be raised and fattened 

 by the farmer to advantage, where corn is worth 

 about 70 cents per bushel, and his pork will bring 

 him 6 cents per lb. Success must greatly depend 

 on skill, care, selection, and good management. 

 The best swine that I have ever found have been 

 in dairy countries, for there cannot be a doubt that 

 milk and whey for every animal are among the 

 most nutritious of aliments. Indian meal proba- 

 bly ranks next, though many farmers prefer a 

 mixture of provender, such a* corn, oats, rye, or 

 barley ; but I believe in all cases cooked food will 

 have a decided advantage over that which is giv- 



pigs of about 30 lbs. each, and on the same food en in a raw state : an advantage more than equi 



which I gave to the two, they would weigh from valent to the labor and expense of its preparation. 



170 to 180 each in the same period ; — nay I have Potatoes are a valuable article o'.' fbod, but tlie 



taken pigs of 200, and never could get them to 

 weigh more than 300 in 7 months on my food. 

 The way I ascertain the quantity of fbod is, tiiat 

 1 never give any thing but the produce of my 

 dairy, and the refuse of the garden, peaches, ap- 

 ples, and cabbage, which are uniform generally. 



pork is not so good as that fattened upon corn. 

 Carrots are more nutritious than potatoes. 

 Corn given in a raw slate or on the ear is a most 

 wastellil management. 



Swine ought to be kept on every farm in suffici- 

 ent numbers to consume all the uUul and waste of 



