42 



pork. Then flic hog was used to coasuiue the whey and skhn— 

 mcd milk of our dairies. Xow a large part of" the milk is^ 

 sold. 



l^efore the potato rot appeared, they were exteusi\-ely used 

 in many places for feeding swine ; their market Aalue now is 

 too great for that purpose. 



We think that Indian corn can not now be profitably grown 

 for feeding swine by the farmers of this county, except by a 

 few such men as Dr. J. H. Nichols, who have discovered the- 

 secret of growing it without animal manure ; yet still we think 

 that a small number of pigs may be economically kept upon 

 our farms. They will in part, live upon the refuse of the 

 kitchi?u, and things that would otherwise be lost. The hog,, 

 in his Avay, is a disorganizer ; give him the tough tassocks of 

 our bog meadoAvs, and he delights in tearing their matted 

 roots apart. AVe can turn this propensity of the hog to some- 

 practical advantage, if we keep his sty well supplied with veg- 

 etable matter which he will convert into good manure. 



It is not Avell to put loam or any fine soil into his pen, for 

 it soon l)ecomes a compact mass ; but if Ave give him some or- 

 ganic matter, he a\ ill keep it in motion until he makes it good 

 food for plants. 



None of those Avho have entered their swine for premium, 

 have given us any estimate of tlic cost of groAving a pound of" 

 jiork. In published statistics upon this subject, Ave find it es- 

 timated that a bushel of corn meal Avill make seven jjounds of 

 pork, in others that it made forty pounds. We think that 

 the smaller estimate is much nearer the average If avc allow 

 a bushel of meal to make 8 lbs. of pork, and estimate the nia- 

 inu'c to pay for the labor of feeding, aa'C can approxiniatc to- 

 tho cost of making pork. 



The (Committee Avere unanimous in awarding the first pre- 

 mium and diploma to 



Penny and Ash, of Saugus, for their improved Chester 

 Boar. We think this should have been called a grade Chester ,. 



