176 HARRIS ON THE PIG. 



sirable that the meal should be cooked by pouring upon 

 it boiling water, and stirring it carefully until it is made 

 into " pudding." In the dairy there is usually much hot 

 water thrown away, which might be used for this purpose, 

 without cost, and with little labor. 



Since the introduction of cheese factories, dairy farmers 

 cannot keep as many pigs through the summer as former- 

 ly, but early in the spring, before the factories commence 

 operations, the milk is used at home ; and it is well to 

 have some litters of young pigs, which can be sold to 

 good advantage soon after weaning. The sows can be 

 summered on grass and on the slops of the house, and an- 

 other litter would be obtained in the fall. When cows 

 are well wintered, and fed on more or less grain or oil- 

 cake, then fall pigs can be kept through the winter in 

 good condition at very slight expense, and they will be 

 valuable to sell to the factories or other feeders the next 

 summer. Usually, this system will pay better than at- 

 tempting to fatten them at home. 



PIGS ON GRAIN FARMS. 



On farms where much grain is grown, and only a few 

 cows are kept, it is usually not profitable to keep a large 

 stock of pigs. The common mistake made, however, is 

 not in keeping too many, but in not feeding them liberal- 

 ly. As a rule, the pigs are kept on short allowance until 

 they are shut up to fatten, after the corn is ripe, although 

 there can be no doubt that a bushel of corn, fed to pigs 

 while on clover during the summer, will produce double 

 or treble as much pork as a bushel of new corn fed in 

 cool weather, in the autumn, when the pigs have nothing 

 but corn. A few fall pigs can be kept in the yards dur- 

 ing the winter to good advantage, especially if the cattle 

 are fed grain. But it is a great mistake to stint young 

 pigs through the winter, although it must be confessed 



