190 HARRIS ON THE PIG. 



We might quote much other evidence of a like charac- 

 ter, but the above is sufficient to show that the English 

 farmers can send to the United States for Indian corn, pay 

 freight, commission, and expenses, and then use it at a 

 profit in fattening pigs, which are sold at prices no higher 

 than the same quality of pork brings in ]STe\v York, Bos- 

 ton, or Philadelphia. Cannot we do the same thing here ? 

 Let those who undertake it, however, remember that the 

 demand is for choice, fine-boned, well-fatted pigs, of the 

 best quality. Such pigs would bring from three to five 

 cents per pound more than common hogs, and this, in 

 itself, is a large profit. 



CHAPTER XX. 



LIVE AND DEAD WEIGHT OF PIGS. 



The three grade Essex pigs (Nos. 3, 4, and 5) in Dr. 

 Miles' experiments at the Michigan Agricultural College, 

 previously alluded to (see page 118), were killed when 31 

 weeks old. Their live and dressed weights were as follows : 



Live. Dressed. Dressed to Live Weight. 



Per cent. 



No. 3 135J4 11214 83 



4 156 132 tf 85 nearly. 



5 14514 122 83= 



The live weight was taken before, feeding. For such 

 small pigs, this shows a very high proportion of dressed 

 to live weight. 



An Essex pig, about fifteen months old, belonging to 

 the writer, weighed, after sticking, 445 Ibs., and dressed, 

 as weighed the next day by the butcher, 409 Ibs. a 

 shrinkage of only a little over 8 per cent. Allowing 10 

 Ibs. for the blood, the pig would have weighed, alive, 455 

 Ibs., and dressed nearly 90 per cent. 



