COOKING POOD FOR PIGS. 223 



be considered an open one that is to say, as to whether 

 it is more economical to steam roots and meal, or to pulp 

 the roots and mix meal with the pulp, and then allow the 

 mixture to ferment, has not been satisfactorily determined. 

 It depends, probably, a good deal on the conveniences for 

 doing the work. 



If we might hazard an opinion, from a quite limited 

 experience, we should say that, for store pigs and breed- 

 ing stock, we should prefer, where there are good conven- 

 iences for steaming, to pulp the roots, mix them with suf- 

 ficient hay chaff to absorb the juice, and then add a little 

 meal, and steam the whole mixture together. The clover 

 hay imparts an agreeable flavor to the cooked mass, and 

 the pigs eat it with far more avidity than they will eat 

 the raw pulp and meal "mixture. If we can winter our 

 pigs on roots, and clover hay, with a little meal, one of the 

 chief objections to keeping a large stock of pigs is en- 

 tirely removed. They are then kept on food, the produc- 

 tion of which enriches, rather than impoverishes, the soil, 

 while the manure from it is of the richest and most valu- 

 able description. 



Where pigs are kept for the purpose of supplying the 

 demand for choice fresh pork, cooking will probably be 

 found essential to success. The pigs should be ready for 

 market at from four to five months old. In proportion to 

 the food consumed, young pigs (and probably all other 

 animals) grow much more rapidly than older ones. But 

 if they are to grow rapidly, and fatten at the same time, 

 they must have the richest and most easily digestible food. 

 Of course they must be fed with judgment, varying the 

 food as occasion requires, and sometimes giving raw 

 grain, but our main dependence must be steamed roots 

 and meal ; or, in the absence of roots, we must have 

 cooked meal, with sufficient steamed hay or grass to fill 

 the stomach, and keep the bowels regular. The richer the 

 food, provided the pigs can eat enough of it to fill their 



