272 



Management of Swine. 



Vol. VI. 



plough, compdPt our manures, dress our grass ' 

 lands, espcci;illy our clovers, sow wheat only 

 on clovir-lavs, leligious-ly abstain fromsowini^ 

 two {jrain crops in succession, seed our oats 

 instead of our wheat, plough less and feed 

 more, lay a portion of our land to pasture for 

 five or six years, and top-dress as heavily as 

 possible with compost of all kinds — lime form- 

 ing a large proportion — and this, let it be re- 

 membered, being preparatory to a course of 

 grain crops, when the land shall revert to 

 tillage on laying down that portion of the 

 farm now under the plough, and which grain 

 crops n)ust be debited with a portion of the 

 expense of such dressing — take more care of 

 our cattle if it be only for their dung, hus- 

 band our resources and return thanks for our 

 blessings, and the American farmer is assu- 

 redly the most enviable being in the world. 



In conclusion, I must beg your readers to 

 notice the last paragraph of the above extract 

 from the Journal of Agriculture : it contains 

 a volume of sound instruction, particularly 

 the remark that "although draining cannot 

 entirely alter the nature of soils, yet it will 

 afford to labour and manure the opportunity 

 of fertilizing it, whilst the climate above it 

 tvill he rendered innocuous.^^ ViR, 



Marcli 23, lcM2. 



Management of Swine. 



In the first place, there must be a good 

 piggery. There is a greater failure in this 

 respect than any other. The swine are too 

 cold in cold weather, and too warm in warm 

 weather. The owners of these animals do 

 not sufficiently consider that they require 

 to be comfortable, in order to thrive and do 

 well. It is a lamentable fact, notwithstand- 

 ing so much has been said and written on the 

 proper management of swine, that many have 

 hogs that are continually saddiixg and cry- 

 ing ; not so much on account of being scan- 

 tily fed, as for the want of a comfortable pig- 

 gery. I went by one of these miserable pens 

 the other night, where the inmates were 

 whining out something like the following: — 



Oh ! cruel master, why rin ye 

 Confine us in this piggery ? 

 Oil ! here we lie, without a bed, 

 Dirty and wet, from foot to head; 

 Boreas comes in, from every craclj, 

 And bilw our cars, our les^s and buck: 

 Thus wp shiver all the nijjht ; 

 We scold, we whint. and sometimes bite. 

 Hard inasterl shall it always be, 

 To have no belter piggery J 



Who can suppose that swine will do well, 

 when 60 uncomfortable and restless, and na- 

 ture forces them to whine out such heart- 

 rending complaints'! A moment's reflection 

 must convince everyone that swine ought to 

 have a dry, comfortable nest. I<^lrthermore, 

 it is highly neeessary that it siiould be so, 



that they can bask in the sun in cold weather, 

 and have the benefit of the air and shade in 

 the warm. There is no doubt but a third 

 may be saved by good accommodations. 



In the second place, there must be suitable 

 food and good attendance. Sows that have 

 pigs, ought to have ditlerent keeping from 

 what hogs generally have. In order to have 

 their otTspring do well, they not only must 

 have meal, but a good supply of milk, or whey. 

 This is soon imparted to their progeny, and, 

 generally, (with good attendance) produces 

 what the owner so much desires. Parturi- 

 tion having taken place, care should be taken 

 for a few days not to over-feed. After which, 

 the sow ought to be fed five times a day, and 

 have about what the appetite craves. In 

 other cases, roots, especially the potato, can 

 be used to great advantage. This, 1 think, 

 is the most natural tor swine, and can be 

 raised (all things considered) with the least 

 expense. Not only roots, but meal, ought to 

 be cooked. I very well know that there is 

 some expense about it — but where the ac- 

 commodations are good, there will be un- 

 doubtedly a great gain. Weaned pigs and 

 swine that we are fatting, ought to be fed 

 three times a day, and about such a time. 

 Punctuality in this respect is highly import- 

 ant. Some contend to feed twice per day is 

 as well, or better, than oftener. But against 

 this practice, reason and experience raise a 

 powerful voice. Nature teaches that they 

 require not only a breakfast and supper, but 

 a dinner. The food must be of gofxi quality 

 and dealt out liberally, but not to cloy. Meal 

 should be made of a mixture of grain ; it is 

 more palatable, and has a better effect upon 

 the recipients. By feeding swine three times 

 a day, in a proper manner, the stomach may 

 bo duly distended, but not so as to produce 

 disease. Whereas, if the food that they have 

 at three times, be given at two, it will so dis- 

 tend the stomach as to have this effect.-^iV. 

 E. Far. 



Soap Boiler's or Spent Ashes. 



Every 110 bushels of the spent ashes of 

 the principal soap boilers, consist of 4.5 bush- 

 els of lime, 45 bushels of barilla, and ^35 bush- 

 els of wocxl ashes, so that every 100 bushels 

 contain 40[y bushels of lime; and hence, 

 in part, their great value as an improver of 

 the soil. In the process through which they 

 pass, they necessarily imbibe a large portion 

 of ammonia, and the material for its formation, 

 so that it is a question with us, whether they 

 are not better adapted to agricultural purpo- 

 ses, after, than before the ley is extiacted. 

 If such were not the case, it appears evident 

 to UP, that the effects of the small quantities 

 usually applied, would not be so lasting as 

 they are. — Am. Far. 



