212 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



For the Ifcw Erij^iand Farmer. 



THE PROFIT OF FATTENING SWINE. 



Tlie following facts are offered in corroboration 

 of tlio views advanced in my late article on the 

 profit of fattening swine in New England ; — 



On the KJth of December last, 1 pnrchased four 

 pigs which were the remnants of two litters born 

 about the same time in September previous, and 

 put tlicm in warm apartments, embracing a 

 place for making compost and an eating room 

 leading out of it. Once a fortnight or so during 

 the winter, about a cord of either muck or scrap- 

 ings from the woods was thrown into the pen, and 

 daily the manure from two horses. Tlie pigs 

 were kept bountifully supplied with sti-aw for 

 bedding, which they arranged in one corner of 

 the compost pen to suit themselves. Enough fer- 

 mentation was generated in the compost to make 

 their bed warm, and so far to keep out frost that 

 it only appeared in a liglit scum during the very 

 coldest days. The scrajiings from the woods con- 

 taining some nuts together with decayed sticks 

 and roots, contributed to the health and thrift of 

 the pigs. 



_ From Dec 16th, to the 18th of March, the 

 pigs had as much corn and cob-meal as they would 

 readily eat, when it becoming inconvenient to ac- 

 commodate them longer with apartments, they 

 were sold to the butcher at 8c per lb. — he throw- 

 ing in the slaughtering. 



Immediately after feeding them ata given time, 

 the meal for the next feeding was measured out 

 and put in the bucket and hot water added — the 

 contents standing in a warm place to soak and 

 swell, and I)ecoming vei-y much increased in bulk 

 before being fed to the pigs. The meal consumed 

 was exactly measured from day to day, and the 

 quantity is known to be as follows : — 



First 29 days four pigs ate 348 quarts, or 12 quarts per day. 

 Next 49 " " 8S2 " 18 " " 



Next 15 " " 336 " 21 " " 



Total corn and cob consumed 156G quarts, or 49 bushels. 



In order to satisfy myself of the amount of corn 

 involved in the above 49 bushels of corn and cob- 

 meal, I have measured out enough corn in the 

 ear to make, if shelled, just a bushel of corn, had 

 it cracked and ground, and found it made by 

 stricked measure a little more than two bushels 

 of corn and cob- meal. An inferior quality of corn 

 in the ear miglit not quite hold out measure when 

 ground ; luit I am satisfied that a full medium 

 quality will hold out, where the toll is paid in 

 money, and shall therefore call the above 49 bu- 

 shels of corn and cob equal to 24^ bu. clear corn. 



The four pigs weighed, dressed, G16 lbs-., and 

 made some 10 loads of compost more than would 

 otherwise liave been made. They may therefore 

 be accounted with as follows : — 



616 lbs. of |iorlc, a 8 c., net $49,28 



Deduct 49 l)u. corn and cob, or 24i bu. clear 



corn, a $1 per bushel 24,50 



Toll for prindinK 49 bu. corn and cob, a 4 c. 



per bu 1 ,96 



Paid for pigs, Dec. 16th, $4 each 16,t)0 42,46 



Balance, over and above $1 per bu. for corn 



consumed, of 28 c. per bu., or in all 6,82 



And the pigs have left 10 loads of compost, 



worth a bushel of corn each 10,00 



From wliicli deduct, if you please, the cost of 



supply injr the raw material, say 50 c. per 



load, which is rather too high 5,00 5,00 



I regret that I did not have the pigs weighed on 

 the lOth of December, because if I had done so 

 it would be easy now to find how much more pork 

 a Imshel of corn ground, cooked and fed with the 

 addition of the cob was in this case made ; Imt 

 from as exact an estimate as I can form, judging 

 from the weight of some of the better pigs of these 

 two litters, sold a few days previous to the time 

 1 bought mine, I am induced to think the pigs 

 must have gained not far from 15 ll)s. of pork for 

 each bushel of clear corn consumed ; which, con- 

 sidering that the fattening process was conducted 

 during the very coldest portion of the year, argues 

 pretty well for feeding corn and cob ground to- 

 gether. 



1 have briefly to add to my former remarks on 

 selecting pigs for fattening, that so far as I know, 

 pigs of a round, barrel-like frame are apt to yield 

 rather thin pork and too much offal ; but those 

 having extra thplh of carcase, and not so fine bred 

 as to lack bone to sustain them while fattening, 

 nor so coarse bred as to be too late in maturing, 

 but of a just proportion in this regai-d, are the 

 right kind for profit. Pigs bred too fine, early 

 cripple in the legs when fed high, so that they are 

 unable to exercise sufliciently to promote healthy 

 appetites and strong digestion, and therefore make 

 but light weight, and their pork is not generally 

 so saleable nor desirable for domestic purposes as 

 that of younger pigs of the first quality. Pigs 

 with rough, staring bristles and a generally well 

 look, are not so kindly to fatten as those of a mel- 

 low and wavy appearance and quiet disposition. 



F. HOLBROOK. 



Brattleboro\ March 28, 1854. 



PLANT THE FRUIT TREES. 

 Those who have the 4th volume of the Monthly 

 Farmer, are referred to the excellent Essay by Col. 

 Wilder, on the varieties and preservation of fruit, 

 on pages 194 and 195, and to the list given by 

 Mr. French, of Braintree, on page 197 ; also to a 

 selection of pears on page 225, and on page 241, 

 same volume for a list by Mr. Jaques, of Worces- 

 ter. But for the convenience of those who cannot 

 make this reference, we give selections fi'om the 

 lists of these gentlemen. 



CoL. Wilder's List. 



APPLES. 



Williams, 



Minister, 



Fameuse, 



Ilubbardston Nonsuch, 



Roxbury llussi't. 



For Winter Sweet Apples ; 



Seaver Sweet, 



Danvers Winter Sweet, 

 : Tolman's Sweet, 



Lyman Sweet. 

 PEAKS. 



For twelve varieties, add : 



Andrews, 



Belle Lucrative, 



Seckle, 



Flemish Beauty, 



Urbaniste, 



Glout Morceau. 



Profit on the four pigs $11,82 | 



For three sorts : 

 Large Early Bough, 

 Gravenstien, 

 Baldwin. 



For six soris, add : 

 Red Astrachan, 

 Porter, 

 Rhode Island Greening. 



For twelve sorts, add 

 Early Harvest, 



For three varieties : 

 Bartlett, 



Vicar of Winkfield, 

 Beurre d'Aremberg. 



For six varieties, add . 

 Bloodgood, 



Louise Bonne de Jersey, 

 Golden Beurre of Bilboa. 



PEACHES. 



For three sorts .- For six sorts, add , 



Early York (serrated foliage,) Large Early York, 

 Crawford's early, George Fourth, 



Old Mixon Free. Crawford's Late. 



