THE GENESEE FAKMER. 



•So? 



FATTENING HOGS. 



The inetliod often iiracticed by large farmors of 



turnuig fattening lio^s into tlie fields of standing 



•corn, if i)roperlj conducted, lias its advantages 



' over that of gathering the corn and feeding it dry 



to the hogs in the pen. 



Tlie earlier in the season the process of fattening 

 swine is begun the better, after the grain has 

 reached a certain [leriod of maturity, whether it be 

 rye, oats, or corn; because all farm animals, and 

 liogs in particuIaCr, will fatten mucli faster in warm 

 tiian in cold weatiier. And the grain between the 

 j)ei'iods of its doughy state and full maturity, or 

 rather before it becomes dry, is inore easily di- 

 gested and assimilated and converted into fiesh and 

 fat than when it has i)assed into its dry state. It 

 is clear, then, that the sooner the hogs are turned 

 into the field after the grains of corn are fully 

 formed, and while yet in t!ie milk, the more speedily 

 they will fatten: for if the weather be dry the 

 corn hardens very rapidly. 



A very iutcresting experiment in feeding hogs is 

 detailed by Mr. James Bcckingham in the Prairie 

 Furrrter. On the Gth day of September (in ordin- 

 ary seasons corn, at this date, is too far advanced 

 lo commence feeding to tiie best advantage), the 

 iiogs, 160 in number, were weighed, which footed 

 up in the aggregate 19,600 lbs. A movable fence 

 was used, confining the hogs to an area sufficient 

 to afford food for two or three -days. The entire 

 field thus fed contained forty acres, with an esti- 

 mated average of forty bushels |ter acre. The 

 consumption of this corn gave a gain of 10,740 lbs. 

 The hogs, when turned into the corn, cost three 

 cents per lb. — equal to 5r588 ; worth, when fed, four 

 cents per lb., or $1,213.60, giving a return for each 

 acre of corn consumed of $1-5.64. Adding to this 

 '$1 i)e!- acre for the improveinent of the land by 

 feeding ihe corn on the field, making the actual 

 gain i>er acre $16.64, equal to forty cents per bushel, 

 istanding in the field. The whole cost of corn per 

 iicre, exclusive of interest on the land, is set down 

 at $-J.G3. 



B} way of comparing the advantages of ground 

 anu cooked f\)od over that which was merely 

 ground, and that which was unground, Mr. 13. put 

 up three hogs into separate pens. To one he fed 

 two and a half busliels of corn in the ear, auring 

 a period of nine days, feeding all he would eat; 

 this gave a gain of nineteen lbs. ; another eat in 

 the same time one and three-quarters bushels of 

 corn, ground^ and gained also niiieteen lbs. ; and to 

 the third, he fed one bushel of corn, ground and 

 boiled, which gave a gain of twenty-two lbs. By 

 this it will be seen that one and three-quarters 

 bushels of corn when ground will give a gain of 

 flesh equal to two and a half bushels of unground 

 corn, and that one bushel when ground and coolced 

 gave a gain of twenty-two lbs. 



Tlie comparative results of these three methods 

 of feeding may be thus set down: one bus5sel of 

 corn when ground and cooked is equal to nearly 

 three bushels when fed dry and unground ; and 

 one and three-quarters bushels when ground and 

 uncooked is equal to two and a half bushels when 

 fed whole. 



Or it may be stated thus : — One bushel of dry 

 corn in the eai* makes 8i lbs. of port, at 4 cents 



per lb. is equal to 33 cents per bushel for the corn ; 

 while one bushel of corn, ground and boiled, makes 

 22 lbs. of pork, at 4 cents per lb., and is equal to 

 88 cents per busiiel for the corn. 



Had the hogs been turned into the field when the 

 corn was in the milk, it would have given a result 

 more nearly like that of the hog fed upon ground 

 and cooked food. 



The obstacles which seem to be in tho way of 

 adopting an improved method of fattening hogs 

 result from the imperfect apparatus used for pre- 

 paring the food. Sending corn a long distance to 

 mill to be ground, and then to cook the meal in an 

 ordinary kettle, even if it holds a barrel, will ])rove 

 an expensive operation, as all have found who have 

 undertaken it. But to realize the full advantages 

 t)f feeding prepared food, a complete grinding and 

 steaming apparatus must be erected on a large 

 scale, with the view to perform the grinding, cook- 

 ing, and feeding, with the greatest facility and at 

 the least possible cost. This may be done to advan- 

 tage by employing steam for grindiHg, using the 

 same boiler to furnish steam for cooking the meal. 

 — Valley Farmer. 



WEERE'S YOTIR PROOF ? 



Eds. -Gen-. Faemek : — In looking over the April 

 number, I noticed an article on breadstuff's, which, 

 I think, is calculated to do harm. I agree with the 

 writer in all he says about variety. It is univer- 

 sally acknowledged, I believe, that man was not 

 intended to live on a single article of diet, and 

 nearly all physiologists think a variety better ad.npt- 

 ed to the wants of man. But in what the variety 

 consists, is where we differ. He seems to think it 

 is in similarity. It is useless to say anything to 

 this; any one will see at once that tins is not the 

 case It is no wonder that lie comes to wrong 

 conclusions, as he starts out without knowing what 

 bread i^; (perhaps the ''Unabridged" does not pass 

 current in Canada West). If he will examine into 

 the niatter, he will find that fermentation is not 

 necessary to the existence of " bread." Webster 

 says bread is "a lump made by moistening and 

 kneading the flour or meal of some kind of grain, 

 and vsually fermenting." 



I fear the author in question is utterly ignorant 

 of every i)rinciple of physiology, — at least he gives 

 our fathers "fits" for boasting how they ground 

 their grain so coarse. But here he furnishes me 

 with aiguments — the Scotchman and the New 

 Englander are proverbially the heartiest of people. 



In the whole article there is not a single iota of 

 proof or argument. However, I have too much 

 confidence in the farming community to suppose 

 they can be so easily led astray. I believe it is 

 injurious t > bolt any kind of grain. It is better 

 nnholted for the following reasons: 



First. It saves grain, which seems to be an object 

 with Mi-. B. 



Second, it makes more wholesome bread. Proof 

 — Oaepextek says (p. 283) : "Wlien food is nutri- 

 tious, but of small bulk, experience hns shown the 

 advantage of mixing it with non-nutritious "sub- 

 stances in order to give it bulk and solidity; for, 

 if this be not done, it does not exert its due stimu- 

 lating influence on the stomach." Cutter says (p. 

 140); "If the food is, deficient in inuuti-itiou* 



