FEEDING. 181 



especially from September to Christmas, and eight perches of land, 

 each producing on the average 250 Ibs. of this root, are considered 

 as the general allowance for fattening a pig in store order. But the 

 flesh of animals thus fed is not so firm as that of pigs fed on pea or 

 barley-meal with a slight addition of corn, and shrinks when boiled, 

 instead of plumping. Carrots are considered by some persons to 

 fatten swine more rapidly than any other root, and to impart a par- 

 ticularly delicate flavor to the flesh; they may be given raw. 

 Potatoes are, however, the staple food in by far the greater part of 

 England, and the whole of Ireland. They should be steamed, and 

 then mashed with meal or pea-flour in whey or sour milk (where it 

 can be had,) or in wash or clear water, and made of the consistence 

 of porridge. The water in which the potatoes have been cooked 

 should always be thrown away. This root should, however, only be 

 given for a short time, as it is by no means a rapid fattener, and 

 does not make firm good fat, and never alone if it can be avoided. 

 Turnips should never be given while any other kind of food can be 

 obtained, as their effects are far from beneficial, and often quite the 

 contrary. Beans and peas, both green, dried, and ground, or bruised 

 and macerated, form excellent food. Peas are considered to produce 

 firmer flesh, and to fatten quicker than beans. The gray pea is 

 generally allowed to be the best adapted for swine, and to contain 

 most nutrition. Experiments have been made with the blue pea, 

 but hogs fed on it had always a tendency to diarrhoea. Every part 

 of the pea, the haulm, the cods, and the peas themselves, may be 

 used in feeding pigs. Sir John Sinclair found green beans also very 

 advantageous food for swine ; he gives preference to the Windsor 

 bean, and advises that two or three successive crops of them should 

 be sown in order to secure a constant supply from July until Sep- 

 tember. 



In the " Quarterly Journal of Agriculture" we find an account of 

 some experiments made with the view of testing the illative fatten- 

 ing powers of carrots, potatoes, peas, wheat, and buckwheat. 



Five couples of pigs were separately put up to fatten : 



Increase of Weight. 



To couple 1 was given 55 decalitres of peas - - - 315 Ibs. 

 " 2 " 283 <; balls of wheat - 339 Ibs. 



" 2 K 96 " buckwheat - - 374 Ibs. 



" 4 " 98 '* boiled potatoes - 284 Ibs. 



5 " 175 ' carrots - - - 394 Ibs. 



These results of the experiment are, however, unsatisfactory, be- 

 cause it is not mentioned whether the pigs were all of the same age 

 and weight, nor is it stated whether the quantity of food marked in 

 the table was as much as the pigs could consume. 



We have always believed that peas were the most nutritious food 

 that could be given to pigs, and this experiment confirms the belief, 



