90 ON SWINE. 



zine, of November last, corroborates these statements and de-* 

 serves attention. 



" I always," says the writer, Mr. Bolton, " feed my pigs on 

 sour food, which I have invariably found to 'fat them faster, and 

 make the flesh firmer and whiter, than when given in any other 

 state. The following is my method of preparing it. As soon as 

 the potatoes are steamed I have them, while quite hot, beaten 

 to a pulp, and mixed with bran in the proportion of 28 lbs. of 

 bran to a sack (240 lbs.) of potatoes ; and this mixture is put into 

 a vat for ten or twelve days until quite sour ; this food makes 

 them fat enough for porkers or small bacons. When I require 

 them more than commonly fat, I begin with 50 lbs. of barley 

 flour, instead of the bran, to each sack of potatoes, gradually in- 

 creasing the quantity of flour till it amounts to half the weight of 

 potatoes ; when the quantity of flour is greater than the mois- 

 ture of the potatoes will absorb, I add a sufficient quantity of 

 water to make it into a thick paste. I never give it until it has 

 fermented. I send you the result of some experiments to ascer- 

 tain the weight gained on this food in a given time ; and also the 

 proportion which the live and dead weight of some oi my pigs 

 bore to each other. 



Two pigs put up to feed for thirty days — 

 No. 1 weighed at putting up 102 lbs. — No. 2, 109 lbs. 

 Put to feed on potatoes and bran soured, but allowed to run out 

 all the time of feeding ; at the end of thirty days they were kill 

 ed, when No. 1 weighed 158 lbs. No. 2, 172 



102 109 



Gain in thirty days, 56 lbs. Gain, 63 lbs. 



No. 1 weighed dead 104 lbs. No. 5? do. 113 lbs. or about 13 

 to 20. 



Two Berkshire pigs, about seven weeks old, weighed — No. 1^ 

 33 lbs. No. 2, 28 lbs., April 21, 1832. Killed for bacon, Nov.- 

 19, when No. 1 weighed 419 lbs. No. 2, 404 lbs. live weight. 

 April 21, 33 28 



Increase in 212 days 386 lbs. gain 376 lbs. 



