ON SWINE. " 97 



weighing from 100 to 150. 1 have taken two pigs of 100 lbs. 

 each, age six months, and never was able between May and No- 

 vember, to get them above 180, rarely above 170. I have taken 

 three pigs of about 30 lbs. each, and on the same food which I 

 gave to the two they would weigh from 170 to 180 each in the 

 same period ; — nay I have taken pigs of 200, and never could get 

 them to weigh more than 300 in 7 months on my food. The 

 way I ascertain the quantity of food is that I never give any thing 

 but the produce of my dairy, and the refuse of the garden, peach- 

 es, apples, and cabbage, which are uniform generally. 



3 pigs of 90 wt. or 30 wt. each, will give ordinarily 510 lbs. 



less original wt. 90 often 



not more than 60. 



gain 420 lbs. 



2 pigs of 100 wt. each, will give ordinarily 340 lbs. 



less original wt. 200 



gain 140 lbs. 



" But the 3 pigs of 90 will not consume for the first 3 months 

 half so much as the 2 of 100 each, and I have kept a 4th and 

 sold it in August for quarter pork. 



" There is nothing new or remarkable in these facts. It is the 



law of the whole animal creation. It is true of the calf and of 



man. The child of 7 lbs. quadruples its weight in 12 months; 



and the calf of 60 wt. if. fine and well fed will weigh 600 wt. at 



the end of the year, and (if a female) will not double the last 



weight at any age. 



* * * * . * * * # 



'• Your3, very res^ectfuUv, 



" J. Lowell. 

 " P. Si It should be remarked that the weight at purchase is 

 live weight, and at sale dead or net weight, because in truth to 

 the owner this is the true mode of considering the subject. No 

 doubt my sort of food is peculiarly favorable to young animals, it 

 consisting in very liberal allowance of milk. If the older pigs 

 were at once put on Indian meal they would attain to 250 at a 

 year old, but the cost of the meal at 70 cents per bushel would 



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