418 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



the small buildings are thought to be preferable, about ten 

 by sixteen feet, with single roof, is a good size. These build- 

 ings can have plank floors, sufficiently off" the ground to allow 

 cats to move freely about underneath, because rats and mice 

 will trouble more or less, unless a few good cats are kept. 

 With this precaution, little trouble may be anticipated from 

 this source. This set of buildino-s can be so arrano;ed as to 

 give the premises a very pleasing appearance. Arranged 

 one after the other in a straight line, and about six feet 

 apart, the work of caring for the stock would not be pleas- 

 ant, of course, in snowstorms ; but, aside from this, the plan 

 would work well. For high-priced stock I like this plan 

 much the best. They can be made more comfortable, and 

 in case of disease the loss would be reduced to the minimum. 

 Free ventilation is an absolute necessity. Plenty of sunlight 

 should be admitted. 



Winter Feeding. 

 The summer pork will not cost much, but in winter quite 

 an amount of feed nmst be provided. I heard a farmer once 

 make the remark — and he was a man who knew what he was 

 saying — that, with corn at a dollar a bushel and pork at 

 seven cents a pound, it paid well to keep hogs. There are 

 so many circumstances and such a variety of conditions 

 under which this class of stock is kept, that instances could 

 be cited where the meat would cost double what it would sell 

 for. Enterprising farmers will produce the greater part of 

 the feed consumed, and this should be charged to the busi- 

 ness at what it has cost to produce it. Very much of the 

 feed that a pig has consumed up to five months old docs not 

 stand for any value; at all. 



CiTV Swill. 

 A word in regard to city swill, so called. Men of the 

 soundest judgment do not hesitate to say that this is the best 

 material for growing the pig ; and I think there is no doubt 

 as to the correctness of the statement. The manner of feed- 

 ing it is in too many cases wrong, and some of it is not worth 

 the hauling; but that collected from hotels, large boarding 

 houses and the like is the best of hog feed. Just before feed- 



