alWINJi. 31 



Tfac three Fat Hog« exhibited by Mr. Boydcn, weie fiuo animals, 

 e'loYen months and twenty-six days old. Their average weight was be- 

 tweoQ six and seven hundred; the three weighing over nineteen hundred. 



They were not coarse, but of fine symmetrical form, well propor- 

 ^/tonei and fat. The same may be said of the Fat Figs of Mr. Nichols. 



We often hear the remark, in regard to thorough-bred animals, that 

 '' folood tells." While this is true of swine, we tliink the contents of 

 tho 6will pail also tell as effectually, and it is by the judicious blending 

 of the two together, the best results are obtained. 



It is a problem whether fatting pork at present prices pays. As a 

 general rule, it is best to get an early spring pig and fatten, and kill it 

 at from eight to ten months old. With proper care and feeding, a pig at 

 that age will make from 250 to oOO lbs. of pork, while if it was win- 

 tared over and kept until eighteen months old, probably it would not 

 make more than o50 or 400 lbs. The extra 100 lbs. would not pay 

 for keeping ten months. For the dairy farmer who keeps hogs to eat 

 hi.-j milk, it is better to get fall pigs and get them started while he has 

 lailk, and before very cold weather ; tliey can then be cheaply kept 

 through the winter on small potatoes, roots, or apples, and be ready in 

 r,hs spring to take his milk, while spring pigs would not be able to take 

 all of it from from May until July, during the greatest flow. 



At present prices, corn is, undoubtedly, the cheapest feed for hogs. 

 In looking over the reports of experiments of the amount of pork a 

 bushel of corn would make, in the Report of tlie Department of Agri- 

 culture, and other sources at my command, they vary in their result.*! 

 from seven to sixteen lbs. per bushel, some calling seven lbs. uf meal 

 to mvhi one lb. of pork. Wo will call a l)ushel of meal to make ten 

 lbs. of pork, which wo think is more than it will average. We will 

 allow for a pig ten months old, what milk, slops and other things of 

 not much value, used to make 100 lbs. of pork. This, if the pig 

 weighs 300 lbs., leaves 200 lbs. to be provided for, which would take 

 20 b"ishels of corn. Tliis at 80 cts., the average price during the 

 season, would be Slt^OO; the "cost of the pig, $5.00, in, would make 

 $21.00. 300 lbs. of pork at 7 cts. would be $21.00. Allowing the 

 manure tu pay for tending, would make about an even thing of it. 

 • Iq conclusion, your Committee would say that, iii tiuality, the exhi- 

 bition was excellent, there was not an inferior animal exhibited, but in 

 point of numbers it was not what it ought to have been ; it was not 

 what it might have been. There are fine specimens of other breeds 

 owned by nionilit-rs of tlic Society, whic-li we regretted very much not 



'"'he (.'oitiitiittec on Swine have awarded the following pn'miums : 



BOAKS MORE THAN ONi: VKAR OLD. 



ls^p;eMl. t-i Luther Page, Lunenburg, Sit 00 



BOARS LESS THAN ONK VKAH OLD. 



1st T-reui. to James Mclntire, Fitchburg. 3 00 



2d' " Lawrin Pratt. Fitchburir. 2 Oi) 



