4 14 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



longer, and when finally removed, if her bag appears to be 

 full, they may be allowed to drain the milk after 20 or 30 

 hours. The sow should be restricted to a light, dry diet for 

 a few days. 



RAISING, FEEDING AND FATTENING. There are but two 

 objects in keeping swine, for breeding, and for slaughter, 

 and their management is consequently simple. Those 

 designed for breeding should be kept in growing condition, 

 on light food, and have every advantage for exercise. Such 

 as are destined exclusively for fattening, ought to be steadily 

 kept to the object. It is the usual practice in this country, 

 to let spring pigs run at large for the first 15 months, with 

 such food as is convenient, and if fed at all, it is only to keep 

 them in moderate growth till the second autumn. They are 

 then put up to fatten, and in the course of 00 or 90 days, are 

 fed off and slaughtered. During this brief period, they gain 

 from 50 to 100 per cent, more of dressed weight, than in the 

 15 or 18 months preceding; nor even then do they yield a 

 greater average weight, than is often attained by choice, 

 thrifty pigs, which have been well fed from weaning to the 

 age of 7 or 8 months. Three pigs of the Bedford breed, 

 when precisely 71 months old, dressed 230, 235 and 238 \ 

 Ibs. Two of the Berkshire and Leicester breeds, at 9 

 months, dressed 304 and 310 Ibs. Three others of the Berk- 

 shire and Grass breeds, 7 months and 27 days old, weighed 

 240, 250 and 257 Ibs. nett. Innumerable instances could be 

 adduced of similar weights, gained within the same time, 

 with a good breed of animals under judicious treatment. 

 We have no one accurate account of the food consumed, so 

 as to determine the relative profit of short or long feeding. 

 But that an animal must consume much more in 18 or 20 

 months to produce the same quantity of dressed meat, which 

 is made by others of 7 or 8 months, does not admit of a doubt. 

 We have seen that an ox requires but little more than double 

 the quantity of food to fatten, that is necessary for supporting 

 existence. If we apply this principle to swine, and state the 

 quantity of food which will fatten the pig rapidly, to be three 

 times as great as for the support of life, we shall find that 

 the pig will fatten in 7 months, on the same food he would 

 consume to keep him alive for 21. This is based on the 

 supposition that both animals are of equal size. But the pig 

 that matures and is slaughtered at 7 months, has only a 

 moderate capacity for eating. During the early stages of 

 his growth, his size and the consequent incapacity of the 



