104 HIGGLE SWINE BOOK. 



At eleven months their average weight was 293 

 pounds, at a cost of $2.00 per 100 pounds. 



Increase of weight was made at a continued in- 

 crease of cost per pound. The pound cost in the three 

 cases was 1.62 cents, 1.80 cents and two cents. The 

 heaviest pigs are therefore not the most profitable, as I 

 have previously asserted. 



In the above case the growing pigs did not have 

 much grass and clover in their pasture. A greater 

 abundance of green food would perhaps have made a 

 slight change in the figures, but the principle would 

 have remained the same. The experiment is valuable 

 because conducted on a large scale. 



The day of profit in holding hogs for the block until 

 eighteen months old is evidently past, never to return. 

 If we had close commercial relations with the Esqui- 

 maux we might feed for fat alone, but our markets, both 

 domestic and foreign, unquestionably demand leaner 

 animals and a better quality of pork. It is possible to 

 rear pigs so as to have seventy-five per cent, of lean 

 meat in them. It depends principally on feed and exer- 

 cise. If such pigs are demanded we must furnish them. 



If pig meat is to take the place of hog meat, let it 

 be so. With pigs as with many other crops, there is 

 much in knowing when to harvest. The animals must 

 not be allowed to get too ripe. They must be sold 

 when they will command the most money. 



I think it is a good plan to have two lots of summer 

 pigs ; one lot to go on the market when the animals 

 weigh about 100 pounds, at a time when pork is often 

 high, and the other lot to be sold later, say when about 

 200 pounds in weight. 



