HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [77 



have more work than a team of horses can do, keep a team of oxen; 

 and either rear or buy in succession stock, fattening off a proportion 

 every year : they are very docile and useful in ploughing, carting 

 manure, or other articles about the farm, but not for long journeys. 

 The number of oxen thus kept for use has increased of late years. 



Hogs. The breed most esteemed, is not the large slouch-eared 

 breed, but a cross between them and a smaller dwarf breed. They 

 should be fine in the bone, thick and plump in the carcass, with a fine 

 thin hide, and of a moderate size ; large enough to fat, at from one 

 to two years old, to the weight of from 300 Ibs. to 400 Ibs. each. 

 These, if well bred, will keep themselves in good plight, with mode- 

 rate feeding, and will soon grow fat with a plentiful allowance of 

 proper food. Hogs of the large breed have been fattened here to from 

 600 Ibs. to SOOlbs. weight exclusive of the entrails; but requiring 

 much time and food, have given way to a smaller sized, finer boned, 

 thick, plump animal. Hogs are generally fattened by farmers with 

 the refuse of the dairy, and with pease either whole or ground: 

 some throw a few dry old beans daily into the troughs for the pigs ; 

 bean-meal is also given. The most economical food for fattening hogs 

 is boiled refuse potatoes and a little barley-meal mixed, or when po- 

 tatoes are plentiful and cheap, the saleable size may be thus used. It 

 was found by experiment that 28 Ibs. of potatoes was equal to 7 Ibs. 

 of bean or barley-meal as hog food, and that either one or the other 

 would produce 1 Ib. of pork or bacon; that 2 cwt. of boiled potatoes, 

 with 14 Ibs. of barley-flour mashed-in, was a good weekly allowance 

 for a moderate-sized hog, who would grow 10 Ibs. weight with it, 

 consequently that potatoes will pay a farthing a pound in feeding 

 hogs, when pork is 7d. per pound, and so in proportion, with the 

 hog manure for labour. 



In an experiment made upon a labourer's hog, it was found, that 

 one hundred and a half of potatoes boiled, with 28 Ibs. of bean-meal 

 mashed-in, was a good weekly allowance. The owner said, the pig, 

 which cost 55s. would at first have eaten half a hundred per week 

 of bean-meal, but was then satisfied with a quarter, with the above 

 potatoes; said the bean-meal made him lay down to sleep, and 

 thought a quarter of a hundred per week, with a hundred and a half 

 of potatoes, better than more potatoes and less meal. The potatoes 

 were boiled as wanted, and given with the meal mashed-in warm, or 

 with a little warm wash. He thought the pig grew 2 Ibs. per day, 

 and was then large and fat enough to weigh 16 to 18 score Ibs. 

 having had him four months, but not all the while at fattening keep. 



