1 74 Cottage Gardens, live Stock of the Cottager, 



got such an animal fairly lodged under the roof of his sty, it will daily be- 

 come of more importance in his eyes ; it is his live stock ; is constantly in- 

 creasing in size and value ; and, in fact, is continually uppermost in the poor 

 man's mind. If he observes but a few dry leaves blown into a ditch, he bags 

 them, and brings them home for bedding; or he picks up a bundle of fern by 

 the road-side ; in short, any thing which he can honestly lay his hands on 

 will always be brought home, and he will never grudge any trouble of this 

 kind. Besides, all this helps to make manure : and no manure is so rich as 

 that which is taken from the pigsty. This animal is now, however, to be 

 well supplied with food, and fattened against Christmas. The hog-tubs will 

 now be had in requisition ; and their great value will be properly appreci- 

 ated, for there will be no necessity for messing every time the pig wants a 

 meal : with a portion of stale wash, and a few mashed potatoes, the pig will 

 grow and do well till the end of September or beginning of October (po- 

 tato-digging time *). At this season, a sack of barley-meal should be pur- 

 chased ; and about 3 or 4 lbs. of this meal, with 13 lbs. of mashed potatoes, 

 which, I will show, may be set apart for that purpose, when I speak of the 

 produce of the garden, being daily added to thicken the stale wash, will 

 make excellent food ; and, if the pig has been well attended to during the 

 summer, should not fall short of weighing fifteen score pounds by Christ- 

 mas, to which time the food is calculated to last. 



There will, of course, be no want of good meat when the pig is killed ; 

 and he may, perhaps, without injury to himself, dispose of a few joints, such 

 as the spareribs or loins, which his more opulent neighbours will always be 

 ready to purchase, j This trifle may assist him to buy another pig, for he 

 should never be long without one. I should think it almost unnecessary to 

 observe that, in fattening a hog, he should always be kept clean, warm, and 

 dry ; never have more food given at one time than he will consume ; should 

 be fed four times a day ; and not killed till he is almost too lazy to come to 

 his trough. A few peas are at all times desirable ; and it is a good plan to 

 have a dry corner boxed off for holding a few. After eating a few peas, a 

 pig always wants to drink, and the stale wash will be ready for his use. 



I do not mean to say that bacon fatted in this manner will be equal to 

 that fatted on barley-meal and skimmed milk. Certainly not. But this I 

 assert from my own experience, that, under the present supposed existing 

 circumstances, this mode produces the best quality and greatest quantity of 

 bacon, from a certain given quantity and quality of food, and which quan- 

 tity and quality can only be procured by the labouring man. J 



* The quantity of potatoes requisite to feed a bacon pig of 20 stone, or 

 320 lbs. weight, allowing 1 peck per day, from the 1st of August to the 31st 

 of December, is 38 bushels ; and a load of oatmeal, of 16 stones' weight, will 

 be required to finish fatting. 



Potatoes to feed a pork pig of 8 stone or 128 lbs. weight, from the 15th 

 of July to the 14th of September, allowing 1 peck per day (without oatmeal 

 pork will be quite fat enough), 15| bushels. 



Potatoes to feed a pork pig of 6 stone or 96 lbs., 1 peck per day, from the 

 31st of December to the 12th of February, 11^ bushels. — J. A. 



-j- I would also strongly recommend the keeping of bees, as a source of 

 profit, with almost no expense ; the produce might be advantageously laid 

 out in the purchase of pigs, garden-seeds, tools, &c. — J. A. 



J Rather less than a quarter of an acre will produce an abundant supply 

 of culinary vegetables, bacon, or pork, for a labourer, his wife, and four chil- 

 dren, for a year, allowing upwards of 10 lbs. avoirdupois of bacon, ham, or 

 pork a week : as, however, hams are not the most economical of food, I 

 woidd recommend them to be sold, and, with the produce, to purchase a 

 pig, to make pork of. — J. A. 



