THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



95 



until he conies to the knife — with all the litter- 

 ing and all the manure that can possibly be 

 gathered upon this sj'stem, he will be found to 

 have cost more than the same weight of pork 

 in the market. 



It is of the greatest advantage, as it is most 

 congenial to the nature and habits of the ani- 

 mal, to have access to a running stream and to 

 mud, when he chooses (as he always will in 

 warm weather) to wallow in it. I have indeed 

 read somewhere, of an experiment made with 

 two pigs, one of which was permitted to in- 

 dulge himself at will in this way — the other 

 kept clean with curry-comb and brush — and 

 that the result upon the same or somewhat less 

 food, was in favor of the latter. This, as far as 

 I know, is an isolated case — which may have 

 been perpetrated by some hobby rider, or not ; 

 but I am persuaded it cannot weigh against the 

 results of practical experience ; and if it did, it 

 is impracticable by our farmers, many of whose 

 work horses and mules receive far too little of 

 the necessary attention from the curry-comb and 

 brush ; currying hogs with them, is of course 

 out of the question. 



It is a familiar, but sound maxim in domestic 

 economy, that a farmer should produce every 

 article for home consumption that he can grow. 

 There are some few, but very few exceptions, I 

 believe — but this general principle is as true in 

 regard to the farmer's pork as any thing else, 

 and though there be exceptions, I think they 

 are not many. As to the most economical mode, 

 that necessarily depends upon a variety of cir- 

 cumstances ; but taking the case stated by your 

 correspondent, which is similar to my own, and 

 premising that I sometimes omit the raising 

 of pork wmen it is inconvenient or unprofitable 

 to do so, (though I have raised it for the last 

 three or four successive years,) I will now state 

 the plan which has been found to suit my own 

 circumstances best, which is all I mean to say 

 for it. 



My hogs are turned upon a lot of good clover 

 enclosed for the purpose as early in the spring 

 as it is large enough for them to graze — which 

 of course depends on the season — having free 

 access to the farm-yard and to a piece of wet 

 land where there is water through the year. I 

 borrowed this plan from a statement in the New 

 England Farmer, that the celebrated Arthur 

 Young had pastured sixty-four hogs, large and 

 small, upon two acres of clover, from May until 

 November; and with the addition of small sup- 

 plies of cymlins through the season I have 

 found it an excellent one. The hogs keep the 

 clover from running into head, where they are 

 confined to a small surface, and mine have al- 

 ways gone into the fattening pen upon this keep 

 in good order. The few sties necessary for my 

 stock are open to the south, the floor, slightly 

 inclined to the front and a single broad plank 



placed under the roof to keep the bedding from 

 the litter of the open part. The front is secured 

 by strips, not close planks — and I think such a 

 shelter sufficient for them at all seasons. They 

 certainly may be kept in it in warm weather 

 better than in any I have seen hereabouts. My 

 breeding sows and my young hogs that remain 

 over winter are fed from the time they are taken 

 off the clover, late in the fall, until they return 

 to it in the spring, upon boiled vegetables, after 

 the plan of Mr. Ingersoll — published in the Far- 

 mers' Register for January, 1839, page 31. — 

 The boiled food is given thrice a day with but 

 little trouble, and always given warm. Twice 

 a day might possibly be often enough in winter. 

 At day-break every morning a fire is made un- 

 der a large iron boiler in which enough is left 

 every evening for the morning's feed — so soon 

 as that is warmed the hogs are fed, and the 

 boiler immediately filled again. They are fed 

 the second time when the hands come in to din- 

 ner, and lastly, at night, the swill remaining 

 warm enough until that time. This, for a small 

 farm like mine, I think is the best plan I have 

 tried. At first I kept my sows in the sties all 

 winter — but now allow them free access to the 

 farm- pen during the day, and I do not now keep 

 any pork hogs through the winter — finding that 

 pigs dropped in February and March will make 

 very excellent pork of sufficient size for my use, 

 say from 125 to 140 or 50 lbs. which some of 

 it will reach by the next December. Last year 

 I was so situated that I could not graze my 

 hogs upon clover, and my pork was smaller 

 than usual and cost more than I could have 

 bought it for in the Richmond market. 



Upon large estates, where hogs could have 

 the double advantage of a clover pasture during 

 the spring and summer and a range of oak 

 wood land for the fall and winter, I should think 

 it would be easy to raise large supplies of pork 

 at but little expense of corn. If they are dis- 

 posed to root up the clover, a piece of wire put 

 through the cartilage of the nose by means of 

 an awl, and the ends twisted together to keep it 

 in place, will effectually prevent them. 



I regret the want of time for a more careful 

 preparation of this article, which, as 3^011 will 

 perceive, is penned very hastily. 



Very respectfully, yours, 



Wm. H. Richardson. 



From the Tennessee Agriculturist. 

 DURABLE RAILS. 



Rails ought all to be split in April or May, 

 when the bark will peel off the trees, and then 

 the sap rails will last as long as the inside heart 

 rails will. This is material to know. 



Samuel Martin. 



Ca?7)pbcWs Station, Tcnn., Feb. 1843. 



