216 
DOMESTIC ANIMAD8. 
they can thus cater for themselves ; and the hours for so doing should 
be in the morning, before they are let out, and in the evening, before 
they are returned to the sty. Too many swine should not be kept 
in one sty ; and if one become an object of persecution to the rest, he 
should be withdrawn. The introduction of strangers should likewise be 
avoided. Bacon hogs fatten best by themselves; they need no liberty; 
and it is only necessary to keep the sty dry and clean, and to feed 
abundantly, in order to prepare them for the knife. In order to fatten 
a hog, his comforts must in every respect be attended to. 
Those who make pork-feeding a business, and consequently keep a 
number of these animals, should so manage as to be enabled to provide 
for their maintenance and fattening from the produce of their crops. 
They should therefore raise the potato, beans, pease, barley, buckwheat, 
flax, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, Lucerne, Italian rye-grass, clover, 
rape, chiccory, and vetches. Nor are we to forget the important articles, 
mangold and Swedish turnips ; the latter especially, as being an article 
that sad necessity has recently, for the first time, brought into the full 
degree of notice it has always deserved ; and an article that is now found 
to be no less valuable for human food than it is admitted to be for the 
food of cattle. 
The best possible mode of feeding hogs is with a mixture of two or 
more of the roots or plants enumerated, well steamed, and a little meal 
or bran added, or, instead of meal or bran, add brewer’s grains, wash, 
half-malted barley, pollard, etc. Let these be well boiled and given 
moderately cool, and in a moist state. 
The advantages derivable from the use of hay-tea in store-feeding hogs 
was, I think, for the first time demonstrated to the public, some years 
ago, by Mr. Saunders, of Stroud, in Gloucestershire. Mr. Saunders was 
induced to try this diet with hogs, from an observation of its efficacy in 
weaning calves; his experiments were attended with the most unquali- 
fied success. 
The use of flax-seed, as an addition to the other food for fattening 
swine, has been recommended, but is found not to answer nearly so well 
in the crude state as previously kiln-dried, and well crushed, so as to 
crack the seed ; otherwise the animal will pass a large proportion of the 
seed in a whole state ; the whole seed acts as a purgative and diuretic, 
which will be opposed to the secretion of fat. To prepare the seed for 
food, steep them for twelve hours in water, which may be poured on 
them in a tepid state, but not at boiling heat ; and, prior to giving the 
mess, add as much lukewarm wash as will bring it to the consistence of 
gruel. This wash may be produced from brewers’ grains, or simply 
from mangold or Swedish turnips, well boiled and mashed, and given 
with the water in which they have been boiled ; the addition of a pro- 
portion of bran improves the mess, and, when one has it, it should not 
be omitted. 
The adoption of hay-tea as the vehicle for mixing these ingredients, 
will be found also advantageous. Do not boil the flax-seed — boiling 
will produce a coarse, tough, and not very digestible mass; but steep- 
ing, on the contrary, furnishes a rich and nutritious jelly. Linseed cake 
is a good substitute for the seed, and is to be given in a proportion of 
