1863 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
297 
Care of Swine—Plan of a Piggery. 
Because swine are blessed with keen appe¬ 
tites, strong digestion, and hardy constitutions 
capable of resisting a great amount of neglect 
and ill-usage, they have been, and in too many 
instances yet are, the worst used animals kept 
for the profit of man. And as if to add to the 
abuse, their endeavors to make the best of 
ill treatment, has been charged to the account 
of their natural uncleanliness, and the idea that 
wholesome meat can not be made by feeding- 
animals with garbage, has caused pork to be¬ 
come the horror of dietetic reformers, who pro¬ 
nounce it unfit for human food. It were as 
wise to condemn the use of milk, and to pro¬ 
nounce cows unfit for civilized communities, 
because some individuals persist in confining 
them in filthy stables, and dosing them with dis¬ 
tillery slops. In his native state, the hog is as 
dainty in his taste as other animals, and his lair 
is found in a dry situation, well cushioned with 
clean leaves, unsoiled by any neglect of his 
own. Civilization has affiliated him with the 
degraded members of the human species, and 
brought his name to reproach by associating it 
with the vile among men. Within a few years 
past, however, a change for the better lias been 
apparent, and many readers of the Agriculturist 
are inquiring for good plans for piggeries, for 
the best methods of rearing and fattening swine, 
and other kindred matters pertaining to their 
welfare and ultimately to the profit of their own¬ 
ers. It would be within the mark to say that 
in most instances, twenty per cent of saving can 
be effected in food, and in additions to the ma¬ 
nure heap, by a well regulated building for the 
accommodation of swine. We therefore take 
pleasure in laying before our readers the accom¬ 
panying illustrations engraved from plans for¬ 
warded by Mr. Roseburgh, of Amboy, Ill. They 
were designed and constructed for use on his 
own premises, and have therefore the merit 
of being the production of a practical man. 
Fig. 1, represents the elevation. The main 
building is 22 by 50 feet, and the wing 12 by 
16 feet. It is supplied with light and air by 
windows in front, ventilators on the root; and 
by hanging doors or shutters in the upper part 
of the siding at the rear of each stall or apart¬ 
ment—these last are not shown in the engraving. 
Fig. 3, shows the ground plan. The main 
building has a hall, R , 6 feet wide, running the 
entire length. This is for convenience of feed¬ 
ing, and for hanging dressed hogs at the time 
of slaughtering. The remainder of the space is 
divided by partitions into apartments, A , B, for 
the feeding and sleeping accommodation of the 
porkers; these are each 8x16 feet. The rear 
division of each apartment, B , B, is intended for 
the manure yard. Each apartment has a door, 
■D, D, to facilitate the removal of manure, and 
also to allow ingress to the swine when intro¬ 
duced to the pen. The floors of each two adjoin¬ 
ing divisions are inclined toward each other, so 
that the liquid excrements and other filth may 
flow to the side where the opening to the back 
apartment is situated. Two troughs, S, T, are 
placed in each feeding room. That in the front, 
S, is for food, and T, for clear water, a full sup¬ 
ply of which is always allowed. This is an im¬ 
portant item, generally overlooked; much of 
the food of swine induces thirst, and the free use 
of water is favorable to the deposition of fat. 
An excellent arrangement (shown in Fig. 2,) 
is adopted to facilitate the cleaning of the 
troughs, and the transferring of the hogs to the 
main hall at slaughtering. The front partition 
of each apartment, F, (tig. 2,) is made separate, 
and contrived so as to be swung back, and fas¬ 
tened over the inside of the trough, T, at feeding 
time, or when cleaning the trough. It may also 
be lifted as high as the top of the side partition, 
H, when it is desired to take the hogs to the 
dressing table. Triangular pieces, P, E, are 
spiked to each front partition, and swing with 
it, forming stalls to prevent their crowding 
while feeding. These are supported, when the 
apartment is closed, by notches in the inner 
edge of the trough, made to receive them. 
The wing, W, is 12 by 16 feet. This answers 
for a slaughtering room. In one corner, adjoin¬ 
ing the main hall, is a well and pump, P, from 
which, by means of a hose, water is conveyed 
to the troughs. At the opposite corner, E, is a 
large iron kettle, set in an arch, for cooking 
food, and for scalding the slaughtered swine. 
We would suggest that in many localities it 
would be a desirable addition to have this wing 
built two stories high, the upper part to be used 
for storing grain for the hogs, and also that a 
cellar be made underneath for receiving roots. 
The Care of Horses. 
Some persons, in their anxiety to subdue their 
horses, take every opportunity to worry and 
beat them, “to let the beasts know who is 
master,” they say. They whip, scold, and beat 
them on principle. Now, who does not know 
that such treatment addressed to a child, with 
the idea of subduing him, would inevitably 
sour his temper, and 
render him disobedient 
and obstinate ? As cer¬ 
tainly will this be the 
case in the discipline 
of a domestic animal. 
Instead of this, it should 
be our aim to let the 
horse know and feel that 
we are friendly to him 
and desire his well-be¬ 
ing. This may show it¬ 
self by avoiding what¬ 
ever will tend to annoy 
and provoke him, by 
kindness in the tone of 
voice, in the way of 
handling him, by oc¬ 
casionally fondling and 
stroking him, and by 
various unmentionable 
things which will at 
once occur to those 
familiar with this noble animal. He will un¬ 
derstand their meaning, and they will affect 
his character. A horse so treated, will be a 
pleasant beast to handle, he will keep and fat¬ 
ten better, will be in better health, and will do 
more work than one managed differently. 
This should be done from the animal’s earliest 
years, but even if neglected while young, the 
horse may thus be taught to love his owner. 
Regularity and system .—This will show itself in 
determining the time and amount of feeding and 
of working. Nearly all the diseases to which 
the horse is subject, come from irregularity in 
these respects. If he is under-fed and over¬ 
worked, the tone of his sj'stem will become re¬ 
laxed, and disease be likely to set in. So if he 
is over-fed, and has deficient or irregular exer¬ 
cise, he will contract another set of diseases. 
The man who is regular and systematic in his 
own habits of living, is most likely to enjoy 
health and long life, while he who indulges in 
