1858. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
368 
Fattening Swine. 
The chief end of swine is fatness—the great olyect 
of his life to become pork. Hence the best means of 
bringing the hog into a fit state for the pork-barrel 
&c., is an object occupying the thoughts of our farm- 
ing readers, and worthy of some description in our 
columns. We do not propose to throw much new light 
on the question, but to restate facts more generally 
known than practiced upon by pork-growers. 
That pork occupies a prominent position among the 
products of the country, is shown both by commercial 
statistics and the late census—the number of swine in 
the United States numbering over one-fourth more 
than either sheep or cattle. For domestic consump¬ 
tion with the farmer and laboring man, it fills an im¬ 
portant place among the provisions secured. It is the 
great stand-by to be depended upon when other meats 
fail—and keeping long and well, and possessing the 
material for cooking itself, as well as a portion of the 
vegetable accompaniments, it will ever retain its place 
where economy is studied, and hearty strength-sus¬ 
taining food is desired. 
In the country and small villages, many families 
keep one or more pigs for the purpose of consuming, 
the slops of the kitchen, the refuse fruit and vegetables 
from the orchard and garden, and to furnish, after 
some weeks of higher feeding in the fall, a supply of 
meat for family use. This is true economy where it 
may be practiced, for much upon which swine will 
thrive, will otherwise be wasted from every garden and 
kitchen. The expense of finishing the fattening will 
be small, as a few bushels of corn, rye, or barley meal, 
mixed with sour milk, or used for thickening a mush 
of boiled small potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, apples, 
and the like, will make a fair article of pork. 
Most large farmers keep from six to twenty or more 
swine, to turn into marketable commodity those pro¬ 
ducts not otherwise to be “ cashed,” and also to con¬ 
sume more or less of the corn crop. The slops of 
the dairy, the refuse fruit, roots, and vegetables, are 
thus used up, if not at a high rate of profit, still at a 
remunerative one, all things considered. 
To fatten swine profitably, it is important to com¬ 
mence early in autumn, not only to consume the ma¬ 
terial above named, but for the reason that mild 
weather is much more favorable to taking on flesh than 
that of a severer character. In very cold weather con¬ 
siderable food is required for the sole purpose of keep¬ 
ing up the animal heat, and the less need of expendi¬ 
ture in this respect, the more rapidly will flesh be ac¬ 
cumulated. It i3 well therefore, not only to begin 
early, but to provide warm shelter and comfortable 
feeding plaecs. A good pen is a matter of economy, 
for a discontented, restive animal will never fatten 
well, though there may be small lack in the eating 
power at any time. Proper sleeping apartments, dry, 
well littered and well ventilated, are also requisite. 
Pure air, it should ever be remembered, is of impor¬ 
tance to every animal which breathes. 
Experiments unite in showing the importance of 
cooking food for swine. Stephens remarks in “The 
Book of the Farm,” that “it has been ascertained 
that pigs fatten much better on cooked than on raw 
food. This being the case, it is only a waste of time 
and material, to attempt to fatten pigs on raw food of 
whatever kind; for though some sorts of food fatten i 
better than others in the same state, yet the same sort 
when cooked, fattens much better than in a raw state.” 
This is especially the case with the various fruits and 
vegetables; grain, ground and slightly fermented is 
thought by some experimenters to be equal to meal in 
a cooked state. It may be that it is better relished, 
and hence more is consumed, and it may be well to 
remark that the management in feeding which tends to 
the largest consumption of food without injury to the 
health of the animal, is generally the most economical. 
The comparative value of different grains for fat¬ 
tening pork has not been so closely tested as is desira¬ 
ble, but without question, Indian corn stands first on 
the list. Rye and barley come next—and late re¬ 
searches, as well as experiments by practical farmers, 
give the latter grain a more prominent position than 
it has heretofore held in this respect. We have made 
considerable use of barley meal for feeding purposes, 
the past year, and are so well satisfied, that we shall 
use it more largely in future. We would suggest to 
farmers its employment for early feeding, before the 
corn crop matures, believing they will find it profita¬ 
ble to do so. 
In regard to feeding, it is important to supply hogs, 
and all fattening animals, with just as much as they 
will consume without wasting, either by leaving, or 
by imperfect digestion. If no more is given than just 
enough to support the natural growth, no fat can be 
accumulated. To give them as much as they can use 
and no more, is the true economy, for as above hinted, 
the quicker the fattening process can be properly per¬ 
formed, the less the expense in care and material. 
The full discussion of our subject—including the 
proper age of fattening—the previous rearing and 
management—the preparation of food—the arrange¬ 
ment of pens—the attention which should be given to 
the important item of their manure, etc.—must be left 
for the future. We invite correspondents to give us 
their views on these questions. 
Draining. 
A Canada correspondent writes, “ I have been drain¬ 
ing, ‘ according to the custom of the country,’ which 
is to make a cut two and a half feet deep and one and 
a half wide, and fill with stones. This I find to bo 
very expensive, and I wish to know through The Cul¬ 
tivator, if there is any cheaper mode. You need not 
recommend tiles, for they are not to be had here—but 
if a different form of cut and filling will suit better, I 
would be happy to know something more on the sub¬ 
ject.” 
Ditching is unavoidably an expensive operation. If 
it were not so, every good farmer would soon have all 
his land thoroughly underdrained. It rarely happens 
that the cutting of the drain only, can be done for less 
than twenty-five cents per rod, if two and a half to 
three feet deep. Yet costly as it is, it commonly pays 
for the cost by the increase of crop in two to three 
years, and sometimes one year makes a full return of 
all expense. Our correspondent could probably get his 
ditching done at less cost by cutting the drains a foot 
wide instead of one and a half, as at present. It is 
only where a very large quantity of water is to pass 
through it, that more than ten inches or a foot at the 
bottom is needed for a stone channel. If the descent 
is rapid, a narrower drain is needed than where the 
