THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 20. 
I 34 
may be reared and fed on the swill from the cheese-tub, 
thus escaping the miller’s bill. They add meal to the 
swill for about a month or so at last, to prepare 
them for the butcher; but during the summer they 
have simply a grass run with plenty of swill. 
Those Pigs are cleared off in September, and thus 
commences the feeding or “finishing off” of those 
intended for their own bacon, and which are already 
largish hogs. These, of course, consume a good 
deal of meal, for the huge sides of bacon may be 
seen decorating the rack, roof, or sides of the kitchen 
six inches in depth of solid fat; but, ns I before ob¬ 
served, theso rustics arc not the follows to flinch from 
it. However, they have other uses for the bacon fat; 
they make pies and puddings rather extensively, and 
when potatoes were plentiful, they used to work up a 
good deal in frying or warming-up potatoes for the 
household. 
I may now take leave, for a moment, of the Cheshire 
farmer, and point to the character and quality of the 
various roots, meals, &c., as bearing on the Pig ques¬ 
tion ; and having fairly done this, we must take a glance 
at the plot of land; inquire about its capabilities; sec 
what may be corrected, and how to apportion it. 
Root crops, as to their qualities for pig feeding, may, 
1 think, be placed as follows—1st. Parsnips; then Man¬ 
gold, Swedes, Carrots, common Turnips. I am aware 
that many will differ from me as to the order in which 
they are placed, but 1 put them as I have found them. 
Potatoes arc now almost entirely out of the question for 
Pigs, but should they ever be restored to that position, I 
should be inclined to place potatoes first on the list, not 
for quality simply, but because few Pigs will refuse them; 
but I have known many to refuse carrots, parsnips, and 
mangold. As to meal, I think barley may stand first; 
j then oats, and next Indian corn. Beans have been much 
extolled, and high-feeding properties they possess, but 
it is well-known they produce a very strong and unplea¬ 
sant flavour in the meat; in all cases where they are 
' used, their use should cease some three weeks before 
killing time. But I would have our readers remember 
i that the economical and safe feeding of swine is not a 
matter of quality alone in the. material; the comparative 
I value or price of the materials must ever be allowed to 
I influence the question, and not only price, but its adap¬ 
tability to promote and to sustain a proper medium 
condition of bowels, for, without this, the feeding can 
scarcely prove successful. In regard of the meals, 
barley may be considered rather opening, oats somewhat 
binding, Indian corn a happy medium, and peas, which 
I had forgotten to name, rather binding. All this points 
to the propriety of using mixtures where the extreme 
tendencies of one thing are corrected and kept within 
bounds by the qualifying character of the others. I 
may here point to the v'ay in which Pigs are fed in 
these parts by those who keep a cow or two. I pur¬ 
posely leave the regular cheese-farmer out of this part 
of the subject, inasmuch as his mode of feeding, through 
the summer especially, is ruled principally by the vast 
amount of buttermilk, whey, &c., produced in the pro¬ 
cess of cheese-making. 
It is generally understood, that stale or sour pig food 
is better for the animal; but whether really correct or 
no, our Cheshire folks pay no heed to it; and our 
cottagers, than whom nobody produces better pigs, pay 
no heed to this doctrine, but cook or warm their food as 
w’anted, three times a day; so that, go into a cottage 
when you will, there is always a pig-kettle steaming 
away, containing a few chopped Swedes, and what par¬ 
ings of potatoes are produced by the family dietary; for 
no potatoes are boiled in their jackets here; all are 
pared, and the best way, too. Por store pigs, the roots, 
water, and all are given; and as they generally manage 
to get a liltle butter-milk from the farmer’s, this is 
added, and the roots are crushed as fine as possible. 
When, however, the pig is fattening, the water is poured 
away, and added to other store pig’s meat, and a liberal 
allowance of meal being added to the strained roots, the 
whole becomes a thick and rich diet. Over a breeding 
sow at farrowing time they take a great deal of care; 
opening food is given a few days previously, in order to 
get the bowels in an easy state, and the sow is kept in 
the sty to farrow. A very clean and sweet bed is pro- 
: vided of very short straw, for long straw is apt to con¬ 
tuse and entangle the sow in her movements, and to 
| cause “ overlaying.” The sow is kept as quiet as possi¬ 
ble for several days, and every cure.is taken not to dis¬ 
turb her dining her farrowing. A little linseed put in 
j the sow’s mashes at this time would doubtless be an 
excellent thing. 
I may now, before concluding about Bigs, take occa- j 
sion to advert to the Cheshire mode of curing bacon 
and hams. From Christmas to the second week in 
l 1 ebruary may be considered the best period for curing 
bacon and hams to keep a long while; many, neverthe¬ 
less, cure as early us the middle of September, and con¬ 
tinue as late as the beginning of April. One thing I 
may observe, that unless the meat “sets well,” that is to j 
say, becomes firm instead ol flabby, at killing time, no 
i good luck can be expected; and 1 need scarcely observe, 
that this “setting well” is entirely dependent on a cool 
and dry air. In frosty weather, however, there is always 
i a jealousy about it, for the meat will not take salt if in 
the least frozen. The hog, in general, is cut up the day 
after it is killed, and as bacon is the chief object, the 
| cutter up pays little regard to the joints to be used as 
fresh pork; the latter, in this case, simply consists of 
the spareribs, the loins, and sundry trimmings. The 
head is made into brawn, and a capital thing it is here. 
\ When the hog is not very large, many deem it expedient I 
to leave the “hands” in, and they, of course, form a j 
portion of the side. The fresh pork being cold and well 
set, is placed in layers on a bench in a larder or buttery, 
each layer being well rubbed with common salt as it is 
deposited, and plenty strewed between. After about 
three days it is turned and rubbed again, and a little 
i saltpetre added to the hams and hands. These turnings 
are repeated when necessary, and more salt added if 
requisite. The sides, &c., lay thus nearly a fortnight, 1 
. and then placed on the rack or hung in the kitchen in a 
dry airy place away from the fire. After about three or 
lour weeks, when thoroughly dry, they are removed to a 
: cold and very dry room, where they will keep for a 
twelvemonth, or more, if necessary. Some persons 
dress their hams with good ale, and a rich ham it 
makes. In this case, a very little saltpetre is used in¬ 
stead of salt, well rubbed in; then lay for twenty-four 
hours; when about one pound of salt to every fourteen 
1 pounds of meat, with half-a-pound of moist sugar, and 
one quart of good ale boiled hot on the hams, and they 
| are left in pickle three weeks, and drenched with the 
! liquor twice every day. R. Eiuungton. 
MEETING OF THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
4tii April. 
The principal attractions at this Meeting were a 
splendid collection of cut Roses, from Mr. Lane, of 
Berkhampstead, and a collection of Hyacinths from the 
Pine-Apple Place Nursery. The greatest novelty was 
Rhododendron Dalhoitsicinum, in bloom ; and one of the 
most important subjects, in a national point of view, 
was a lecture on the Grass Plan of China, with spe¬ 
cimens of its various produce in illustration. The 
meeting was much crowded, owing to the fine weather, 
perhaps, as much as to our novelties. 
