Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-10-25
RURAL ECONOMY.
MAKING PORK.

farmers, and when performed economical
". or when the most is made ofthe materl-
ais given them, it is undoubtedly source
of handsome profit. Yet all will admit,
that when carried on in the manner it some
times is, the process of pork making
drains, instead Of REFRESHING the farmers
pocket.
70 make fattening hogs profitable. it is
necessary, first ofall, that the breed selec.
ted for feeding should be good one.
There is vast difference in hogs in the re-
sncct of easy fattening, proper proportion
ofbone, weight, &c. and the farmer who
thinks to make money by feeding the long
shouted, hump-backed, slab-sded animals,
that are 100 frequently found among farm
crs, and disgrace the very name of swine,
will find in the end that he has reckoned
without his host, and has thrown away both
time and money. There are several good
breeds of pigs now in the country, mostly
produced bv crossings of other kinds with
the Chinese, and of course having different
degree Of aptitude to fatten and these
breeds have been so disseminated over the
country, that any farmer who is willing to
make the effort, may have some improved
animals in his pens. The time has gone
by when hog should be kept four years
to weigh four hundred; the business OF
sattening is little understood where hogs o.!
wear and a half do not reach that
amount, and some pigs have even exceeded
that weight
Next to selecting good breeds, it is re-
ouisite that they should be kept constantly
growing. There must be some foundation
for fattening, when the process commen-
ces, or much time will be lost IN repairing
errors. and much food consumed in max
inc carcass that should be employed in
covering it with fat. Hogs should be kept
in clover pasture, field being allotted to
them for their exclusive use, so large IN
proportion TO their numbers that feed may
always be fresh, yet not so much so as
run up to seed, or grow coarse or rank.
They should have the slops of the kitchen,
the whey or buttermiIk ofthe dairy, unless
this is required for your pigs, and in
general every thing they will eat to ad-
vantape. or which will promote their
growth.
The manner in which the materials IN
tended for fattening pork is prepared and
fed. has a decided influence on the rapldlty
ofthe process, and of consequence on the
aggregate profits. Ifgiveu out raw much
Of the value of the article is lost; grain IS
much improved by grinding, but the full
effect of all kinds of feed is only brought
out bv cooking. Corn is without perad-
venture tho best article ever produced for
making good pork; and though other sub
stances may occasionally be used with ad.
vantage, and may produce pork of fair and
good quality, yet experience has proved that
the real corn fed meat is on the whole su-
pcrior to all others. Hogs will faiten on
corn given to them in any state, yet 1t Is far
preferable when soaked, ground, steamed
or boiled. A farmer of our acquaintance,
and who is celebrated for the weight OF his
hogs, and the excellence of his pork, is IN
the habit of fmixing oats with his corn be-
fore grinding in the proportion OF about
one.fourth, and thinks that if he had not the
oats of his own, he should be a gamer in
exchanging corn, bushel for bushe, for oats
rather than not have them to mix with his
swine feed. He thinks they eat the mix
ture better than clear corn meal, are less
liable to surfet, and Of course will tat
much faster with the oats than without
them. Peas have generally been ranked
next to corn as an article for making good
pork, and they are probably the best sub
stitute that has yet been found, hogs feeding
well on then, fattening rapidly, and the
pork being of good quality. 1t is almost
indispensable that peas should be ground
or soaked previous to feeding. Potatoes
are more extensively used for fattenlng
hogs than any other of the cultivated roots
and are probably the best of the whole for
this purpose. Unless they are boiled,
however, they are of little value compara-
tiyely, but when cooked they will give the
hogs fine start in feeding, and they may
then be easily finished off with corn OR peas,
The fattening of hogs on apples may be
considered as one of the successful lnnova.
vations of the age, it being certain that this
fruit possesses value for that purpose
which but q few years since was wholly
unknown. The success ofths experiment
has given new value TO orchards, and
will probably check thoir destruction, which
in some sections ofthc country had alrea-
DIV commenced to a considerable extent.
1'bo ,,r;ous renorts from gentlemen Of IN