State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-09-26
FATrENING HOGS.

On the first day ofDecember four shoats
of the same breed, nearly of n size, and as
much alike in every respect us could be
selected from herd Of ninety odd hogs,
were made choice of, each carefully weigh
ed, and placed i'll II separate styc, where
their food could be exactly regulated.-
They weighed between eighty one and one
hundred pounds. The two whose weights
together made one hundred and eighty five
pounds, were fed Oh one gallon of shelled
corn, weighing seven pounds to each, for
every twenty four hours, and as much wa
ter as they wanted. This quantity of food
was II plenty for them, generally they
about consumed it. Some five or six diff
lcrent days, between the first of Dece mber
and fourth of January, the time the expert
ment was going on, they did not Gu! their
whole allowance.
For the two shoats, whose weights to-
gcthcr made l73 pounds, seven pounds of
good Indian corn meal, by measure ten
pints, were made into good nush, or hasty
pudding, and divided between them every
twenty -four hours. That is, these two had
allowed them exactly half the weight of
meal, which the others had of raw curn.--
The seven pounds fmeal were daily mix
cd with the scaldng water, and then well
boiled the whole process of cooking was
done OH an average Of | 1-2 hours. They
were all fed twice Il day, and at the same
time. The evening feed of the shoats fed
on mush was generally warn-tle morn
ing feed, having stood all night, was always
cold. The seven pounds of ten pints Of
meal, when cooked, weighed uu average of
30 pounds, and measured an average of
three gallons. There was q difference Of
nine pounds in the weight of the latter
pair--the smallest had the least appetite,
and his allowance Of fifteen pounds ofmush
was just rs much us he appeared to want,
or would cat up clear; the other was gree
dy, and always sharp set, despatched his
mess quickly, and wanted more.
Before the experiment had progressed a
fortnight, there was very perceptible diff
ference in the appearance of these pigs
Those fed on mush assumed more thrifty
healthy, fresh appearance, particularly of
their hair, and this difference become more
striking as the experiment advanced.
On the 4th of January, while prepare
tons were making for killing and dressing,
they were again weighed Oh the hoof. One
of those then, whose daily allowance had
been seven pounds of corn each had i'll
creased twenty pounds in the twenty four
days; the other, which had had an equal
allowance of corn, had increased only five
pounds. l could not account for the diff
ference by any thing | could discover, Ell
Their before or after killing; tbs appctites of
these two were much more alike than Of
the others and their health was apparent
ly equally good.
OF the pair fed on mush, whose daily al
lowance had been three and half pounds
Of meal each, the greedy one had gained
twenty three pounds, and the other twenty
one pounds.
These are all the material facts in these
experiments, except that very small por-
ton ofsalt was put into each mess Of nush
and there is no miracle in them. The
hogs allowed three and a half pounds of
each gained less than three feurths of n
pound daily, and this surely they might
have gained from the meal but they gaill-
ed more than those fed on double that
quantity of corn. The saving of one half
the immense quantity Of corn consumed in
raising and tattening hogs in Maryland
would be well worth the offer of premi-
uln to have these experiment. accurately
repeated and tested by different persons.
Md. .4gr. Report