, 1840-06-20
MisceIlaMeous.
AN IMPROVEMENT IN FATTEN
ING HOGS.
From the Southern Cultivator.
MaURY Co., Tenn, March %

u1AOh1 wy lChIss -t1uiNh 80
Mr.. CLArroN:-It is manifest TO every
person that there is a great lack OF economy
in the wasteful manner we commonly feed
our stock in Tennessee. | am satisfied that
no one is more guilty in this respect than |
am myself. ! believe, with q little trouble
and trifling expense, we might save full one
half the provisions we feed to our stock every
winter. In these hard times that would help
very much to get US out of our eInbarraSS-
ments.
So fully was | convinced Of this that | de-
termined The past winter 10 try to make an
Improvement in feeding my fat.enlng hogs.
Nv practice heretofore was like my nciIhbors
generally, and | believe almost every person
in Tennessee fatien their hogs in the same
way. usually put my hogs up in a small
lot with water in it. and throw them as mnrii
raw corn in the ear as they will eat. THIS
with a little salt now and then, is all they
get, and in the course of six weeks or two
months thew are regarded as in good pork
order, and ready for tire knife. The last fall
nv hogs were put up in the usual way in
September. The number ! do not now re-
collect. But | observed particularly the
amount of corn they consumed each day.
They were fed bv throwing the corn TO them
raw in the ear. Tie corn was carried in 4
large cotton basket, which | supposed would
hold about two bushels. This nine times
full was given them every dav. 1t wasabout
rs much as they would eat. had previous
ly engaged Col. ID. Looney 10 have some
large kettles cast al his furnace IN Wayne, oil
the size and dimensions that would accomplish
the objects | had in view. My design was to
boil all the corn gave m, hogs, and by hav-
inc the kettle of suitable dimensions, to use
il TO scald them in wheri killed instead of n
trough or hog,head. lie kettles were not
ready until | had fed my hogs some time. |
at length got one, set it in a very simple Turn
ace, which did not take thirty minutes to con-
struct. And from that time until my hogs
were killed, they were fed three times day
on corn well boiled. Thu corn was taken
to the kettle in the same basket and put
in il until it was full, the kettle then filed
with water and a fire kindled under II. This
was sufficient. If at night. it would be well
cooked by morning; and If in the morning.
il would be ready by the middle OF the day
One not accustomed to it would be surprised
To see how little fuel was necessary. A bl-
let not larger than a common fence ran was
entirely sufficient to cook one mess. When
the kettle was emptied it was Immediately
filed 70 before. and a small armful OF any
wood was sufficient TO cook it suitably by the
next feeding time: In this way IT required
but six baskets full in the dav. Before | got
the kettle il required nine. Here was a clear
saving of thirty-three and a third per cent.
If one should have a lot Of hogs that would
ordinarily consume in fa:tenine $50 barrels
when fed raw, he would save by the process
of boiling, fifty barreles, which would twice
over pay the price OF the kettle. Mine
believe cost twenty-five dollars. Had got II
when | first put up my hogs, am certain
would have saved fifty barrels of corn.
. Al killing time the kettle was of great con-
venience. Its oblong form makes it very
suitable TO scald in. Formerly the prepare,
tion for killing was a great trouble. We
would make a large heap and put on it many
rocks. and after il had burnt so as to heat
them they were put in a hogshead OF water
tn heat land after they were removed
the water was ready for scalding. All This
took much time, and was a great trouble
Now, with the kettle, quite a mall hre Is sui
ficient. and when once heated 1t can be KEEP
in a rood scalding condition throughout the
whole day-you have nothing TO do bu'
make the wafer boil and then put in the hog
and m . few minutes it can be taken out, ane
you NAV put in another, and SO on until you
are done. There is no necessity Tor delay
Keen the fire constantly burning. and as fas
az you can kill YOU can scald. This fount
to be 4 great saving of time and trouble, an'
% a sufficient reason ofitself to justify the Pur
chase of kettle. III - -.
After my hogs were slaughtered the KEITH