Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-10-20
Asrifulture.
FATTENING ANIMALS.
An Ar,icie to be Read Now !

tant for him to know how he may
turn such articles Of food to the best ac-
count. Several articles, such as pumpkins
and apples will not keep long, and are to
be used in their season, il at all. The least
nutritious articles, SO far as It can be done
conveniently, should be fed out first after
ward those that are nutritive. Fattening
animals should be kept quiet, and suffered
TO take no more exercise than is necessary
for their health. All exercise, more than
this calls for an expenditure of food, which
does not avail any thing in the process of
fattening. They should be fed regularly,
with suitable food, and that properly pre-.
pared and as much should be given them
as they are able 10 convert into flesh and
fat, without waste. "In the animal econ
omy, the accumulation of fat and extra
flesh, is only deposit of super1uouss nutri-
ment, which not being required by the sys
tenn at one time, is laid by for future emer-
gencies; and it must be obvious that the
larger the quantity of food which fatten-
ing can be made TO consume daily, with
good appetite, or digest thoroughly, the
greater will be the amount OF flesh and fat
gained in proportion to the whole quantity
of food consumed"
Animals will not thrive with any amount
of food where they are uneasy and discon-
tented, even if they are so closely confined
that they cannot wear off their flesh by
exercise it is, therefore important that
they be fed regularly, and that there should
be nothing to disturb them, or excite fear
or discomfort.
Ofthe root crops, for nutritive proper
ties, potatoes stand first : then carrots, ruta
bagas, mangel-wurtzels, which are all nearly
as valuable as potatoes; while the English
turnip is the least valuable and nutritious.
Of grain, wheat stands first then peas, In.
dian corn, barley, and last, oats. Much
Indian corn is used in fattening animals
especially, swine. Eor these, there is a
great gain in having it both ground and
cooked. 1t is said that where swine are
fed on mush or hasty-pudding, they are
much more quiet, and consequently gain
flesh much faster, than where the same in
gradients are fed to them uncooked.
The following hints on the subject, from
that valuable agricultural journal, the Ill
bany Cultiuator, will be found of interest ::
ssSubstances in which the nutriment is
much concentrated, should be fed with care.
There is danger, especially when the ami
NAL is first put to feed, that more may be
eaten at once than the digestive organs can
manage. Meal of Indian corn is highly
nutritive, and when properly fed causes an
imals to fatten faster than almost any other
food. They will not, however, bear to be
exclusively kept on this article for any
length of time. Meal made from the hea-
West varieties of corn, especially that grown
in the northern and eastern states, is quite
too strong food for cattle, sheep, or horses
TO be full fed upon. Hence one of the ad-
vantages of having the cob ground with
the corn, by which the nutriment is diffl-
sed through greater bulk, lays lighter on
the stomach, and is more thoroughly d.
gested. The effect of pure corn meal on
animals, we suppose TO be similar to that
sometimes produced on our own species by
the use of fine wheaton flour-the subject
becomes dyspept,c, and is forced to use
bread which has the bran mixed with the
flour. The mixture of the cob with the
corn, answers the purpose of bran-the
health of the animal is preserved, and the
process of ofdigestion goes on uninterruptedly.
In fact, the advantages of grinding the cob
and corn together for feeding cattle may
be said to be we'll established. For hogs,
the benefit of the cob, is not, we think, so
evident; those animals appearing TO be bet
ter adapted to taking their nourshment in
concentrated form, than those which ru.
inmate or chew their cud. Yet food sutfi-
GENTLY bulky to effect the distention OF the
bowels is necessary for hogs.
"Hay or straw cut into lengths so short
as to be readily mixed with meal. answer:
good purpose in rendering the meal easy
of digestion, and in enabling the animal tc
extract all the nutriment from it.
"The conclusion arrived at from the re.
suit of series of experiments instituted by
the Highland Society of Scotland, few
years ago, was, that the superiority of cook.
ed over uncooked food for cattle is but tri.
fling, and not sufficient to balance the cost
but for hogs, the extra cost Of preparing
was repaid.
'The appetite and health of the animal
arc Pioh'oeeu oy GIVING d variety vi IoOu
This fact has led to the preparations fol
fattening stock. For iattening hogs W,
have used with advantage, the following
mixtures. l. Two parts potatoes and two
parts pumpkins boil together until the,
can be easily mashed fne-then add on,
part meal, stirring and mixing intimatel,
together. The heat of the potatoes an,
pumpkins will scald or cook the meal, an
when cold the mixture will be stiff pud
ding. .. Two parts potatoes, and two G
ripe palatable apples, (either sweet or sour
boil till they can be mashed fne-then ad
one part meal, (either from corn, barley, G
oats and peas, allowing the same weights
and mix together while the potatoes an
apples are hot.
''fiogs are more fond of food when il
slightly fermented, mot becoming pungent
!y sour, and they appear to fatten faster
it is given to them in this state.) We hay
never seen hogs thrive faster than whe
fed on these mixtures, with occasionally
10 lnsr alA u 4 :