Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-09-05
'[Price Two Cents.
Gbe 4atlg spp.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER s, 1854.


among as!
In no ticing the remarks on swine, in the
Transactions of the New Hampshire state
Agricultural Society, for 1852, and the two
preceding years, we were led into some re-
Elections on the subject of raising and fattening
swine, and the profit derived therefrom. When
carried to amoderate extent no other branch
of farm industry is generally regarded as more
profitable than this one, especially when pork
commands the price it has borne the previous
year. We are inclined to think, however,
that the comparatively great and rapid increase
from the original cost of swine over other farm
products, has much to do in inducing this
opinion among farmers, not taking sufficiently
into the estimate the great quantity of food
consumed; and from the very loose and un-
statistical manner of conducting experiments
and arriving at conclusions, they frequently
overate the profits on this, as well as on other
branches of husbandry. There is absolute
need of more carefully conducted experiments
in fattening swine than have hitherto been
made, and not only in reference to the exact
quantity of food consumed, and the precise in
crease in weight of the animal, but also in re-
ference to the comparative increase, from Civ
en- amount of food, of the various breeds of
swine among us.
We are aware of general disposition
among farmers to favor large hogs even if the
proportion of bone and offal is decidedly great
er than in a breed of medium size They
seem unwilling to understand that an animal
that will produce GOO lbs of dressed pork,
from given amount of food, is not as profta-
bic as two smaller animals, which together
will make 100 lbs. more pork of superior quail
ity than the large animal, and with an equal
amount of food and time.
An erroneous opinion prevails that whatever
produces the greatest sum per capita, is the
most profitable, although the aggregate of
smaller items should greatly preponderate in
careful comparison. The former comes "aUin
heap," is said, aud its value, in compare
son with minor items, is frequently over-es-
tlmated in consequence.
The Transactions above alluded 20, contain
the experience and opinions of several highly
practical farmers Of New England, on this sub
iect from which we are led to infer that pork
raising, with the ordinary breeds there in use,
is not a profitable as is generally Supposed
They state that when corn is one dollar per
bushel, and potatoes thirty three cents, and
pork twelve cents, hogs may be fattened at a
profit, that it requires two quarts of Indian or
barley meal, and the same quantity OF pota-
toes, apples, pumpkins, or roots, cooked, to
make pound of pork; tolerably correct es-
innate. though if fed in raw state it would
But in that section of the country for sever
al years past, com has averaged only about six
cents per pound from which factsi it is clearly
apparent that pork raising must have been
losing business with our eastern neighbors.
In this State corn has averaged something
over fifty cents per bushel for several years past,
while the price of pork has probably averaged
less than five cents per pound for the same
period; SO that with us also, if the above rule
Of estimating profit is correct, pork raising has
not been very renumeratvs, especially so with
| the ordinary breeds of swine prevailing among
| us.
This view of the case is suggestive of the
inquiry. Is there profitable breed of swine
| prevailing among uss A breed that possesses
| great fattening qualities, fneness of BONE and
! small ofal, and can be reared chiefly on grass,
and the coarser products Of the farm, must be
highly desirable. The Suffolk swine possess
these qualities in an eminent degree, and we
hazard little in the assertion that they are, all
things considered, the most profitable breed
of swine among us. We append an extract
from the Transactions referred to IN relation to
this breed.
"The excellence of the Suffolk breed con-
ceive to be the very small cost at which they
are kept, as store pigs, and the ease with
which they are tattened when it is desired to
put them in order to kill. Previous to ADOPT
ing the Suffolk as the breed for my raising, 1
made trial of the Mackie and the native
The Mackie l procured from the late Mr..
Phinney, of Lexington, Mass, but for some
reason or other, we were not successful with
them. Those had did not prove to be pro-
ltc. The natives l procured in the vicinity.
They were 'nondescripts,' of course, what
were called handsome looking pigs For
want OF name, called them sharks. / am
satisfied that of such hogs the corn used in
tattening will sell for more money than the
pork after it is made, and rather than keen
such, it is economy to buy pork and sell the
corn. We do not think it advisable generally
to have pigs in the fall. Owing to the greater
cost of raising and risk of loss,as well as extra
care required, it is more profitable to raise in
the spring only. Two or three young sows
lave got to the boar however, from which
we got five pigs this fall. The whole expense
Of keeping our stock of eighteen hogs from
June LIST to October 9TH, is the consumption
OF the following articles, all produced on the
farm, viz:
Stops from the kitchen, Cnot valued
IL bushels corn, at SO cents. ............. s913
oats, At Stt cents, ...............3,36
80 barley, at rs cents ..............2TyOO
40 refused potatoes, at 25 cents ,.lOd0
loads imperfect pumpkins, ...............,2O0
Weeds and green materials thrown in, (not
valued,)
CONTRA. By large lot of manure from 30
to 40 loads, as estimated, at five pigs al
together not less than. ...................$45,Oo
Actual cost of the Is, (besides labor $3.50
Of these eighteen, one is the sow now ex-
hibited, which we have fatted to kill in Oeto-
Der. Three are barrows which have been a
little better fed than the rest, to ENCOURAGE
Their growth, and which we shall in a few
weeks begin to fatten in order to kill in Jan.
uary. OF the residue, two are boars and
twelve are sows, from which we expect pigs
next year, if we meet with no accident
think 1t safe TO estimate that the cost of sum-
mering store hog of the Suffolk breed. ex-
ceeds the value of the manure, very little. il
any. The cost of fattening one may be seen
by the fat sow | exhibit. Taking into ac-
count beyond this the value of the pigs, and
1t will be seen that it is the only breed we
have yet had, the raising of which affords the
farmer any visible profit"
The cholera still continues to rage a. Fall
FLYER, and great panic exists among the resi-
dents. The number of deaths ON Thursday
was reported as high as twenty or thirty
Many of these were brought about by the
sick being deserted, when the disease made
its appearance. In one instance a mother was
found alone in house, with the corpse of her
daughter lying on the floor. The rest of the
family had fled to the woods. 1t is said that
many have sought the same place of refuge.
Hundreds Of others have fled to Boston or
Providence. Two physicians who have at