The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-04-26
From the n. Z. csl.isaior.
The Economy Of Pork Raising.

raising. Indeed, some old farmers say
that the "SuffuIksv are but another
chapter of the Merino sheep. Morus-
Multicaulis. and cochin-g -go-rooster spe-
culations. with which so many yerdant
ones have been.s burned" Butn one
can deny that the subject is one Of
great interest to every one WIN owns
land enough to build pig-pen upon.
And we lind so much goed seand sense
in an article written by a Pennsylya-
MIA farmer, that we copy it entire
The season may be over for sales. but
now is the time to plan for next years
operations. and our New Castle friend
gives excellent advice.
!. The Best .Breeds-i reverend
gentleman, in a country district, the eY-
cellence Of whose hogs was we'll known.
was asked ON bis way to his pen, what
breed his hogs were ofs His answer
contains much sound philosophy on this
yexed question of breeds. From the
basket ON bis arm hethrew AN ear Of corn
into his pen, and replied: That's the
breed my hogs are Of" The moral is.
that unthrifty farming cannot repair It's
deficiencies by relying on the best of
breeds; and the man that would eco
nomically fatten his animal, however
good its kind, must study iss comfort
in the matter d food, and, we must
add. shelter. Yet some varieties are
certainly better, and some worse. In,
general il is best to secure pigs of ap-
proved breeds whatever they may be,
pure, or il crossed, crossed only with
other best varieties. Berkshires, Lei
cesters, Chinas, Graziers and Waburns
are approved sorts. Also, Essex, Suf-
folk, aud Bedford breeds. Avoid, in
their purity or crossed, the old vora-
cious woodbrced, with which our fore.
fathers were afflicted and whose race
is not yet extinct. sad evidence Of
reaaining barbarism in our midst in
the nineteenth century. Ii your neigh
bors have such. avoid alliances with
them. "1'hose roaming hordes of ra.
zor.backed alligators," as MIR. George,
Of Jefferson county, Ohio, graphically
declares OF them, "will manage to steal
march not only ON YOU. but on their
less amorous male competitors Of the
China or other breeds, and thus transmit
their own depravity in their offspring
representatives, and produce a ruina-
tion of your plans. One Of the great
est obstacles to Improvement arises
from these hor,les Of worthless animals
turned out by their owners. often with
small profit to both. aud almost an aS-
solute curse to the whole neighbor-
hood" The picture is true TO the very
life.
9. Isi most advantageous 10 keep hogs
fat all The time ?-Mr. Pbinney, Of Lex
ington. Mass, pork raiser Of the very
best experience, settles the question
fully: IF intended for killing at the
age Of nine or ten months, they should
be full fed all the time, aud kept as fat
as possible. Ii to be killed at fifteen
or eighteen months old, they should
not be made very fat for the first ten
or twelve months. The reason is OBJ
vious. Those that are shortsled are
more active, and this activity causes
the muscles to enlarge and the frame
TO spread; while very fat pigs become
inactive, and, like indolent bipeds,
neither work for their owE benefit nor
that of others" But we must guard
against the extreme of withholding food
SO as to stunt the growth. The grow
ing animal that is not Immediately de-
signed for the knife. should be kept in
thrifty, but not in fat, condition.
8. The age al ,chich Ills most profit
able 10 Kill is an important item Of eco
nomy. Some breeds mature sooner
than others: But of them all il is true
that there is much saved by killing be-
fore maturity, and especially in slaugh.
tering spring pigs the following win
ter, say at eight or ten months old.
The saving is not merely in avoiding
the cost of an extra winters feeding,
which is more expensive than summer
feeding, but in the obvious fact, that
when an animal arrives at full growth,
though not increasing in weight, he
does not cease to eat, aud of course as
he nears this period. his growth is much
slower in proportion to the amount Of
food, than when younger. An cxpe-
rienced gentleman. John Lowell, says,
a, the result Of twenty years expc-
renee, that young pigs Of twenty or
thirty pounds weight, will give nearly