Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-11-19
P.rsh.a Corn and Honey for Hogs.

A correspondent Of the "Highland Dem
Ocrat," published at Peekskll, New York
furnishes that paper with the following com
munication:
A few years ago ] chanced in Albany to
meet farmer who is noted for raising un.
usually heavy hogs. The year before he
had brought to market one weighing over
700 pounds, and said that year he should
have one Of 900, or near that mark As
there always seems 10 be cause for every
effect, was anxious to know the course he
pursued.
well" said he, lyon must first stlect
the right kind of n critter. Get the rgIt
breed, aud then pick out the good natnred
ones from the litter; can't afford to feed u
cross critter; l sell them when they are
pigs" "How can you judgeP" said l.
~Well, if you watch them when they are
feeding you will 6nd that some pigs are al
lers fighting about their yictuaIS, aud some
60 10 for eating. There is as much differ
snce in pigs as there is in folks"
"Well, when you have selected the right
kind Of pig, what next is important T
"Well, then you must have nice place
for the critter to live in, aud feed him the
Eight kind of victuals."
What kind of food 2"
swell, the best and cheapest kind Of food
have found, when it comes time to put on
the fat, is Pdrcted corn. generally man-
age to buy barrel or two of Southern hon
ey, If it is cheap enough, as it is sometimes.
When it is not over four cents, and pork is
six, il pays first rate, and sometimes you
can get it for two; it costs me about three
cents on an average, or it won't do TO risk
it. About half pound day is enough !;
It must not cloy their stomachS, but little
Of it with their corn or meal will make the
eritter gain more extra than the weight of
the feed"
"Are these things all ?"
"Well, yes, pick out the right kind of q
critter, keep it in good place, give it
plenty of the right kiud of vctuals, and have
good humored man to take care ont, and
it is just as easy to raise 600 weight hogs
as it is to have little scaly runtS that won't
weigh two, and it won't cost no more, and
don't believe twill as much"
Now there is much sound philosophy in
that mans experience. remember when
riding in Northampton Co., Pa, with q
Yankee acquaintance, he remarked that it
was singular the farmers of that vicinity did
not keep better breed of hogs" Why
that remark ?" said l. "See those hogs
over there fighting" said he; 'such diSpoS-
toned hogs can never be fattened on any
quantity of corn +"
That parching corn is the most ecomcal
way Of preparing it, many experiments tes
tify. The application of moderate heat for
some time, has the effect to change a part
of the starch into q sweetish substance, call
ed dextrins, which is more easily digested
into fat than starch that is, part of the
mahing of fat is accomplished by the agency
of heat
When parching is done in proper way,
and upon large SCALE it is cheap way of
cooking corn. Let any man who is inclined
try the experiment this fall upon two pigs
as nearly alike as possible feed each the
same quantity of corn, in one case parched,
in the other not and observe the result at
the end of a week, or better at the end of
fortnight.
The more slowly the corn is parched, the
better. 1t is not necessary to have it pop"
Perhaps the word roasted would be better;
but in this case it is to be understood that
the corn is not to be blackened, burnt or
even Drowned but slightly.
As the respects the Importance of having
a good natured attendant, have been con-
vinced for many years, (see Lambert'S Phis-
ology,) for have never met an exception
of the rule, that he who produces fat cattle,
horses, hogs, or any creature, is always good
natured, towards them at least 1t is
psychological fact Of not little interest.
The first two or three hundred pounds of
hog can be produced from corn alone, but
TO produce pork above that weight, good
nature must be added to the corn, and the
per centage Of good nature rises rapidly as
the weight increases.