Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-08-18
:farn1er's s Departn1l1lt.
From the American Stock Journal
FIFE HOG ANDITs FOOD.

d
THE HOG ANDITs FOOD =.
The propensity to acquire fat in many ami
mails seems to have been implanted by ma
ture, as means of protecting them against
certain vicissitudes to which they might be-
exposed. The hog fattens most rapidly in
such state of atmosphere as is most congo
nial to his comfort-not too hot, nor too
cold. Hence the months Of September, Co.
tober and November are the best fol-, making
pork. The more agreeable the weather
the less is the amount of the food required
to supply the waste of life. 1t has been
found by experiment that field OF red clo-
yer is the best and cheapest place to keep
hogs in during the spring and summer
months, where they can have plenty Of
water, and the slop from the house, and the
sour milk from the dairy. All sour feed con-
tains more nitrogen than when fed in 4. sweet
state. The first green herbage of the spring
works off the impurities Of the blood, clean
ses the system, renovates the constitution,
and enables the animal to accumulate store
of strength to carry it forward in its destined
course. A.snall patch Of oats or peas to
turn into when the clover fails, is good
Some object to fattening hogs 80 early in the
season, the Indian corn depended upon for
the purpose, not being matured. Taking all
things into consideration, it is better to feed
corn before it is ripe, as in that state it pos
sesses considerable sweetness, and most va
rieties are in milk by the first Of September,
the hogs will chew it, swallow the juice and
eject the dry fbrous matter. At this sea:
son of the year swine can be fed Oh many
articles not readily marketable, as imperfect
fruit. vegetables, &c. When such articles
are used, cooking them is generally economi-
cal. Pumpkins, squashes, potatoes and ap-
Piles boiled or steamed, mixed with one
eighth part in bulk with mill-feed or meal,
whey, and milk leftto sour, will fatten hogs
fast. In this state they will eat itwith aVidi.
ty and derive more benefit from it than when
fed in the unfermented state. Articles that
are of a perishable nature should be used
first, to prevent waste, as it is desirable to
turn all the products Of the farm to the best
account. Another quite important advantage
of early feeding is, the less trouble in cook
ing the food and keeping it in proper con-
dition to feed out. The convenience of feed
ing is promoted, as there is no expense or
trouble to guard against freezing. ..s-,s.,.
The more you can mix the food the better,
as they will thrive fasteron mixed food than
when fed separately. In feeding, no more
should be given at time than is 'eaten up
clean,' and the feeding should be regular as
to time. It is of the greatest Importance to
get the best varieties, those that are well
formed, and have an aptitude to take on fat
readily, and consume the least food. AS to
which. is the best kind, there seems to be q
great diversity of opinion, some. ..preferring
one kind and some another. The Sufolks
come to maturity earliest, and probably are
the most profitable to kill at from seven to
ten months, but I prefer the Berkshires to
any have ever kept. A cross of the two
make good feeders and the pork is excellent; ;
they win usually weigh from ESQ to 800 Tbs.
at the age of eight Or ten months. The bet
ter way is to have the pigs dropped about
the first of April, and feed well until De-
cember, and butcher. From variety of ex-
periments I am satisfied that it is wrong to
let a hog remain poor IL months Of its life,
when it could be made as large in 9 months
as it generally is at Is months. And I con.
ceive it great error with our western farm
ers to feed their corn to hogs without grind
ing. If pigs are kept we'll for three months
after being dropped, they cannot he stunted
after that, even if the feed is cut Short
1t is now the opinion with our good practi-
cal farmers, that feeding apples to swine is
profitable, and that there is no crop that pays
better according to its cost, being fully equal
to potatoes by measure, while the expense
is not more than three or four cents per BUSH
ell. They are better to feed to stock in raw
state than potatoes-indeed, from my own
experience, have found but little benefit in
cooking apples for swine. 1t is desirable
that hogs should be provided with a dry
floor for sleeping and eating only, the whole
pen completely sheltered from the atmos-
phere, to save any washing or waste of the
manure. One other suggestion and 1 have
done every farmer should see that the COM
monwealth of the piggery is furnished with
plenty of straw, potato-vines, leaves, saw
dust and the like, with an occasional load of
muck, and almost any quantity Of weeds,
pea and buckwheat straw, all of which will
be converted into the most efficient supports
of vegetable life. Hogs are the best COM
posters known, as they delight in upturning
any such articles as the farmer wishes to con-
vert into manure for the coming year.
CURING GREEN CoRN.-The following is
the Indian method by which they treat green
corn for making succotash, &c., during win
ter. When the green corn is fit for use, a
foo i otar