Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-11-03
l0lOrtester 1ailp Spp.
Fattening Hogs at the west.

Inc method often practiced by large farmers
OF turning fattening hogs into the fields of
standing corn, If properly conducted, has its
advantages over that of gathering the corn
and feeding it dry to the hogs in the pen.
he earlier IN The season the process of fat.
tenlng SWINE is begun the better, after the
gram has reached Il certain periud of maturity,
whether rye, oats, or corn because all farm
animals, anu hogs in particular, will fatten
much faster in warm than in cold weather =
AND the grain between the periods of its
doughty state and full maturity, or rather be-
fore 1t becomes dry, is more easily digested
and assmllated and converted into flesh and
tat than when 1t has passed into lis dry state
1t Is clear, then, that the sooner the hogs are
turned into the field alter the grains of corn
are fully formed, and while yet in the milk,
the more speedily they will tatton; for if the
weather be dry the corn hardens very rapidly.
y very interesting experiment in feeding
hogs is detailed by Mr.. James Buckingham in
the Prairie Farmer. On the 9th day of Sep
TENDER I'm ordinary seasons, corn, at this date,
Is too Tar advanced to commence feeding to the
best advantage) the hogs, 1856 in number,
were weighed, which footed up in the aggre.
gate l9,600 lbs. A movable fence was used.
combining the hogs TO an area sufficient to at:
t0rd food for two or three days. The entire
held thus fed contained forty acres, with an
estimated average of forty bushels per acre.
The consumption Of this corn gave a gain If
1910 lbs. The hogs, when turned into the
corn, cost three cents per h., equal S5S8
worth, when fed, four cents per h., or Sl2l3 90
giving return for each acre OF corn con.
sumed OF SIS "a. Adding to this 81 per acre
for the Improvement of the land by feeding
the corn on the field, making the actual gain
per acre SIC 81, equal to forty cents per BUSH
oil standing in fol 10, rboI, e
corn per acre, exclusive of interest on the
land, is set down at So IS.
By way of comparing the advantages of
ground and cooked food over that which was
merely ground, and that which was I'M
ground, Mr.. b. put up three hogs into separ-
ate pens. TO one he fed two and halt bush.
els of corn in the ear, during period of nine
days, feeding all he would eat this gave
gain of nineteen pounds another eat in the
same time one and three quarters bushels OF
corn, ground, and gained also nineteen pounds
and to the third he fed one busheI of corn,
ground and boiled, which gave gain of twenty
two pounds. By this it will be seen that one
aud three quarters bushels of corn when
grouud will give gain of flesh equal to two
and halt bushels OF unground corn, and that
one bushel when ground and cooked gave a gain
OF twenty pounds.
L The comparative results of these three
methods of feeding may be thus set down -
One bushel of corn when ground and cooked
is equal to nearly three bushels when fed dry
and ungrOund and one and three quarters
bushels when ground and uncooked is equal to
two and half bushels when fed whole
Or it may be stated thus One bushel of
dry corn in the ear makes 81 lbs. of pork, at 4
cents per h., is equal to SO cents per bushel
for the corn; while one bushel Of corn, ground
and boiled makes % lbs. of pork, at cents
per h., and is equal to IS cents per bushel for
the corn.
Had the hogs been turned into the field
when the corn was in the milk, it would have
given result more nearly like that of the hog
fed upon ground and cooked food.
The obstacles which seem to be in the way
of adopting an improved method OF tattening
hogs result from the imperfect apparatus used
for preparing the food. Sending the corn
long distance to mill to be ground, and then to
cook the meal i'll an ordinary kettle, even if it
holds barrel, will prove an expensive opera
ton, as all have found who have undertaken
it, But to realize the full advantages of feed
ing prepared food, a complete grinding and
steaming apparatus must be erected on a large
scale, with the view 10 perform the grinding,
cooking, and feeding. with the greatest facility
and at the least possible cost This may be
done TO advantage by employing steam for
grinding, using the same boiler to furnish
steam for cooking the meal Valley Farmer.