Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1860-09-06
AGRICULTURAL.
Parched Corn and Homer for Hog


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/ ParChed Corn and Homer for Hogs.
a correspondent of the Highland Dem
ocrat, published at Peekshill, New York,
furnishes that paper with the following
communication.
A few years ago chanced in Albany
TO meet a farmer who is noted for raising
unusually heavy hogs. The year before
he had brought to market one weighing
over 700 pounds, and said chat year he
should have one of S00,s of near that
mark. As there always seems 10 be a
cause for every effect, was anxious to
know the course he pursued.
"Well," said he. ''you must first Sc.
lecI the right kind of crltter. Get the
right breed, and then pick out the good
natured ones from the litter; l can't af-
ford to feed cross critter: / sell them
when they are pigs" allow can you
judge?" said /. "Well if you watch
them when they are feeding, you will
find that some pigs are alters fighting
| about their feed, and some go in for eat
ing. There is as much difference between
pigs dS tneTo is IN IOlkS.
"Well, when you select the right kind
of a pigiwhat next is important"
"Well, then you must have nice place
for the critters to live in and feed them
on the right kind of victuals.''
"What kind of food?"
a"Well, the best and cheapest kind of
food | have found when it comes time to
put on the fat is parched corn. l gener-
ally manage to buy a barrel or two of
Southern honey it is cheap enough as it
is semtimes. When it is not over four
cents and pork is six, it 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 a
pound day is enough it must not cloy
their stomachs, but little of it with their
corn or meal will make the critter gain
more extra than the weight of the feed"
"Are these things all 2"
"Well-yes, pick out the right kind of
a critter, keep il in good place, give il
plenty of the right kind of victuaIs, and
have a good humored hand to take care
ont, and it's just as easy to raise 900
weight hogs as it is to raise little scaly
runts that wont weigh two, and it wont
cost no more, and | don't believe it will
as much"
Now there is much sound philosophy
in that mans experience. remembe-
when riding in Northampton county, Pa,
with Yankee acquaintance, he remark
ed "that 1t was singular the farmers of
that vicinity did not keep better breed
of hogs. "Why that remark 2" said l.
''See those hogs over there fighting"
said he: "such disposinoned hogs can
never be fattened on any quantity of
corn"
That parching corn is the most eco
nomical way of preparing 1t, many ex-
periments testify. The application of
moderate heat for some time, has the
effect to change part Of the starch into
sweetish substance, called dextrine,
which is more easily digested into fat
than starch that is, part of the making
of fat is accomplished by the agency of
heat. When parchlng is done in proper
way, and upon large scale, II is a 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 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 tins case it is to be un-
derstood that the corn is not to be black
ened, burnt, or even Drowned but slightly.
AS respects the importance of having
good natured attendant, have become
convinced for many years, (see Lambert's
Physiology for | have never met an ex-
ception to the rule, that he who produces
fat cattle, horses, hogs, or any creature,
is always good to them at least. 1t is a
physiological fact of no 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 percentage of good nature rises
IL -