American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-09-07
Fading Pigs,

The following remarks or the feed
ing and management of pigs, from
correspondent of the London Ag17-
cultural Gazette, contain many valu-
able suggestions, and although part
of them may be little out of date
at the present time, vet others are pre-
cisely in season, and all of them may
be remembered. For the information
of some of our readers, we may mere
ly remark that "greaye cakes are
made from the refuse of candle fac
tories, consisting of the sediment of
the melted tallow; and "pollard' is
the substance commonly known as
fine mtddlings or cornell.
Pigs are very. gross feeders, moth
ing comes amiss to greedy hog
roots, herbs, fruit, grain, flesh, fish,
and even hay, straw and fresh ma
nure. In the fold yard and fallow
fields he is very useful fellow; but
in grazing lands he does injury by
roofing, by pulling up grass roots,
and by his dung proving nauseous to
other stock. He is very soon affect
ed by change either of food or wealth
er. Frozen swill and putrid flesh is
very pernicious. Night air and cold
rains are the great cause of every i'll,
suffered by young pigs; sour milk,
buttermilk, or bran mixed with water
will make them sour; but steamed
roots, mixed with meal, whey or even
water, given warm and in warm sites,
will make them thrive faster than
any other animal. Raw potatoes or
other roots are injurious to them,
while old pigs will get fat upon such
food. Pigs should not be put togeth-
er for fatting in too great numbers.
Few feeders take physiological view
of the subject nevertheless, they
mostly adopt the principles Young
pigs require those varieties of food
most adapted to promote the healthy
development of frame-older pigs
those Kinds that fatten fastest, hence,
pea and bean meal, Indian meal, oat-
meal, milk, whey, &c, are best for
young pigs while in addition to these
potatoes and other roots, steamed, and
barley meal, greayc cakes, bran, pol
lard, &C., are best adapted to fat
ten older pigs; greave cakes are
highly recommended for quick fatten-
ing. 1t is improper in breeding to
put two animals together under any
great disparity Of kind or circum-
stanco-the produce will assuI cdly be
defective in many points; there should
be assimilation in size and frame.
1t is best that the female should be
of the larger breed in crossing, and
in all cases of attempt Improvement,
fine well-formed female must be Sc
lected. The most symmetrical ami
mails in all breeds have been produ-
ced from rather large, good, and
well-made female. and a good male of
moderate size. pigs will fatten rap
idly on grains for a time, afterward
they must have more nutrious food.
Fattening on crude or dry grain is
not good management; it will some
times cause death by swelling in the
stomach, which, indeed, it sometimes
bursts after eating to excess it should
always be soaked if given as grain
much better to grind it. If made in-
to malt, all the better. Barley bread
or cake, soaked in milk or whey, is
said to be unsurpassed for efficacy in
fattening. Bean meal fatten rapidly
but makes the bacon hard, and 'craun-
chy." Indian meal fattens very
quickly, and makes solid, firm, good
bacon. Barley meal is superior to
either, and produces excellent quail
ty in the bacon.-Pea meal, mixed
with whey or milk, fattens young pigs
admirably, and produces finest quail
ty of pork, Wheat meal: this is too
expensive, and only the coarsest kind
is used it will fatten freely, but the
meat is light and fabby. Oat meal
fattens satisfactorily, ana produces
the most meat as to favor.-There
are so many considerations to be ta-
ken into account in pig economy that
much more might be said; but shall
merely remark that among farmers
the management of pigs is very much
to be condemned-they are left, in
reality, to shift for themselves. They
should from their birth be carefully
fed and HAght on continuously till
Gattened if leftuncared for, or only
now and then attended to, they will
prove Improbable. No animal will
pay better for careful nursing and
early feeding than the pig,
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