Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-10-30
horticultural.
Fattening Pigs.
MAKING MANURE.

Ii it entirely too common among farmers
10 allow pi.s to lead the life of retired gen
tIemen in other words To live without
work This i a great mistake, for of all the
animal kept on the farm, the pig is best fit
ted for the manufacture of manure and 9th
CT things being equal, will manufacture more
manure within n given time than any other
animal
] usually keep four pigs. and am disap-
pointed if they do not furnish me with TWEEN
ty-five loads of manure every year. There
are many things allowed to 20 To waste on
the farm which if placed in the pig-pen
would make the best of manure.
Nv plan il nearly as follows as soon as
the ward is emptied in the fall. haul ten or
twelve loads of road scrapngs or washings
into the pen this | cover with a good layer
of wheat straw. or what is better. If you have
1t. a LAYER of timothy straw, from which the
seed mas been thrashed. During the winter
the pigs are furnished with as much wheat
straw rs they can work in. | prefer wheat
straw. because it has tendency to keep the
pigs clean. while | am convinced that Oat
straw has the opposite effect, and beside that
the Latter is more valuable food during tn
winter IT wet days of early spring. During
the winter and spring. when the snow is off
the ground. | haul in leaves from the fence
corners near the woods hassocks from the
NAV be within my reach. During the
spring and summer [ haul in road sand
wood earth, sOds weeds from the fence
corners, long coarse grass from wet places in
me tdOws. and even common soil from the
roadside. Care should be taken to keep the
pen Well Uttered all the time with straw. If
YOU have it if not, sOds from the roadside
or some of the articles in the list above
Grass j. an excellent thing a. 70 d for hogs
heap to collect the grass for themselves but
instead Of this | always retain portion OF
one of the two fields in close proximity to
the pen, and cut a portion every morning for
them and place It in strong upright rack.
where they have free access to it at all times
of the day and night. In this manner can
with the addition Of what slop is made about
the hOuse keep four hogs in good order from
the middle Of May to the middle of Septem-
Der One pig which | fed in this way last
summer, gained eightv-six pounds during the
above time. consider that the addition to
the amount of manure will amply compen
safe me for the additional time about one
fourth of an hour before breakfast every
morning,) which is required by this plan Of
feeding
consider apples Mt fifty or sixty cents per
bushel as worth more than m for fattening
pigs. and think the pork - made of better
quality
If have not apples. prefer corn and oats
ground in equal proportions: as far superior
bChscl for hushel. than corn alone. For
young and growing pigs. it forms the best
food with which I am acquainted. especial '
If mixed with milk
The above mentioned articles for manure
should be spread evenly over the pen. and
the pigs in their search for roots will mix
them together in very thorough manner.
Care should he taken to have a good, com
pact layer of stra 9 on top Of the shovellings
or road sand. Tint the materials or long ma
nure made during the summer may not get
mixed with it
This year, having in view several new
sources Of material. expect to have thirty
five or forty loads of manure ready for the
corn ground next spring. all from four pigs
now five months old. and sow (for breed
ing) now eighteen months old
consider the actual expense Of FEED
from September LIST To December LIST of this
year. To be about eighteen twenty dollars
per ho'- This includes interest on the ground
for grass. The manure | consider worth al
least twenty-five dollars. The expense oil
collecting the materials is not much, as it i.
done mostly by myself during odd OF leisure
time GerD,dnt0lgn Telegraph