Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-12-08


Whatever may be said of other sections of
our country, spring pigs are the best for New
England They should be Uttered about the
first Of March, taken from the mother the
last week in April, when the early calves are
sold, and the milk from the cows is beginning
to be plenty. If the supply from the dairy
is sufficient, they will need little or no meal
until the milk begins to shrink in August
and then iattening should at once commence,
and be continued till the last Of November,
or the first Of December, when, if the pigs
are thrifty herd and the farmer has done
his best during the summer, litter Of six or
eight ought to average at least three hundred
pounds. Wintered hogs would weigh at the
same time from fifty to one hundred pounds
more, but the additional weight would be at
the cost Of constant care during the winter,
and grain continually fed from December to
May both making the cost Of the pork per
pound from two to four cents higher than if
made from spring pigs.
y recent experiment carefully conducted
made the cost of litter Of four hogs killed at
thirteen months old, when compared with a
litter of pigs killed at nine months, as thr-
teen to ten.
MODES or PATCHING.
Not a few farmers feed corn in the ear
and some even raw potatoes, to their fatten-
ing swine. One-half would probably be an
underestimate of the loss by this easiest but
most sloyenly and costly practice.
\ larger number mix dry meal with cold
water or slops, and Immediately feed it tC
their hogs Tho loss in this case is not as
in feeding the corn unground, but it cannot
be less than from fifteen to twenty-five PEI
cent.
Still others cook their meal with their 20
= tatoes, both Thoroughly, completely mixing tn,
one with the other, and then adding to tn,
= conglomerate water sufficient to make a thicI
mush present it to the gratiied and hearty
caters, thereby saving nearly all the fat-pro
ducing value contained in the grain and tn,
J potatoes
For several years we have adopted thi
plan. Everything fed to our hogs, while fat
tening is cooked, but nothing is ground. T,
one bushel and a half of potatoes (irqshed)
= we add three pecks Of dry corn in the kernel
and then with liberal supply Of water in
= kettle almost steam-tight we cook for at leas
I three hours. The kernels are then three o.
d four times their original size, and the pota
toes are mush and when thoroughly nike,
:, the dish is as acceptable as can be prosente,
1 to a lot of iattening hogs, And as every par
ticle Of the food is Tor can be- reduced to
;. paste by the slightest mastipation, much NOR
i by the action Of the stomach there can be lii
J tie if any loss.
u The advantages are, that you save the TIM
| OF taking your grain to the mill, the toll, an,
having your grain always at hand in proper
b, condition to use there is a stoadiness abou
the food that is one Of the main elements O
d success in feeding iattening animals.
An addition Of few quarts Of rye and al
occasional peck of oats, making little vari
ETY., is always judicioun plan; either ofwhicl
u are as easily cooked as the heavier and large
kernels Of corn.--Hearth and Home.