The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-11-10
Something About Hogs.

so much in actual value as the hog
A long -nosed, long legged, loose joint
ed, slab-sided, consolidated, gaunt,
uneasy, uncomfortable rooter is an alb
solute loss, as we'll as perpetual an
noyance to any farmer who has the
least pride in his business, or taste
about the looks of his stock. On the
other hand, money invested in stub
nosed, short-eared, smalllimbed, round
bodied, thin-skinned, quiet and clean
animal, is better than in fancy railroad
stock, not to mention the comfort of
having models of the beautiful hard by
your door.
The best and most profitable breed
for ordinary farm purposes when lit
tie is fed during the summer but the
refuse from the family table and the
sour milk or whey, as the case may be
lis hog of about medium size, and
of a thrifty family. Ifgross and ''saw-
NY" there will be too large q frame in
the fall to cover probably with fat; if
small boned, and of course small every
way, you will feed food that will not
yield a. return, for the season that
growth is in such an animal unnatural.
Of the well known races, the ''Ches-
ter county" pigs are among the best
They are rather above the medium
size, are fine-grained, good feeders, and
what is best of all, are quiet. Well
cared for, at eight months old they will
weigh from two hundred and fifty to
three hundred pounds.
The best time for fattening is the
month of September, October and No
vember, and the worst in December,
January and February. A certain
amount of food is needfnl to keep the
animal warm when the thermometer is
at zero. All this is saved when it
stands between thirty and sixty de-
grees. In addition to this, the abso-
lutte loss of food by freezing to the
spout and trough, and the inevitable
mixing with snow and slush, is never
less Ordinarily than five per cent,
not to say anything about the trouble
and cost of continually thawing frozen
swill, and bringing it to the tempera-
ture that will be the most acceptable
to the uncomfortable and semi torpid
animal.
Not n few farmers feed corn in the
ear, and some even raw potatoes, to
their fattening swine. One-half would
probably be an underestimate of the
loss by this easiest but most slovenly
and costly practice.
A larger number mix dry meal with
cold water or Stops, and Immediately
feed it to their hogs. The loss in this.
case is not as much as in feeding the
corn unground, but it cannot be less
than from fifteen to twenty five per
cent.
Still others cook their meal with
their potatoes, both thoroughly, COM
pleteiy mixing the one with the other,
and then adding to the conglomerate
water sufficient to make thick mush,
present it to the gratified and hearty
eaters, thereby saving nearly all the
fat-producing value contained in the
grain and the potatoes.
For several years we have adopted
this plan. Everything fed to our hogs,
while fattening, is cooked, but nothing
ground. To one bushel and halt of
potatoes {acashed) we add three pecks
of dry corn in the kernel, and then,
with liberal supply of water in a ket-
tie almost steam tight, we cook for at
least three hours. The kernels are
then three or four times their original
size, and the potatoes are mush, and
then when thoroughly mixed, the dish
is as acceptable as can be presented to
lot of fattening hogs. And as every
particle of the food is or can be rcdnc-
ed to paste by the slightest mastica-
ton, much more by the action of the
stomach, there can be little, if any
loss.
The advantages are, that you save
the time of taking your grain to the
mill. the toll, and having your grain
always at hand in proper condition
to use. There is steadiness about
the food that is one of the main ele-
ments of success in feeding fattening
animals.
An addition of few quarts of rye
and an occasional peck of oats, making
a little variety, is always a judicious
plan; either of which is rs easily cook
ed as the heavier and larger kernels of
corn.
TO fatten we'll, hogs must have a
clean pen and a comfortable nest. An
addition of mock or mold or dry leaves
should be made to the yard at least
twice in each week, and the bed should
have special attention as often as eve
ry other night. Wading round up to
their bellies in mud is very uncomfort-
able business for an animal upon which
which we are anxious to place as
cheaply as possible the largest amount
of fat while nights, worn out in the
restlessness that wet straw or wet
earth always makes inevitable, are not
especially conducive to the same desi-
bic end.--[ Hearth and Home.