Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-10-15
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

MODES OF FATTENING HoGs.-Not 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 slops, 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 po-
tatoes, both thoroug hly, completely mixing
tie one with the other, and then adding to
the conglomerate water sufficient to make q
thick mush, present it to the gratifed 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 is ground
To one bushel and half of potatoes (a0ash-
ed,) we add three pecks of dry corn in the
kernel, and then with liberal supply of
water in the kettle almost steam-tight, we
cook for at least three hours. The kernels
are then three Of four times their original
size, and the potatoes are mush and when
thoroughly mixed the dish is as acceptable
as can be presented to a lot of fattening hogs.
And as every particle of the food is Cor can
beg reduced to paste by the slightest mas
tication, 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
the toll, and having your grain always at hand
in proper condition to use; their is stead
mess about the food that is one Of the main
elements of success in feeding fattening ami
mails.
An addition of few quarts of rye and an
occasional peck of oats, making little vari.
ETY., is always judicious plan either of
which are as easily as the heavier and larger
kernels of corn.
10 fatten we'll, hogs must have clean
pen and comfortable nest. An addition
of muck or mould or dry leaves should be
made to the yard at least twice in each week,
and the bed should have special attention
every other night Wadiug round up to
their bellies in mud is very improbable
business for an animal upon which we are
anxious to place as cheaply as possible the
largest amount of fat while nights, worn
out 10 the restessness that wet straw or wet
earth always makes inevitable, are not es-
pecially conducive to the same desirable
end.
GRINDING HAY FOR HoRsEs.-Mr. j. s.
Kirk, of Pittsburgh, Pa, write to Far
mers' Club as follows
''For some time past have been making
observations and experiments in animal food,
and obtaining what belive to be an I'M
provement, and I take the liberty of COM
municating to your Club the results. Grass
being the natural food for live stock, it is
easily and properly extracted. With hay,
however, the case is different for when fed
in sufficient quantities, the animal, especial
ly if its teeth have become hattened by age,
attempts to satisfy itself by selecting the
leaves and tender branches. 10 obvlate this
difficulty, and prevent waste, cutting hay in
short length has to an extent become gener-
al, and is no doubt, step in the right di-
rection Ny belief is that we should go
still further, and grind the hay as we now
grind oats and corn 1t is thought that, ow-
ing to its glutinous nature, hay could not be
reduced, to state of meal, or if so reduced,
the expense attending would not Justify
To test this 1 constructed a cutter and
crusher on new principles, and the result
was beyond my most sanguine expectations.
Ten tons day can be ground with one ma
chine, cost not to exceed one dollar per
ton Ground in this manner, hay is not I'M
like ground oats, save in color, its weight
being from thirty-two to thirty six pounds
per bushel. Mixed with chopped feed
such as corn or oats, it makes a cheap and
excellent feed. Thus we effect by mechani-
cal means what the hard working or de-
crepid animal is incapable of doing perfect
mastication.
Cnow-CHow PloKLE.-A lady of taste in