Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-31
Enisi... ana Feeding swine.

Al recent meeting OF the western
New York Farmers Club, Mr. Dewey
read the results Of his experience in rails
ing and feeding swine, as follows:
'.The raising and fattening Of swine is
a subject of great Importance, even greater
than is generally considered by the farm
ers Of Western New York. The pork
barrel is one of the Indispensable Of The
farm house, and the filling of it, Cheaply
OF dearly, should be as much a matter of
economy as any product of the farm. If
the farmer, after keeping debt and credit
with any crop, should find after success
Sivc years a loss, or al best a mere com
pensation for the labor bestowed, with no
positive gain, he would abandon the cul-
tuTe. Now, few farmers are careful &C
cOuntants, but were they so, many would
have found themselves banTUptS If the
whole of their capital had been invested
in swine This is a truth apparent and
real to every one who chooses to investi-
gate: namely, certain products in every
branch of industry are less profitable than
others, even with the greatest care in pro-
ducing them Thus, the merchant re
ceives but a tenth per cent on some of his
wares, while he may receive one hundred
per cent on others with much less labor.
So it is with the farmer, and one Of the
least profitable products of the farm may
be, and frequently is, the swine. If
especial care cannot be taken in raising
and fattening, there will be decided loss;
but with proper management there may
be a gain.
every sound economist is anxious to
have the whole of his capital proftably
invested. He who acts otherwise is
either ignorant of the principles of pro
ductiUn, indOlent, or is slOyGnly. The
farmer should be careful in investing a
portion Of his capital in swine, TO get the
very best breed, and keep them so. The
finest pen of GOTkshires, crossed COntinu-
Ously in the same family, will degenerate
to lean, CTistly landsharks. Having pro
cured what is known TO be good stock,
the farmer should select from the brood
what he Judges TO be the best for future
breeding, never crossing in the same
family more than once, or twice at most
ANY farmer can afford to be at the trouble
and expense of using breeding stock kept
expressly for the purpose, rather than re-
cross with his own, or use what Is too
common TO be valuable In selecting
breeding animals, due care should be CN-
erciscd as 10 their proportions. Extremes
should be avoided. The animal should
be compact, with as little superiority of
ears, nose and legs as possible. The
points of a good blood hog are As plainly
visible in hog as those Of a bullock.
The cOarse-rind swine are far less valuable
for pork than the thin-skinncd, and the
shrewd farmer will reserve the latter for
home use and carry the former TO market
''But, Notwithstanding the'gcatest eau
lion in selecting the breed and thepreliml-
narics for breeding, much labor will be
lost, or the profits greatly lesScnod, If care
is not taken with the brood SOW, before
and after coming in. 1t is a common
idea that she may easily be made too
fleshv. ! believe this to be erroneous. But
she may he kept too poor, the common
result of which will be, the young will be
unthTifty. After coming in, she should
be lightly fed at first, increasing her feed
daily for about ten days, she may be fed
all She will cat Of the hest food. The
effect of this will he seen, not only in the
improved condition Of the SOW, but also
in the Tapidity of the growth of the
young At this early period should COM
mence the fattening process. Feed the
brood SOW unstintingly, and thus feed her
young.
"Not an unimpoTtanl item in the rails
ing of swine, is the age to which they at
tain before slaughtering. Some have pre-.
! ferred from six to ten months, while
others have regarded from twenty months
to two years not too long a time for the
! animal 10 mature. Others still have pre-
! fcrrcd from fourteen TO sixteen months.
Now let us examine the three agcs' viii
| their respective advantages and disadvan
| tagcs. The first, of from six 10 tcI
months, may have this in its favor. The
| flesh is tender and palatablc, but the light
ness of weight may ovcrbalancc the ad
vantage mentioned. The second age, tina
of twenty months or more, has decided
! disadvantages. In the first place, Their
! must be the trouble and expense Of keep
! inc for four months or mOre-which is
! very important item TO be considered
| The swine intended for fall or winter porl
| need, in order 10 thrive well, the sam'
sustenancc that the spring pig will require
after a few weeks old. Thus the tatten
ing hogs viii be deprived OF what can no
well he dispensed with. Were the pig
to come about the middle of August, i
is time TO begin to feed the tattcnin,
swine heavily, for they will take on ilesI
| much faster In warm weather than IN cold
! Then, too they must be early fattencd II
order TO come into market before Western
| pork can reach us. After commencing
feeding the fattcning swine can do vel
without the Stops from the kitchen ant
milk from the dairy, while the youug
pigs take it with decided advantage
Then, too, swine do not require NOR
than from l4to lG months to fully mature
il properly kept, and all time longer thai
this that they are kept is a decided loss
But these are points which may be profla
bly, discussed by the members of thi
club
cone question essential to this subjcc
Is How many may be kcptl This dc
ponds upon the several considerations
such as the amount of grain raised, mum
Der of cows kept, etc. One well fate
J hog is worth two poorly kept No NOR
should be kept than can be well cared for
But how, and where should swine b
kept? II is evident 10 every ore---th
has had experience, that if-icft to rom
the field through the season, the groYt
will be much less than if confined +
limited quarters. A few weeks in th