Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-08-10
Daily 3ienlrfbre gournal,
RAISING PIGS FOR FRESH PORK.

The author of "Walks and Talks writes ::
The most profitable branch of pig raising
and feeding is to get the pigs fat at from
three to four months old, and sell them for
fresh pork. If of the right breed, and well
fattened, they are as tender, juicy, and
delicious as turkey. The most provok-
ing thing about it is, that the few consum-
ers who know what choice eating such
pig really is, cannot get it; and the few
farmers who produce il cannot get half
what it is worth. 1t is fact almost I'M
known in the American markets. Till it
is known, those of us who raise the article
in perfection must content ourselves with
such prices as we can get, in hopes that
when it becomes known we shall get what
it is actually worth. But even now, at the
present low price such pork brings, it will
pay as well as any other branch of farm
ing-which. it must be confessed, is not
very much. Take such a pig as my young
Essex sow, that at little over four months
old weighs 10 lbs. She will certainly
dress over eighty lbs. Such pig would
sell for at least 81, and ought TO bring $40
or s12. A sow should average eight pigs
at litter twice year-say, sixteen pigs,
at 81 or SIP. A good sow, weighing say
400 lbs, kept as she should be. in extra
store condition, would eat food equivalent
to two tons of clover hay year But
much of it is food that she picks up, slop
from the house, etc. and we will estimate
it at $25 year, which is certainly liberal.
If it is not, how much profit do those farm
ers realize who keep pig two years to
make him dress 400 lbs, and then sell him
for seven cents pound.
Now, what viii it cost to feed the little
fl,axy 81 Il 4
will get all their food from the sow, and
months to ten weeks old. Taking our data
from DR.. Miles experiments, and bearing
in mind that we must. if possible, induce
our pigs to eat more food than his did, we
will estimate the pigs the first month eat
little or nothing more than they get from
the sow, and the second month that they
eat half apound each of corn day, and
the third month one and a half pound each
a day, and the fourth month three pounds
day, the litter of eight pigs would eat
twenty bushels of corn or the two filters
would eat forty bushels, which we will
estimate worth $40.
The keep Of a SOW year is S25
The keep of the little pigs is $40 800
The pigs sell for SIP
To pay for the trouble OF grind
ing and cooking the food,
etc, we have $47
And besides this, we have the manure,
and have disposed of our corn at one dol
lar bushel
The figures would have more pleasing
aspect if we got fifteen cents pound for
the pork. Instead of getting S47 for our
trouble, we should then get 1927; and
that, when the article becomes known,
such pork will average fifteen cents by
the carcass have no sort of doubt. In
London, 'large pork" is quoted at eleven
cents pound, and "small pork" sixteen
cents in gold, by the carcass. And New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, and other
large American cities, are better markets
for really choice meat and butter than
London. We can no more glut the mar
ket with choice meat than we can with
choice fruit. The greater the supply of
such an article OF fresh pork as | have
described, the greater will be the demand,
for the simp1 treason, that it is intrinsically
worth mucn more than we ask for it. Let
us study the interests of the consumers, as
well as our own. They do not want bone
or rind quarter of an inch thick, but
sweet, tender, delicate, juicy meat; and
it costs no more to produce it than rind
and bristles