Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1873-10-23
Farm, Garden and Household.
Fattening Hogs,

Fattenfng Hogs
A correspondent of the Germantown
Telegraph has the following to say in
reference to the best method of fatten-
ing hogs '1 must now hasten to give
some of my own experience with the
hogs. I used to keep them in my
younger days to furnish meat for my
family and to sell to get little spare
cash. The kind with small bones, small
ears, and short noses, that with good
keeping at a year old would make
about 325 pounds of pork, was my
favorite. CThe first one ever fattened
weighed 260 pounds at eight months
old.) Milk and potatoes are the best
food for young pigs, after weaving, to
make them thrive; they also relish
few grains of corn at this time, as well
as a squirrel does few nuts as they
grow along. In the season for it they
should be supplied daily with fresh
green weeds or young clover few
green corn-stalks are also good to feed
them in their season, and the slops and
the refuse of the kitchen with little
meal are also good. With this food
they should be fed literally but not too
surfeiting, and kept growing right
along in thrifty condition till about
two months before killing time, during
which they should be fed literally with
more concentrated and fattening food.
Boiled pumpkins, thickened while hot
with corn meal, are excellent food for
them, so are also boiled sweet apples
thickened with meal, and SO is scalded
meal alone, and some think for some
days previous to oslaughtering time they
should be fed with dry corn and pure
cold water, that it makes their meat
harder and sweeter. Reared and fat
tened as above directed, their meat will
be sweet and wholesome for those that
labor in outdoor occupations, especi-
ally in the colder parts of the year, and
will do for those that love it to cook
with beans, green peas, and other
vegetables i'll the summer season,
though should myself much prefer as
a substitute a piece of ripe stall-fed
beef that was sweet and nicely kept in
pickle made of salt and brown sugar,
with just very little nip of saltpetre
to make the meat tender.
Evening Exercise for Yartcd Fowls.
During the summer, when fowls must
be shut up on account of their scatter
ing propensities, much of the i'll effects
Of their Imprisonment may be avoided
If they are let out for short period at
everlng.
While out they may be watched, al
though there is but little danger of
their going into the garden, and they
will find enough on the grass plots to
keep them busy.
Indeed, it is surprising how benef-
oial this time of exercise is. Thefowls,
knowing that they are to have chance
to get out, are much more quiet during
the day, and if regularity in letting
them out and shutting them up be OBJ
served, they will return to their roots
without trouble.
1t is possible, also, that an hour at
evening is nearly as good as a whole
day, so far as the health of the flock is
concerned for If there is any special
article of diet needed, they will hunt
all the more diligently. It is for this
reason that they will prefer the grass to
the plowed land.
By such an arrangement as this,
large focks can be kept in good condi-
tion, although shut up through the
year.
How to Use n Spade.
The man who can handle spade
properly does not find it very hard or
laborious work. He first let's the spade
fall of its own weight down to the spot
where the spadeful is to be taken up.
taking care that the breadth of the sur
face ground is not more than four inch
es then he draws back the spade lit
tie, which takes off much of the fric-
tion of the descending blade. One good
thrust of the spade with the foot then
sends the blade down its full depth. A
backward pressure makes lever of the
handle and heel of the spade, and a
dextrous turn of the wrist sends the
spadeful upside down just where it is
wanted. There is no raking or "sput-
tering" needed to make the ground
level. A slight tap with the corner of
the spade makes the work as regular
and plane as if laid off with an instru-
ment.
Preparing Rennets.
The best way for preparing rennets is
to steep in whey. The whey should be
raised to the boiling heat, when the al
luminous matter will rise, and may be
skinned off Whey, when petrifed,
will in a short time develop acidity;
and then is regarded as altogether the
best liquid for stepping rennet that has
yet been discovered. The whey should
not be allowed to get sour and decom-
posed before heating and skimming,
but should be taken sweet from the
curds, and purified as above described.
Salt may be added to the whey when
ready for the rennets, and these should
be rubbed out and set to steep in the
same manner rs when water is used for
sleeping instead of whey.-Rural Nea0
Yorker,