The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-12-05
PROFIT IN PIGS.

Joseph Harris, VINO mas puollSneu
volume on the Pig" discourses as fol-
lows in one of his Walks and Talks !"
in the AGRIcULTURIsT on pigs and the
kind to raise for profit:
The man who gets good deal of the
garbage from the city of Rochester to
feed pigs, was here the other day. He
keeps 200 pigs, breeding some and buy
ing Others He is getting 10 cents per
pound for dressed pigs, and is making
money. my wife," he said, "wants
me to buy some of your pigs She
is sensible woman" remarked. l
knew very well that he would not buy
any, but thought | would see what he
would say. He selected one, a four
months old pig "What will you take
for this little pig?" he asked. Thirty
dollars Thirty dollars !" he exclaim-
ed, "my wife would pull my hair
{" You can have him, then, for $25."-
1T is so cents a pound" he said
"I'll take 40 CENTS Will you take
80 cents ?" he asked" Yes l will
give you 25 cents per pound" he said.
" Put him on the scales, boys" replied,
"you can have him." The scales were
carefully adjusted and the man weighed
the pig himself "Ninety-two and a
half pounds, " be said "Y GU feed them
so high, they weigh like Lead l
thought, for once, l had sold him pig,
but l was mistaken. IN give you
$50 for a pair" he said, "and that's a
big price for four months old pigs
He goes to Buffalo and buys Western
pigs, year old and over, for IS or Sc
each. They are large framed hogs,
weighing about 100 pounds each. l
presume this pays HIM better than buy
ing four or five months pig Of the
same weight at the same price per h.,
but | do not see how those who raise
and feed such pigs until year old, can
make anything The pen of five pigs,
four months old, that l showed at the
State Fair, weighed 1913 pounds. The
pen of five, q week or so less than six
months old, averaged about 200 pounds
each. These are the "small breed"
These six months pigs will not shrink
in dressing over II per cent. In other
words, they would dress lis pounds
These year-old pigs that weigh above
100 pounds would shrink 40 per cent
They would give 60 pounds of carcass
and such a carcass! After the bones,
skin, ears, nose, and feet were taken
out, how much pork would there be left,
as a result of a years feeding? l pre-
sumo these pigs got their living from
the mother until two months old If
killed then, there would probably have
been as much available food in them as
there is now, and of far better quality.
All we have got for ten months feeding
is certain quantity of bone and diges-
tive apparatus. There are some thirty
millions of pigs in the United States.
A little more care in breeding and feed
ing would easily add five dollars to the
value of each pig This would give US
more money than we receive for all the
wheat, corn, and other grain that we
export to foreign countries hope and
believe the time is not far distant when
not bushel of wheat or corn will leave
our shores. We ought to raise all our
own wool, and supply the world with
pork, bacon, hams, and lard To ship
car load of thin hogs from Iowa to
Buffalo, and send four car loads of corn
along with them to fatten them here,
paying freight and commission on both,
is poor policy TO ship corn to Ireland
to make pork and bacon for the English
market, is equally unwise. Better feed
out our corn at home, and learn to fur
nish the bacon, hams, and lard, which
the foreign market demands.