Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-12
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
FATTENINs HOGS.


1t is the part Of good farmer tC
conduct all his operations on the
best and least expensive plan. His
chief profits arise from doing things
at the right time, in the best man.
ner, and with tue least possible ex-
pense. In nothing does this show
itself more plainly than in fatten-
ing of hogs.
The most important point in this
direction is to begin so early In the
fall that his hogs will be ready for
the knife as soon as the weather is
cold enough for sailing and curing
pork-it being a wellestablished
fact that hogs will tatten faster and
on less food when the weather is
mild than when it is excessively
cold. AS a striking example Of
this, from an experiment made last
fall at the Wisconsin Experimental
Farm, it was found that a lot of
hogs weighed and shut up to fat
ten on the tenth day of October,
and weighed again on the twenty
third day of November, just forty
four days, had gained ten pounds
each for every bushel of corn each
had eaten. They we're again
weighed Just forty.four days there
after, when it was found that they
had only gained four pounds each
for every bushel Of corn each had
eaten, thus going to show that a
hog will gain more than double as
much on the same amount of food
when the weather is mild as it will
when the weather is intensely cold.
In this respect the animal system
is like q stove, the colder the
weather the more fuel (food) it
requires to keep up the internal
heat, for let the weather be as cold
as it will, the temperature Of the
body must be kept up to the nor
NAL point of ninety eight degrees,
and if the food is not more than
sufficient to supply this, there will
be none to 60 to the formation of
fat-hence the colder the weather
the larger the consumption Of food.
A barrel of corn in the latter part
of October and the first half
of November, as shown above, will
90 as far and put on as much tat as
will two barrels in December and
January, because it requires but
half as much to keep up the animal
heat. In other words, the loss of
heat from the animals body is then
small, and therefore the less food
is required to keep 1t up.
For fattening purposes there is
nothing so good as corn, as It is
richer in oily matter than any other
cereal or vegetable substance nsed
for the purpose. A plenty Of
charcoal during the time Is also
especially useful, in thatit corrects
the acidity to which tho stomach Of
hog is so subject when fed e1-
clusively on corn. - ,.. ,-
Complete quietude is slso a mat
ter of the first Importance, as it Is
well known that an animal in con-
fnement will fatten much faster
than one whose liberty is not so
restricted as to prevent HIM from
taking too much physical exercise.
Muscular exertion increases respi-
ration and accelerates the, flow Of
blood, which, as it passes through
the lungs. becomes charged with
atmospheric oxygen, and which
latter introduced more freely burns
out the fat. Hence it is that In
confinement as soon as hog be-
gins 10 fatten the less inclined he
is for physical exercise, aud con-
sequently accumulates fat the fas'
ter. In other words, the faster he
grows the more sluggish he be-
comes and the more rapidly he
takes on fat.-BaItimore Sun.