1198 Live Stock.—Swine—Methods of fattening of.

commonly employed; but there are others that may be brought in to their affitt- ance when neceffary, efpecially on the ftronger forts of lands, fuch as beans eaten green, which afford a large quantity of food in proportion to the land they occupy, the whole ftems being con‘umed; and cabbages may likewife be had recourfe to for the fummer as well as winter food of thefe animals. It is recommended by Mr. Young, that the yards of the hog-fties fhould have gates fufficiently large for bring~ ing in carts loaded with the different articles of both food, floors, and litter, as well as for removing the manure that is made.

In this management, inftead of a few fows only being kept, as was ufual in combi- nation with the dairy fyftem, great numbers may be maintained, and a great many young pigs be raifed. But in order to derive the greateft advantage from this fyfiem of hog-management, Mr. Young thinks it thould as much as poffible be fo contrived that the fows only pig twice in the year, as has been mentioned above; as by this means there will“ never be a long and expenfive feafon for rearing the pigs before they are put to the ftaple food of clover or potatoes,&c. But this circum- fiance is much removed by the provifion of crops raifed exprefsly for fwine.”

In this fcheme of keeping fwine, the fales for lean hogs fhould, he obferves, an- nually take place in October, the litters of April being then difpofed of as ftores, and thofe of Auguft kept till the fame period in the following year, in order to be fold as baconers, when none are fattened on the farm.

The expenfe of keeping all forts of ftore-fwine muft obvioufly vary confiderably according to the convenience of procuring their food, and the excellence of the ma- nagement that is purfued. In fuckling-fows it has been eftimated‘upon the average at from eighteen pence to three fhillings the week, and while in pig at from one fhilling to eighteen pence; weaned pigs at firft from one fhilling and fixpence to two fhil- lings and fixpence per head, and afterwards till they are become fully grown at from one to two fhillings each per week. Such calculations muft, however, be liable to differ greatly in different cafes.

T he breeding of pigs is a fyftem that deferves the farmer’s attention, not only as obtaining his pig-{tock at a much cheaper rate thay by purchafing at the markets, but as being certain of having them more healthy and well fed, confequently fuch as will anfwer much better in their growth and fattening afterwards.

Thefattening of hogs is a bufinefs ufually performed at two different feafons of the year, as in Oober and in February or March: the former is, how- ever, the moft principal period. In this management various fubftances have been recommended; but thofe moft commonly employed are fome fort of farinaceous