Page:The Hog.djvu/194

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192
THE HOG.

THE REFUSE OF THE DAIRY.

"The refuse of the dairy is noted for its importance, both in the fattening of porkers and bacon-hogs. The very term of 'dairy-fed pork' conveys an idea of delicacy; it has a pleasant sound. We associate it with the idea of meat pleasant to look upon and delicious to the taste, and not without cause: true dairy-fed pork is indeed a luxury; it causes no indigestion and sits easily on the stomach.

"The refuse of the dairy consists of butter-milk, whey, and skim-milk; and these, mixed with the flour of steamed potatoes, Indian-corn, pea-meal, barley-meal, &c., constitute a diet of the most nutritious quality for fattening. Such food, however, should not be administered to store hogs; it is decidedly a fattening diet, and hogs accustomed to it do not thrive well when it is withheld and inferior food substituted. No one indeed would think of supplying mere store hogs with such luxurious food. On this diet some of the fattest porkers of thirteen, fifteen, or twenty weeks old, have been reared, as well as bacon-hogs under the age of one year.

THE REFUSE OF THE CORN-MILL.

"The large miller finds swine a profitable stock. The very sweepings of the mill are thus made by the miller to return a profit; he may not have to purchase whey, or butter-milk, or skim-milk, from the farmer, but the latter has to purchase barley-meal, &c., from the miller, or at least to pay him for grinding it.

THE REFUSE OF THE STARCH MANUFACTORY.

"Among other substances available for swine is the refuse of the starch manufactory, that is, of the grain or potatoes used in the production. It is said to be extremely nutritious, the animals fattening on it with great rapidity, and yielding very firm and substantial bacon. It is apt to cloy the appetite, and should be given alternately with food of a different quality; indeed, in all cases, alternation of food is highly desirable, as the stomach palls upon one exclusive kind. The best method of preserving the paste deprived of the starch is to dry it. As is evident, it can only be employed locally and not generally; it is said to be far superior to the refuse grains and wash of the brewery or distillery.

THE REFUSE OF THE BREWERY AND DISTILLERY.

"Hogs are usually kept in considerable numbers by the proprietors of large breweries and distilleries; nevertheless these refuse grains