258 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



our fair, has aAvakcned a spirit of imitation, and we now have some 

 of the finest Durhams in the State, and this breed all prefer, with us. 

 We now have none of the best breeds of sheep. I once kept a flock 

 of fine wooled sheep, as did also, many of my neighbors. The best 

 sheep for wool are the French Merinos. At the present day, as mut- 

 ton has advanced in price, it may be questionable whether the larger 

 breeds, with coarser fleeces, and more certainty of rearing their lambs, 

 may not bring a better return to the farmer. Their prices vary from 

 five to seven dollars. 



The kind of swine now most inquired for, is the Suffolk. I give it as my 

 opinion that a cross of Suff"olk and Berkshire will be found to be the 

 most profitable. The first is too small, and the latter not small 

 enough. To a limited extent, pork can be raised profitably." 



FKOM DARIUS FORBES, PARIS. 



" I send you herewith the result of an experiment in raising pork, 

 made with accuracy, by actual account, on purpose to determine whether 

 it could be grown to a profit. 



It was of two pigs, (a sow and barrow,) half Suffolk, raised by me 

 and sold April 20th, 1855, to Abijah Hall, Esq., of South Paris. 

 They were then six weeks old, and the sow weighed seven and one- 

 fourth pounds, and the harrow six and three-fourth pounds — united 

 v,-eh^h.U fourteen pounds. They were fed mostly on corn, which was 

 purchased for the purpose, and charged at cost, which was from one 

 dollar and twelve and one-half cents, to one dollar and twenty-fee 

 cents per bushel. They had ten bushels of small potatoes charged at 

 twenly-fce cents per bushel. In addition to this, which was not 

 charged, they had the slops from the kitchen, which amounted to very 

 little as his family was small and he had no dairy or farm. In two 

 weeks after being purchased, they weighed twenty-eight and one-half 

 pounds. 



On ths 20th day of November, they were slaughtered, and the two 

 weio-hed five hundred and ninety-nine pounds. The account stands 



thus : 



Dk. 

 Cost of the two pigs, So 00 



Cost of keeping, 42 34 



$47 34 

 Cr. 



The sow pig, 278 lbs., a 10 cts. $27 80 



The barrow pig, 321 lbs., " 32 10 



Net profit, $12 56 



$59 90 



