4f0 THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



PLATE II. 

 "BENDIGOj" A Prize Pig, the property of Mr. G. Mangles, op Givendale, Ripon. 



This boar, a capital cross of the Improved Cumberland and Yorkshire small breed, has taken the 

 following premiums during the present year :— At the Royal Agricultural Society of England's Meeting 

 at SaUsbury, the first prize of 10 sovs. as the best boar of a small breed. In addition to the second 

 prize, four other boars were commended in this class, and, as will be remembered, the show of pigs was 

 generally commended at Salisbury. It was the best entry the society has ever had, and gives Bendigo 

 rank accordingly. 



At the Yorkshire Agricultural Society's Meeting at York, he took the first prize of 5 sovs. as the 

 best boar of a small breed, and at Cornhill the Duke of Northumberland's prize of 10 sovs. as the 

 best boar. 



"Mr. Mangles," says our own report of the Yorkshire meeting,";" has justly taken a high position in the 

 small breed classes, his prize sow being of remarkable breadth, and splendidly filled out in all points ; 

 and his three store pigs wonderful for fine and delicate quaUty." This sow, which also took the first 

 prize in her class, is an own sister to Beudigo ; and the pen of three pigs, another first prize, are by him. 

 The dam of Bendigo was specially commended at Chelmsford ; so that the breed, or even family, are 

 famous. Mr. Mangles, indeed, has been gradually but surely getting to the top of the tree with this 

 sort. Since 1853 he has taken with them, at the shows of the Royal Agricultural, Yorkshire, and 

 Northumberland Societies, twent3'-five prizes and twenty-six commendations. Their especial merits are 

 early maturity, hghtness of oiFal, aptitude to fatten, and delicacy of quahty. 



The following communication, which has been lately forwarded us, comes very appropriate to the 

 subject of this plate: 



SIX YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN PIG-BREEDING. 



By an Amateur. 



Whoever may have attended the meetings of the Royal Agricultural Society the last few years, cannot 

 have failed to notice the great dissimilarity existing between the different breeds of pigs shown, and the 

 great improvements that have taken place in the several classes. You see there the Essex, the Suffolk, the 

 Yorkshire, the Cumberland, and several other breeds out of different counties, all to the best perfection ; and 

 any one fond of following that part of farming- economy may learn many useful lessons. 



Being wishful to obtain a breed of pigs that would pay for what they consumed and bear confinement, I 

 fried several breeds, so as to be able to keep the one most profitable. I first tried the Essex, and then the 

 Leicester, and the large white breed, and the Cumberland, and the Yorkshire small breed, and I tried the 

 Berkshire, and also the different crosses. But keeping the pounds, shillings, and pence matter in view, I found 

 that by judiciously crossing the Cumberland and Yorkshire small breed I obtained a breed possessing the dif- 

 ferent qualities I wanted, making either roasters, small or large porkers, small or large bacon, all depending on 

 age and feeding. From the Cumberland I got size, and from the Yorkshire quality and symmetr) ; and for 

 early maturity, lightness of ofFal, and aptitude to fatten, no breed of pigs can surpass them, and they graze like sheep. 



in breeding, the sow should be larger than the male, and the male the most perfect of the two, as the sows 

 will generally breed to the boar, that is, the good or bad points of the male will preponderate more in the 

 young ones than those of the sow. And I have found that the boar the sow may have had pigs to, the litter 

 before, has a great deal to do with the following litter. I once put a black sow to a white boar, and had some 

 black and whi"e pigs; I then put her to a black boar, and still had some black and white; and I had to wait 

 for three litters before getting rid of the white. I once purchased a large-bred Yorkshire boar, and more than 

 90 per cent, of his stock died from inflammation of the lungs, or were more or less affected. I afterwards 

 learned that the sire of the boar died from the same complaint. All this convinced me bow particular one 

 should be in using a pure and sound male animal. 



I found change of climate affect pigs very much, as the animals I bought never did so well at first as those 

 bred upon the place; and high-bred stock of any description require different treatment to common or 

 cross-bred animals. 



I remember once selling a young boar to a gentleman, and in a few months having that said boar 

 returned in a very pitiful condition, not being able to stand. The gentleman had called in a veterinary 

 surgeon, who had laid a charge upon the animal's back. I soon took the charge off with a few stones of flesh ; and 

 with different treatment the pig soon came round, and has since gained for me several prizes, including the first 

 prize of the Royal Agricultural Society of England; and he has been the sire of some valuable stock. I mention 

 this to show liow often a \aluable animal is destroyed, and the breeder condemned, through the want of proper 

 knowledge on the part of the purchaser. 



I have bred upwards of four hundred pigs in a year, and with respect to the different diseases affecting Bwine, 

 am happy to say I have had very little to do with, of late. I found that by not transgressing Nature's laws, and 

 plenty of good air, with plenty of nutritious food whilst young, and not overcrowding, in warm and dry sties, the 

 diseases were very few, and chiefly skin diseases. 



I have found the tails of some of the young pigs the greatest trouble to keep on ; and I have never seen any 

 remedy offered that has entirely succeeded. By attending to the young pigs in time, I can save nine out of ten. 



