180 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



In the laat Monthly Visitor we referred to the 

 splendid exhibition of the Agricultural Society of 

 the cr.unty of Worcester, central .n the Comnion- 

 wcallh of Massachusetts. One considerable item 

 of this exhibition was llie Swine . and as the per- 

 fection of swine may be considered the best evi- 

 dence of good husbandry, we have concluded to 

 select the report on that subject, even though other 

 reports of equal interest may be passed over. 



The family of Lincolvs was mentioned as a- 

 rnong the patrons of the Worcester Agricultural 

 Society. With perhaps a single exception the sons 

 6i the"late Levi Lincoln of^Worcester, who was 

 oppointed Attorney General of the United States 

 by Mr. Jefferson at tlie commencement of his ad- 

 ministration, were educated as lawyers. The fa- 

 ther served at first to the trade of a blacksmith, and 

 was nicknamed by his political cpiionents '■Vulcan 

 by way of derision : he received his education late 

 in life ; but not only did he attain to eminence as 

 one of the most able advocates at the b^r of his 

 time, but he wielded tlie pen of a ready, a vigorous 

 end an able writer. Of tlie five sons, one Ixas been 

 Governorof Massachusetts, a Judge of its Supreme 

 Court and is now a representative in Congress. 

 Another, who removed to the State of Maine, was 

 repreaentative in Congress and Governor of that 

 State previous to his decease in comparatively ear- 

 ly life. A third, said to be not less talented than 

 either of the others, also removed to Maine and di- 

 ed young. The three surviving brothers all reside 

 in their native town of Worcester The youngest, 

 who has for several years been a representative in 

 the State Legislature, has likewise ofliciated for 

 several successive years as Chairman of the Com- 

 mittee on Swine for the Worcester Agricultural 

 Society. Happening to be present at the Worces- 

 ter exhibition in 1836, we heard the Chairman read 

 the report at that time. It was* a tempestuous, 

 rainy day in October, and tlie exhibition of animals 

 was consequently small ; but the ready wit and rare 

 humor of the report, read with a serious face and 

 nasal twang as we then supposed nf some Yankee 

 farmer from one of the hill towns, drew forth shouts 

 of applause. From that day to this we had been 

 careful to look out for each succcs.sive reportofthe 

 Worcester Society on Swine, and have never been 

 disappointed in a rich treat cj.lcalated to excite the 

 risibles. 



The Lincoln family have long been uudorstood 

 to be volunteer writers for the periodical press : in 

 old times the " National Agis" of Worcester v/as 

 their organ of communication. The politics of 

 both the paper and the family may be said to have 

 ehanged in the course of thirty-eight years. Wil- 

 liam Lincoln is still a principal writer in the same 

 paper, which is valuable for its liistorical reminis- 

 cences and its various facts and speculations. The 

 immense library collected at Worcester by the An- 

 tiquarian Society, makes ita spot f;ivorable for men 

 of talent and taste who soon acquire tlie habit, of 

 turning out abundance of matter for the press. Mr. 

 William Lincoln is one of those ready writers ; and 

 this remark will not be better illustrated than by tlie 

 fact that the examination was made, tlie judgment 

 of the committee collected, and the report written 

 out and read on one and the same day. 



Not less for its wit and humor, than to show the 

 superior breeds and excellence of the swine in old 

 Worcester county, do we publish Mr. Lincoln's 

 last report entire. 



Worcester Agricnltnral Society* 



Judges of SicinG.-' 

 William Tjincoln, Worcester, Chairman'; Arte- 

 mas Lee, TempletoFi ; Nathaniel Rand, Lancaster; 

 Ebenczer D. Ammidon, Soutlibridge ; Otis Adams, 

 Grafton; Charles Sibley, Barre : Abel Wiiitney, 

 Harvard ; Warren Hunt, Douglas. 



Report. 



The advancement of the Society in prosperity 

 and Usefulness may be measured' bv the progress of 

 improvement among the swine. In 1833, twenty- 

 seven of the most int^restinjr of ail the animal ra- 

 ces, graced the festival of the farmers of Worcester; 

 in 1839, eighty-one have honored the husbandman's 

 holiday with their presence ; — in 1833, there wcrre 

 only two boars at the show; in 1830, eighteen have 

 been present; — in 1833, six competitcrs"entered in- 

 to the peaceful contest for premiums ; in 1839, 

 twenty-four have quietly disputed for prizes and 

 praises: — in 1833, two towns of the county were 

 counted here ; in 1839, eleven towns of the com- 

 monwealth have represeiited the upcommon- wealth 

 of pigs. 



Our school master has been abroad. Abel Whit- 

 ney, Esq., who was and is a "judge of swine," has 

 bean absent is-ith the ploughs which he now uses 

 tertead of pecciis and elate. Had his associates 

 been at home t-l the orithmetic that, excellent in- 



structor and ready reckoner imported to his pupils, 

 the precise relations of the past and the present 

 might have been given. Df'prived of his counte- 

 nance, the sum can only be stated in the simplest 

 form. It may be assumed, that as ii7 are to 81, and 

 as 6 are to 24, and as 2 are to 11 and 18, so were 

 the persons, pigs, and places of 1833 to those of 

 1839; and so are the various merits of the first 

 fair to the multiplied excellencies of the last exhi- 

 bition. 



Eighteen boars were in the pens : — out of the 

 pens there were other boars ; but they were not en- 

 tered for the premiums the}' deserved. 



The committee were invited to unite with the 

 delegation of tlie Massachusetts Society for pro- 

 moting Agriculture, in bestowing the liberal re- 

 wards offered for tlie encouragementof good breed- 

 ing in Worcester county. The honor of the ap- 

 pointment was enhanced by the pleasure of being 

 aided in the execution of the duty by tlie Hon. John 

 Welles and H.Ccdman, Esq., of Boston, and by the 

 advice of the Commissioner of Agriculture, learn- 

 ed in the laws of the land. 



The equality of excellence of swine produces di- 

 versity of opinions of committees. The boar of 

 James H. Clapp, of Belchertown, son of an English 

 noble pig of the Berkshire family, was round and 

 square, long and broad, fat and finely formed, of 

 hi£rh descent and pure blood. The boar of Samuel 

 A. Knox, of Grafton, descended from the same 

 race on the father side, inherited the virtues and 

 possessed more than the graces of his illustrious 

 ancestors. Their merits were lo ne^arly balanced, 

 that tlie difference was too fine to be split. Money 

 may be divided more easily than merit. The com- 

 mittee of tbe State Society, declining to award the 

 premium of twenty dollars to either of the compe- 

 titors when they would have desired, if It had been 

 possible, to have given the first reward to both, 

 have instructed the chairman to report, that they 

 bestow one gratuity of ten dollars on Mr. Clapp, 

 and another of the same amount on Mr. Knox. 



Fine representatives of t'^ie four footed beauties 

 of Berkshire, were their two animals. In the five 

 points of good liojs, the small head, short legs, long 

 body, broad back and large hams, they were exem- 

 plary. To these qualifications were added ears as 

 silky, eyes as bright, and faces with smiles as gen- 

 tle, as have ever been' worn with bristles. The 

 early matuiity and ready disposition to gain fiesh, 

 completed tiie character of perfect porkers. It was 

 represented tlial they v.'ere small eaters, and tliat 

 their aptitude to fatten was such, tliat they could 

 almost live without food, and thrive on little more 

 than nothing. 



The art of eating is coeval with the science of 

 living. Eating is uniform : living is various, and 

 has been carried on in many ways. Lu'nig u-Uhout 

 icork has been popular among all civilized nations: 

 it has not furnished steady employment, and at 

 times has been over laborious. Livi.vg without 

 means has been practised in all ages, but never 

 rose above a mean condition. Lrring by one's icits 

 has been attempted, but the business has always 

 failed for want of capital. Living zcithout caiino 

 has not been extensively u.sed. There is an ancient 

 account of a quadruped wliD was taught the mys- 

 tery, but as soon as he acquired it he perished, and 

 the secret died with him. Amateurs less gifted 

 with legs, have endeavored to revive the discover- 

 ies of the old v.orld. While millions of well filled 

 pots, steaming as did those cf the founders of inde- 

 pendence, send up their savorj' incense at noon- 

 tide from house and hotel, there are some who drop 

 the solid substance of beef and pork to grasp at the 

 fleeting shadows of diet, until they become so deli- 

 cate and pale as to have no blush in the shade, and 

 to cast no shadow in the sunshine. Asfcd error 

 and youthful refinement, like other extremes, have 

 held a meeting. Tbe spendthrift of old wasted his 

 substance in sumptuous banquets, till necessity com- 

 pelled him to pnrlake of the frugal tare of the swine 

 ■of Palestine. The prodigal of liealth, in modern 

 days, returns to the feast on husks, but the swine 

 arc not guests at his board, nor do they become 

 revellers on tlie banquet of air. 



It is but too true, that the manly and vigorous 

 appetite of our forefathers, which could compass 

 whole hams and sirloins, and disperse whole fleets 

 of ducks and coveys of fowls, to sustain. their ath- 

 letic frames and vigorous spirits, has sadly declin- 

 ed. The degeneracy of the eating capacities of 

 their descendants, lias been attributed to tbe ex- 

 cessive cultivation of curls and whiskers, which, by 

 their exuberance, obstruct the mouthy tend to ex- 

 haust the vital powers, enervate digestion, and in- 

 fringe the provisions of that great charter of health 

 and happiness, the human constitution. 



It is agreeable again to return to the pigs, v/ho 

 indulge in no fanciful extravagancies. 



The boar of Samuel A. Knox, of Grafton, might 



be mentioned frequently without the repetition of 

 his praisi-s exceeding liis merits. He came to the 

 age nf discretion at six months, two daj's ogo. He 

 was of the weight of ^70 pounds at 9 o'clock this 

 morning, but from the ttiitiraony of his rapid in- 

 crease in goodness and falin-ss, may be much heav- 

 ier now. A slight touch of the blood of the Mac- 

 key breed, mintrlcd by his maternal ancestors with 

 the Berkshire, make him more excel in all the stan- 

 dard marks of a pig. He bore the name of jUrtJor, 

 and was worthy of that h\fr\\ rank in the infantry 

 line. His claims to tbe '■five dollar bounty ' for ser- 

 vices in the department of national defence, which 

 feeds the valor of the citizen soldier, and invigor- 

 ates the right arm of the State by providing ra- 

 tions for its militia, were too strong to be denied, 

 and the County Society's first premium was award- 

 ed to him. 



The second premium of three dollars was sward- 

 ed to Peter Fay, of Soulbboro', for a full blooded 

 Berkshire boar, of the age of 7 months 9 days, and 

 of the weight of 250 pounds. 



The labors of the committee were not diminish- 

 ed by bestowing two premiums where eighteen 

 were merited. There remained a crowd of compe- 

 titors deserving respectful notice. 



The United Brothers of Harvard exhibited a 

 Berkshire boar, whose appearance was evidence of 

 the success of the society of Shakers in keeping 

 every creature cejinccted with them in good condi- 

 tion. He carried his notions of neatness and pro- 

 priety so far as to decline the exercise of rooting 

 lest he should soli the cleanliness of his nice black 

 coat. The connnittee recommend that a gratuity 

 of i^2 be given to Seth Blanchard, in behalf of the 

 Brothers of Harvard, as a slight testimonial of ap- 

 probation for the imj)rovements in good farming 

 made by that Industrious community. 



The Berkshire boar of Eden Davis, of Webster, 

 seemed to be aristocratic in his manners. He ar- 

 rived in a cart drawn by four oxen, and did not 

 alight from his carriage to enter the parlors provid- 

 ed for the pigs with carpets of green turf and wain- 

 scotting of ehesnut rails ; but this proved to have 

 been owing to the rooms being entirely pre-occu- 

 pied. Mr. Davis would benefit agriculture if he 

 would allow his pijj to continue locomotive, and let 

 him run to every farm which could be reached by a 

 team as-itrong and well trained as that which re- 

 joiced in the honor of drawing his pork. It is re- 

 commended that the Society bestow a gratuity of 

 two dollars to Mr. Davis, to be expended in food 

 and 'edging for his excellent cniinal, as a compen- 

 sation for the misfortune of being excluded from his 

 proper place. 



"While the supremacy of the breed of swino from 

 Old England has been acknowledged, the claims 

 of that of New England origin must not be neg- 

 lected. The boar of Marvin Wesson, of Phillips-- 

 ton, was of the "^fliller's breed," and looked as if 

 he had taken tolls from the meal of his master, and 

 could repay the dt.'bt by furnishing him with a mul- 

 titude of meals. It is recommended that a gratuity 

 of two dollars be bestowed on a pig having the 

 solid and substantial worth of Yankee character. 



Weaned pigs, not less than iVmr in number were 

 numerous, with all the premonitory pymptoms of 

 future excellence. The first premium of six dol- 

 lars for the rising generation. of swine, is awarded 

 to Harvey Dodge, of Sutton, for four Berkshires, 

 who promise much to benefit posterily. Seven pigs 

 of William Eaton, of Worcester, sturdy New Eng- 

 landers, received a second premium of ^3. 



Whenever it is necessary to approach female so- 

 ciety, it is proper to proceed with great caution. 

 In this opinion the membersof the committee, hav- 

 ing constituents around 1 heir firesides to whom they 

 are responsible, could not formally concur wilhou' 

 consultation. 



The sow of Elca:iar Porter, of full Berkshire 

 blood, brought with her five interestrngtesiimonials 

 of her accomplLsbments in good breeding, in five 

 plea«nt little pigs. Her own fair face and finely 

 rounded form Were so satlst'actoi'y proofs' of the 

 L,-nod living of the American Temperance House^; 

 that the certificate of being kej)t well at the hotel 

 wliere she resides, was not examined. 



A venerable Berkshire matron of Harvey Dodge, ■ 

 of Sutton, appeared in a cart. If there was want 

 of room without her carriage, there was no want of 

 arr)' thing but room within. Her narrow jien wnsi 

 ornamented with a flourishing family, and thisCoi- * 

 nella of the swine in her humble apartment-, might, 

 like the Roman mother, have pointed to Iier chil- 

 dren- and exclaimed "these are my jewels." For 

 this breeding sow, the second premium of three" ^^ 

 dollars is awarded. 



Massachusetts has encouraged all that is useful 

 and excellent. Her government has cherished ag- 

 riculture by appropriations for societies, by provid- 

 ing for cai eful surveys, by bestowing bounties for 



