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FARMERS' REGISTER 



insure them for the succeeding crop. Bui prudent 

 physiciansadminisler light doses "u!l liiey become 

 acquainted" with the constitution ol'ilieir piiiienis; 

 and until we become belter acciuuinted with the 

 constitution of our soil, I would advise my brother 

 farmers, to give the lime in broken doses, and 

 never to forget that lime alone cannot work mira- 

 cles ; but its use must, be combined whli the ma- 

 nure from our stables and barn-yard, and that thus 

 combined, in many soils, it will double the product 

 over that manured alone. 



I should have remarked, in connexion with your 

 second inquiry, my belief that lime acts most 

 promptly in all chestnut lands, and such lands 

 might soon be doubled in their value. This is the 

 common growth in the neighborhood ofSpringlield, 

 and though limestone makes its appearance every 

 where, I suspect the sjil is very deficient in the 

 calcareous principle— Indeed we find this to be the 

 case in the immediate neighborhood oiLexington, 

 in the soil taken from the surface of the rock, by 

 Mr. Graham, and sent to Mr. Ruffin for analysis, 

 which proved it tube totally deficient ; and this 

 he showed was the case, by analyzing the soil in 

 different portions of our valley. JBut in addition, 

 Professor Rogers says — " In my former report, 1 

 attempted to remove the mistaken impression, that 

 the land of limestone regions is already sufficiently 

 imbued with calcareous matter, by appealing to the 

 results of analysis ; and I would now repeat the 

 observations then made, as having been confirmed 

 by further examination."* And this deficiency 

 can be supplied both by lime and by that sub- 

 stance so well known in this county as marl. 

 Neither can farmers err in applying lime wher- 

 ever the sorrel grows, or the plant called cinque- 

 ibil, (or silk-fee,) and the calcareous princi|)le 

 in ashes will produce a like good etiiect. To such 

 as feel an interest in the subject of calcareous ma- 

 nures generally, and their good effects, I would 

 refer to an essay on the subject, by the able editor 

 of the Farmers' Register. 



But I fear I am becoming tiresome, and if you 

 think so, administer this as I would lime — in bro- 

 ken doses, in concluding however, I must re- 

 mark that " there cannot be any fact in practical 

 agriculture more clearly proved, than the beneficial 

 action of lime upon the soil of limestone regions, 

 such as our valley." 



Respectfully yours, &c., 



RoBT. R. Barton. 

 To a a Baldwin, Esq. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEK ON SWINE. 



From tlie American Farmer. 

 To the New York State jfgricultural Society. 



Until recently, very little attention has been 

 paid to the breeds of our farm stock ; and pigs 

 being considered an inferior species of domestic 

 animals, have been the last to engage the atten- 

 tion of the larmer ; and even at the present day 

 in many districts of our country, the old unprofit- 

 able kinds of this animal continue to prevail. 



* Should any still doubt this deficiency of calcareoua 

 principle in our soil, let him take a fair specimen to 

 the very intelligent and obliging Professor ot Chemistry 

 in Washington College, and his doubts will soon be 

 removed. 



Indeed, systematic breeding, with a view to im- 

 prove tlie lurm and value of the animal, may be 

 said to have hardly commenced among us, tiie im- 

 provements vvhii-h are perceptible, being rather 

 ihe Iruits ofEumpeaii than American skill. 



A common error in this country, has been to re- 

 gard more the size ofthe animal, than its symmetry 

 or good points ; to estimate a breed according to the 

 great weight vvliich it could be made to attain — 

 rather than the profit with which it would be fatted 

 to the hands of the butchers — the most material 

 point to liirmer. But experience is teaching us 

 a new lesson on this head. Butchers now judge 

 of an animal, not according to its gross weight, 

 but according to the good points, or most valuable 

 meat, which it carries. Breeders have learned to 

 prefer those which, with a given quamity of food, 

 will lay on the most meat ; and the consumer 

 has learned, too, that meat that shows the most 

 solid fat, is neither the most healthy, the most 

 savory, nor the most economical. It is the due 

 admixture of fat and lean, or the prevalence of 

 what is termed fat-lean — such as is seen in the 

 Devonshire ox and the South Down sheep — that 

 gives the greatest value to the butcher's meat. 



Jt was lately remarked by an eminent breeder 

 of England, Mr. Gray, at an agricultural dinner, 

 that he could lecd on an acre of land, a greater 

 number of pounds of mutton, in carcasses from 18 

 to 20 lbs. per quarter than in carcasses from 28 to 80 

 lbs. per quarter; and tliat a quarter of mutton from 

 a sheep of 18 to 20 lbs. weight per qr. is worth 

 more in proportion than from a sheep ot 30 lbs. 

 per quarter; and that consequently, the advantage 

 is on the side of the smaller carcasses. And he 

 assigned this, among other reasons, that in case of 

 drought of scarcity, a small animal can collect as 

 much food as a larger one, and having a smaller 

 carcass it derives more advantage from it ; that 

 whilst the larger is losing in condition, the smaller 

 one, if not improving, is remaining stationary ; 

 and v^hen the period arrives at which an abun- 

 dance^of food can be obtained, it almost immedi- 

 ately reassumes its position, and is fit to go to 

 market sooner than the larger animal. 



These remarks are found to hold good in regard 

 to swine, as well as sheep. The same quantum 

 of (bod that will give 600 pounds to hofrs of a very 

 large breed, will fatten two hogs of 300 pounds 

 each: and the meat of the latter, though not so 

 fat, will be of the better quality. This, and other 

 considerations, have given to what is termed the 

 Bcfkshires, a decided superiority both in England 

 and America, over most other breeds. 



The history of the introduction of this breed 

 among us, was stated in the report upon swine, 

 made at the last meeting of this society. Since 

 that time, the demand for this breed of pigs, from 

 almost every state in the union, has greatly in- 

 creased, and prices, in some cases, have almost 

 exceeded credulity. Two hundred and fifty, three 

 hundred, and even five hundred dollars a pair, 

 have been paid for them. Nor have they been 

 found deficient in weight, when they have had 

 time to mature their growth. They have been 

 fattened to weigh five, six, and seven hundred 

 pounds ; and one was brought to this market last 

 week, from Fulton county, eighteen months old, pur- 

 chased of Judge Buel a little more than one year 

 ago, which weighed, when dressed, 633 lbs. the 

 carcass of which sold in the market at about $56, 



