310 MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



Boston market, by railroad, from a depot of which, at Canaan Center, he lives 

 some 7 or 8 miles. These pigs averaged about 45 pounds at two months old, 

 and brought 9 cents a pound. They are fed " on the sow" and on sour milk and 

 meal. They begin to eat at four weeks old, when he gives them "something 

 they like." Without entering upon philosophical disquisitions about the matter, 

 Mr. Hall sententiously remarked that the proper business of a hog's life was "-to 

 do nothing hut to eat and sleep." 



His hogs not unfrequently reach 600 weight at 18 months old. He showed 

 eight pigs of one litter that, when killed, at about 14 months, will, he judges — 

 we think within the mark — average 300 each. He makes it a point in cold 

 weather to keep his hogs clean and dry — a dry bed and clean straw are the sine 

 qua non with him. How unlike two hogs we saw, late in November, not many 

 miles from Washington, in a small pen, from which there Avas no escape for the 

 very liquid mud and water, several inches deep, in which they were standing all 

 day, and lying down only when they could stand no longer, without a particle of 

 litter of any kind, or any precaution to save a particle of their manure ; and this 

 in full view every day. Though one swallow may not prove the access of sum- 

 mer Aveather, yet one sight like that would convince the most partial judge that 

 the farmer who could sleep in his bed, with hogs left to sleep in such a bed as 

 that, had altogether mistaken his calling. It would be as impossible to make a 

 thriving farmer out of such an one, as to make great and wise rulers out of 

 demagogues. 



Mr. Hall looks to pumpkins as quite an important item in his resources for 

 both cows and hogs. His pumpkins are planted among corn, thick as that is 

 planted, and he gets from an acre about 20 loads of the common field ptmipkin. 

 These he finds quite susceptible of frost, and are best kept in a shed covered with 

 straw, and not in cellars. It is important to keep them dry. As they are liable 

 to be destroyed by frost, good economy dictates that they be fed early in the sea- 

 son, both raw and cooked ; when raAV, they are cut in half for the cows, and " they 

 will manage them." His cardinal rule is to sell neither grain or straw off his 

 place, but, turning all into manure, he keeps his farm, as every man does whose 

 foundation is not giving way, alioays in a state of progressive improvement, 

 be that never so little. Another great reliance with him for manure is on muck, 

 of which there is a constant supply within a few feet of the back of his piggery. 

 That is kept well supplied with muck generally, but most especially when his 

 hogs are fed with vegetables, and when, therefore, their voidings turn the muck 

 to most account. 



We were not a little surprised to learn how long their meadows, even some 

 on hill-sides, as at Col. Chapman's, near Saratoga, are kept unbroken, yielding 

 good crops of grass. Mr. Hall showed a lot which had been under the scythe 

 for more than fifty years. 



This whole region enjoys the reputation of being very healthy. The water 

 is good, the temperature delightful, the topography of the country such as to 

 secure it against stagnation and malaria, and, above all, the people industrious 

 and sijber. Mr. Hall's father had moved here from Connecticut 65 years ago, 

 and died last spring, at the age of 85. He showed a field of corn, which he 

 seemed not to consider extraordinary, and from which he counted on 60 bush- 

 els of corn to the acre. With such management, and such appliances of ma- 

 nure — such fine tilth in the way of preparation, and such frequent and nice cul- 

 tivation — what crops might not be grown on the river and creek bottoms of 



(6-16) 



