42 



rUE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



river lands, spots may be seen whitened with thin ] 

 bits oi' muscle shells, which have been exp ised 

 at or near the surface for thousands of years, and 

 to the action of the plough lor the last century ; 

 yet muscle shells, which on those places appear so 

 indestructible, are thinner, sofier, and, from the 

 animal matter they contain, more easy lo crumble 

 tlmn the fossil sea shells which are used for ma- 

 nure. The acidity, or something equivalent to aci- 

 dity, in the one soil, asd the absence of it in the 

 other, will serve to account for the very different 

 effects produced. Yours, &c. 



E. RUFFIN. 



MAKAGEMENT AND BREEDS OF HOGS IN 

 MIDDLESEX, MASSACHUSETTS. 



From tlie Fourth Report of the Agriculture of Massachusetts. 



We Wave been compelled, however, in ihi;?, as 

 in many other cases, to witness the capricioueness 

 of public favor ; and to adopt, with the variaiion 

 of only a letter, the familiar proverb, and say in 

 thii case, that "every hog must have his day." 

 The popularity of the Berkshire swine is on the 

 wane. It is objected to them by many farmers 

 that they are not large enough, though they are 

 easily made to reach, at fourteen months eld, 300 

 or 350 lbs. ; and luriher, that they do not cut u|* 

 well ; and that the lat on their backs and sides is 

 not thick enough, especially for packing down (or 

 fishermen, who would be glad to have their pork 

 all fat, and whom I have geen spread their un- 

 cooked salted fat pork, as landsmen spread butter, 

 on their bread. 



The former objection is not made by all per- 

 sons, as many would prefer (or their tables the 

 pork of a hog weighing 300 lbs. to that of hogs 

 weighing 600 lbs. of which 1 have seen many in 

 our market. With respect to the latter objection, 

 I was half disposed at first to consider it as mere 

 caprice, but that E. Phinney, ofLexingion, a 

 farmer in this matter " not unknown to fame," — 

 and another most respectable farmer of Franklin 

 county, admit that there is some truth in it ; and 

 they, as well as many others, prefer a cross to 

 the pure blood. The impression is becoming 

 general, and the butchers in Quincy market are 

 unanimous in their unfavorable opinion of the 

 Berkshire hogs. They admit that their hams 

 and shoulders are good for bacon ; but their 

 backs, where they most require it, have no depth 

 of fatness, and ihey are there(bre unsuitable for 

 salting. They are good breeders and nurses. 

 They may be kept, therefore, to much advantage 

 where the object is to raise roasting pigs for the 

 market. This is sometimes quite profitable where 

 a sow has two litters a year. A roast pig, only 

 weaned by the knife, has from time immemorial 

 been deemed a most luxurious dish. So it is 

 likely to continue to be. Charles Lamb says that 

 the Chinese never knew the lusciousness of a 

 roasted pig until an accidental fire occurred which 

 destroyed a pig-sty with its inhabitants. In 

 pulling the bodies of these poor creatures burnt 

 to a crisp from the fire, some of the skin or flesh 

 adhered lo the fingers of the Chinese, and in put- 

 their hands by chance to their mouths, they for 

 the first time in their lives inhaled the odor and 

 tasted tke deliciousness of the roasted skin. ARer 

 that, the accidental burning of pig-sties became 



80 common that the civil authorities were compel- 

 led lo interpose. 



It is but just, however, to the Berkshires to say, 

 that the unlavorable impression in regard to ihem, 

 though geneial, is not universal. An intelligent 

 and very exact farmer at Braintree, B. V, French, 

 has Ibund them to answer his expectations. Up- 

 on recently killing a number, he was well satisfied 

 with iheir appearance, and is of opinion that 

 much of the prejudice which exists against them 

 belongs properly to the impure but not to the ge- 

 nuine race. 



The introduction of the Chinese hogs inljo this 

 country and into England seems to have been the 

 foundation of all the extraordinary improvements 

 which have taken place in this race of animals — 

 improvements which, within less than half a cen- 

 tury, have doubtless enriched the state of Massa- 

 chusetts many hundreds of thousands of dollars, 

 and the country by millions. The eflects of this 

 cross with other swine have been to give fineness 

 of bone, plumpness and fulness of form, extraordi- 

 nary thriftiness, and quietness of demeanor. The 

 old race of hogs seemed to be of the wolf species 

 in temper as well as condiiion, and were the per- 

 sonificaiion of ugliness and rapaciiy. The first 

 introduction of one of these animals into a seclud- 

 ed part of Scotland, within the last century, is 

 matter of comparaiively modern history. Having 

 got loose Irom his sty, he appeared to the terrified 

 imaginations of these simj)le people as the arch- 

 fiend himself) and crowds hovered together 

 through lear — the parish schoolmaster being at 

 their head with an open Bible, to endeavor to lay 

 this evil spirit ! The animal now, in liis improved 

 condition, is regarded as one of the larmer's best 

 friends ; he eats what nothing else will eat ; he is 

 a general scavenger; and an excellent composter 

 of manure. His own manure is one of the most 

 enriching substances which can be supplied to the 

 soil, though not one of the most lasting in its ef- 

 fects ; and his flesh is ihe most frequent dish upon 

 the farmer's table. This county may boast of 

 great improvements in their swine. A Mr. Mac- 

 kay, of Boston, owning a farm in Weston, obtain- 

 ed fi:om abroad, some yeais since, a valuable hog, 

 whose natural good qualities by good manage- 

 ment he greatly improved. Some of this breed of 

 swine have been most remarkable for thrift and 

 weight. Besides this, a hog called the Mocho 

 hog, long, round and thrifty, whose pedigree is 

 not known, has been introduced here. Some of 

 the best hogs which I have seen have been from 

 an admixture of these ihree bloods. Mr. Phin- 

 ney emphatically approves this cross; and the 

 weight of his swine when killed, of some of 

 which I subjoin an account, establishes the sound- 

 ness of his judgment. 



In 1840, Mr. Phinney sent the following hogs 

 to market : 



Feb. 6. Feb. 15. Feb. 17. 



Ibe. lbs. lbs. mos. old 



1 weighed 407 1 w'd 469 1 w'd 763 20 



2 " 414 2 " 367 2 " 591 15 



3 " 413 3 " 362 3 " 476 15 



4 " 305 4 " 331 4 " 430 12 



5 " 364 5 " 475 12 



6 " 366 6 " 465 12 



7 «' 4.30 12 



8 " 464 12 

 In 1841, the subjoined is a list of fi.Qeen Berk- 

 shire and Mackay hogs from the same farm : 



