Tl8 



FARMERS REGISTER. 



[No. 2 



which n)ijih1 previoiiply have been accomplished 

 by an easii-r and cheaper process. By feediiifj too 

 sparingly during the winter, the hogs are kept 

 alive only; they do not grow; become stinted, 

 are worth no more in the spring than they were 

 in the (all, Irequenlly not so much, and of course 

 what has been Rxl has lieen wasted ; and then, 

 durins laltening season, they are Ted to excess, 

 and loss is sustained by undigested corn. JVly plan 

 has been to feed well, to start my pigs fat, and to 

 keep lliem in unilbrndy good condition. They are 

 always growing and mcreasing in value ; are fed 

 with a small quan ity ofgrain when rutming in clo- 

 ver pasture, and by culling up corn lor them as soon 

 as it is in good roasting "ears, they are ready for 

 market, as soon as the weaiiier is cold enough for 

 slaugliiering. They are, in this way, fatiened du- 

 ring moderate weather, and all agree that hogs 

 fatten faster in moderate than in cold weather. 1 

 prefer fattening in a field, to a close pen, and from 

 my observation, I am satisfied the field is the best. 

 The field is used that is intended tor the corn the 

 following year. The grass and clover roots which 

 they get, coniribute to their healih, and save corn, 

 as any one may be convinced, by observing that 

 they will feed a part of the day on the clover, 

 however plentiliilly they may be fed with corn. 

 If hogs be well (ed, and kept dry, and clean, and 

 warm in winter, and be iurnished with shade and 

 plenty of water in sunmier, they will, T think, be 

 always profitable. A good breed should be se- 

 lected, as some breeds are certainly more profita- 

 ble than others. The feeding of hogs presents 

 another question of interest, and we ought to in- 

 quire, whether clover grazed by hogs, will im- 

 prove the land as much as if it be grazed by cattle ; 

 and whether the corn led to hogs upon a field will 

 improve it as much as if it were fed to catile. 

 These are questions which I would not undertake 

 to decide from my ex|)erience, and upon which I 

 would like to hear the opinions of others. Ifthese 

 inquiries shall receive any attention from the cor- 

 respondenls and readers of the Cultivator, I may 

 be encouraged to trespass again upon your atten- 

 tion. Georgk H. Chrisman. 



From tlie (I^ondon) Farmers' Magazine. 

 ESSAY UPON THi: BKKEDING OF I.IVE STOCK, 

 AND ON THE COMPARATIVE INFLUENCE 

 OF THE MALE AND FEMALE PARENTS IN 

 IMPRESSING THE OFFSPRING. 



By John Bosioell, I^sq. of Balmuto and King- 

 causie, 



[In the year 1825, the Highland Societj'^ pro- 

 posed as the subject of prize essays, the solution 

 of the question, " Wliether the breed of livestock 

 connected with agriculture be susceptible of the 

 greatest improvement, li-om the qualities conspi- 

 cuous in the male, or from those conspicuous in 

 the female parent V Four essays were received, 

 to which premiums were awarded. Those that 

 were written by J. Boswell, esq. of Balmuto, and 

 by the iate Rev. Mr. Berry, were considered the 

 best. As many persons may not have seen these 

 essays, which contain information valuable to all 

 those who study the principles of breeding, we 



have given the essay by Mr. Boswell. which will 

 be fomifl interesting to every one concerned in the 

 breeding of stock.] 



Te quoque, magna Pales, et te memorande canemus 

 Pastor ab Ampliryso. — Virgil. 



The very great utility of a clear knowledge as 

 to the best method of improving the breed of live 

 stock, connected with agriculture, must be appa- 

 rent to all; and as one ficartily devoied to agricul- 

 ture in all its branches, I cannot help congratulat- 

 ing the farmer on the information he is likely lo 

 receive on so important a subject through the en- 

 deavors of the Highland Society. As this sub- 

 ject has long [I may say from my earliest youth] 

 been one in which I have taken the greatest de- 

 light, and on which I have bestowed much 

 thought, besides having had very great op|)ortu- 

 nities of seeing experimentally the changes pro- 

 duced on stock from crossing, and other circum- 

 stances, I trust I may be justified from any charge 

 of self-assurance, in ofitiring a lew facts in as 

 short and succinct a manner as the nature of the 

 subject and my own experience as an author, will 

 permit, being well aware that facility of commu- 

 nicating knowledge is almost as necessary as ex- 

 perience in order to shine as an essayest. 



Hoping, then, for candor in weighing the vari- 

 ous facts 1 shall bring forward, and deprecating 

 criticism as to the manner in which they are 

 brought together (being a mere farmer, and no 

 author,) 1 shall lay belbre the society such as oc- 

 cur to my recollection. 



The society has put the question, " Whether 

 the breed of livestock, connected with agriculiure, 

 be susceptible of the greatest improvement from 

 the qualities conspicuous in the male, or (hose 

 conspicuous in the lemale parent'?' 



The first thing to be done is to answer ihe que- 

 ry put by the society, and, having done so, to 

 prove by facts that the an^'wer given is the pro- 

 per one. I have not the slightest doul>t in my 

 own mind that the answer ought to be " the 

 male."* But belbre proceeding to prove this, 1 

 would warn all who m;iy turn their thoughts to 

 the subject, that it must bean enlarged view oF 

 this or any other matter connected with nature, 

 which alone can irive a true knowledge as to the 

 point at issue. The fable of the fly on the build- 

 ing ought never to be fijrgetten ; and the slock of 

 a country or a district can only lead to the true re- 

 sult as to any particular breed. I would also re- 

 mark, that, belore the breed of a;country can be 

 improved, much more must be looked to than the 

 answer to the question put by the Highland Soci- 

 ety, such as crossing, selection of both parents, 

 attention to pedigree, and lastly, food and care of 

 the oH'spring. 



I shall endeavor to explain my ideas on these 

 heads ; and then, having given some prools as to 

 the male being the parent having the greatest in- 

 fluence on the progeny, I shall endeavor to prove, 

 that, whether I be right or wrong, still the male is 



* Jt often happens that an author who has distinctly 

 espoused one side in a question so difficult as this, feels 

 disposed, after the lapse of two or three years, to mo- 

 dify, or even alter, his opinions ; but it is consistent 

 with our knowledge, that the accurate observations 

 and farther experience of two years have only 

 strengthened the author of this essay in the assertions 

 which it contains. — Ed. Far. Mag. 



