696 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 11 



eties, both in this state and out of it, to the deliv- 

 ery of which lor many years he liad been frequently 

 called by those who wished to avail themselves of 

 his ability, knowledge and influence; calls which 

 were rarely declined, except from the most urgent 

 necessity. It was in the performance of a duty 

 of this kind that he was arrested by death while 

 among strangers and I'ar from home. 



Few men have passed as public a life as Judge 

 Ruel, leaving as stainless and irreproachable a 

 character. JVIild in disposition, agreeable in his 

 manners, with a deep sense of moral and religi- 

 ous obligation, it is not strange that he had many 

 Iriends, and those too among those whose friend- 

 ship is most valuable. A patriot in the noblest 

 sense of the term, he loved and served his coun- 

 try for his countr3''s sake, above those blighting 

 partizan influences vi^hich so often serve to check, 

 arrest or chill, the best aspirations of the heart. 

 It was enough that the state or the nation were 

 to be benefited to secure lor any cause his cordial! 

 co-operation and support. It is pleasant to dwell on 

 such a character as Judge Buel's but we must 

 close with the remark, that by this death the state 

 has lost one of its most honest and honorable citi- 

 zens, and agriculture one of its most efficient, able 

 and untiring advocates. Peace to his memory. 



SWINE. MAKIKG PORK. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 



In a very large part of the United States, next 

 to cultivation of grain, the profits of the farmer are 

 more dependant on his pork than any other single 

 item ; and within a lew years past the sales of that 

 article, it is believed, have equalled in amount that 

 of any other farm product, wheat excepted. It is 

 becoming, therefore, an object of interest to the 

 country, that the best breeds of swine should be 

 selected and disseminated, and the mostimproved 

 methods of fattening be adopted, as the saving of a 

 single dollar on each porker in rearing orliittening, 

 and experience proves it possible to save many,) 

 would be the saving of millions annually. To 

 these two points, the best breeds and tlie best 

 mode of fattening, the attention of farmers should 

 be directed. 



Fortunately, so far as reirards the best breeds 

 of swine, the farmer in the United States has the 

 means ofprocurmg those animals that the common 

 voice of farmers in this country and abroad, have 

 pronounced the best for making pork, and which 

 unite the desired qualities of size, case of fattening, 

 and fineness of quality. These are the Chinese 

 and the Berkshire ; but though the first are supe- 

 rior to all others for quietness, fineness of flesh. 

 and rapidity of fattening, alone they are loo small 

 for profitable feeding, and it has been found advi- 

 sable to cross them with some of the most appro- 

 ved common or imported varieties, in order to 

 give the requisite weight. At the head of these 

 varieties, whether for crossing or for feeding, stand 

 the Berkshire, a breed which if it is of compara- 

 tively recent introduction, has, by its valuable 

 qualities, proved itself worthy of a more rapid dis- 

 semination than any other breed ever received 

 in this country. That the Berkshire is in equal 

 favor abroad where he is best known, is evident 

 from the following extract which we make from i 



that standard work 'British Husbandry,' and which 

 will also exhibit the principal characteristics of die 

 animal. 



" The Berkshire hog is of a reddish brown color 

 with black spots the head well placed, wiih large 

 ears, generally standing forward, though sometimes 

 hanging over the eyes. He is short legged, 

 small boned, and of a rough curly coat, wearing 

 the appearance of both skin and flesh being of a 

 coarse quality. Nothing, however, can be finer 

 than the bacon, (or pork,) and the animals attain 

 to a very large size, having not uncommonly 

 reached the weijrht of more than 100 stones ; but 

 from 40 to 50, when completely fi\ttened, is the 

 general average. The breed has, Indeed, obtained 

 such general approbation fi^om the best judges, that 

 those who wish to imp.'-ove their stock of swine 

 are very generally desirous of obtaining a cross 

 wiih that race; and they are consequently dis- 

 persed over the most distant parts of tfie country. 

 Some ol'the best of these crosses are found in Staf- 

 Ibrdshire from the progeny of an animal well 

 known to pig breeders as the ' Tamworth Boar.' 

 The native breed is also usually crossed at inter- 

 vals, either with the pure Chinese or the Tonquin 

 race, and this process is lound uecessary to |)revent 

 deterioration." 



To the Berkshire, or to the China crosses, the 

 farmer may therelbre look with confidence for the 

 best breeds of swine now in existence ; and he who 

 persists in feeding the old iLishioned animals, when 

 better are within his reach must find a wide differ- 

 ence between his profits and those of his neiglibor, 

 who avails himselfof the best animals the country 

 can produce. Hogs weighing eight or ten cwt. 

 have occasionally been produced in this country ; 

 but the averaffe weight ol our best fatted hogs is 

 much below 400 pounds. 



The profits of making pork will depend much 

 on the breed of the animal fed ; much on the food 

 u.sed for fattening; and much on the manner in 

 which the process of feeding is conducted. There 

 can be no doubt that some farmers have such in- 

 ferior pigs, and feed in such a careless and wasteful 

 manner, that they actually lose instead of gaining 

 by attempting to make pork. Almost any hog, 

 and in almost any condition or place, will improve, 

 if you give him enough to eat ; but to profifably/af- 

 ten, not only must tiie food be of the right kind 

 and given in a proper manner, but every neces- 

 sary attention should be paid to the comfort, clean- 

 liness and health of the animal. The time requi- 

 site for flattening is of course dependant on 

 circumstances, such as the condition of the pig 

 when put up, the food used, age &c. From eight 

 to twelve weeks may be said to be the sliortest 

 time in which hogs can be properly fattened with 

 good care ; and under ordinary modes of li^eding, 

 they inay require a still longer term to be made 

 of'gond quality ; that is, to have the pork firm and 

 the animal well filled with lard. Hogs, when put 

 up for fiatleninn;, if well, increase tfie fastest in 

 weight, and also consume the most food, during 

 the first weeks of their feeding. The rapidity of 

 fiitlening, and the food eaten, both gradually de- 

 crease, but the first lessens most quickly, and after 

 the hog has reached a certain point, his gain will 

 not pay for his fi^ed. When the animal approaches 

 this point, he should be killed. A pig put up to 

 be fattened and regularly weighed, gave the fol- 

 lowing results, which are conclusive on this point, 



