ON SWINE. 27 



small number of swine offered at this, and the late exhibitions of 

 the Society for its premiums. Essex is confessedly not a grazing 

 county, and hence it is that few cattle are fatted for the shambles, 

 and few such present themselv-cs at our shows. But of swine a 

 large amount is fatted and raised among us. There is hardly any 

 neighborhood in our villages, but could present many such as would 

 do credit to any exhibition. Our premiums seem to be offered rather 

 with a view to encourage the breeding of swine, than the fattening 

 of them ; but to that object, as your Committee believe, the attention 

 of our farmers is not at present specially directed. Many of them 

 purchase their store pigs from the droves ; some have no belief in the 

 superiority of one breed over another ; and others are deterred from 

 keeping sows for breeding, by the risk and uncertainty attending it. 

 Perhaps too, from the lovv^ price of pork for the last few years, less 

 interest is taken in procuring valuable breeds of swine, and propa- 

 gating from them, than would otherwise be. 



Your Committee would be slow to subscribe to the opinion that it 

 is best to purchase from a drove, where a large number of swine is 

 kept. The most practised eye is often deceived as to the appearance 

 of swine, and the first cost of those selected might often, with the 

 best of feed, be hardly doubled in six months. We believe there is 

 a great difference in the breeds of swine ; that some lay on fat as 

 fast again as others, with the same feeding. Some seem to have no 

 other ambition than to increase in weight, and to rejoice the heart of 

 the farmer ; whilst others seem determined to balk his efforts and 

 hopes, by either eating with a dainty appetite, or, if devouring food 

 with a seeming relish, making no good use of it after it has passed 

 from the stomach, except to increase the contents of the hog-pen. 



With regard to breeds, — the Berkshire, which but a few years 

 since put forth the lofolest pretensions to public favor, is now generally 

 condemned by those who have kept and slaughtered them. In Eng- 

 land, Avhere swine meat is used more as other meat is than with us, 

 and where it is consequently desirable to have a considerable portion 

 of it lean, the Berkshires arc held in high repute. A Yankee, how- 

 ever, looks first and foremost to a hog for pork, as a relish and as 

 fat. But for furnishing this, the Berkshire breed of swine is among 

 the very worst that exists. The fat pork of an entire Berkshire hog 

 that weighs 350 or 400 lbs., is about two inches in thickness, and 

 about a half an inch of that is rind. It is very soft and does not cool 



