66 [Senate 



TibheWs Columbia Pigs. 



In compliance with the rules of the American Institute, I send you 

 a description of the manner of raising and feeding ray Columbia pigs, 

 to which the Institute at its Fifteenth Annual Fair, awarded a silver 

 cup. 



These pigs were taken from the sow when seven weeks old. Their 

 feed at first was milk, after the milk had been taken off mixed with 

 a little Indian meal. As they became older the milk was mixed with 

 the slops of the kitchen, with a gradual increase of meal, or some 

 times rye bran. The quantity of meal was from a handful at first to 

 about three quarts per day, for the two. They were fed regularly; 

 at first, five times a day, and afterwards, three. 



The boar, (Victor) closely confined, grew faster than the sow, 

 (Betty) running at large, and weighed when six months and eighteen 

 days old, three hundred and fifty-three pounds. 



Three of this litter were butchered, (after the best had been taken 

 out for breeding,) at eight months and twenty-six days old, and after 

 they were dressed, their weight was 262, 282 and 315 pounds. One 

 also at nine months and six days old, and weighed 324 pounds. 

 These were fed in Columbia county, N. Y. 



Their dam, in good store order, is supposed to weigh from 500 to 

 600 pounds. 



I shall have three sows litter about the first of March. Several of 

 the pigs are already engaged. I sell them at twenty dollars a pair, 

 put in boxes and delivered in New- York. 



H. W. TIBBETS. 



Yonkers, October 30, 1842. 



BoWs Straw Cutter. 



The proprietor of this implement, respectfully begs leave to avail 

 himself of this method of calling attention to what he conceives to be 

 the peculiar merits of his machine. From his own agricultural ex- 

 perience, he found, that while several machines already invented, left 

 nothing more to be desired in point of expedition, none of them were 

 so constructed as to be manageable with the small degree of mechani- 

 cal skill that usually belongs to a farm laborer. As a proof of this 

 assertion, the well known fact that all the modern improvements in 

 this machine, after having been fairly tested by the farmer, have been 

 abandoned for the old fashioned hand knife, whose superior simplici- 

 ty more than counterbalanced its want of mechanical facilities. With 

 an eye to this fact, this machine has been gotten up. The cutting is 

 effected with a short, plain and simple knife, that any smith can 

 make, and any laborer can grind or set, affixed to a rotary head; 

 which for several reasons is the best form in which a cutter can be 

 used. The manner of feeding is peculiar, holding and retaining the 

 last straw, so that, no matter how small the quantity, none is dragged 

 through without being cut; at the same time, any amount may be 

 forced through, without injury to the cutter. This peculiarity, with 



