^ 



d) 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



MIDDLESEX HOGS. 



875 



^ 



Less, perhaps, is known in regaixl to the respective feeding quahties of diffei-ent breeds 

 of pigs, than of most otlier farm stock. We have had something approaching to a series 

 of accurately conducted experiments upon the fatting quahties of ditfcrcnt breeds of sheep, 

 and also sundry, if not systematic, experiments on the fatting and milking properties of 

 the principal breeds of cattle, such as the Short Horns, Devons, Ayrshires, Ilcrefords, 

 &c.; but we are not acquainted with one single experiment, that is comparative or satis- 

 factory, in relation to the amount of meat produced, from a given quantity of food, by 

 the various breeds of hogs. There are innumerable single expeiimeuts, but when we 

 come to compare them we find that the animals were of diftereut ages, fed on dift'erent 

 food, and in short were ditiVrently treated in eveiy respect. The results of course are 

 very diiierent. There would be " magic in the figures," could we trust them, and 

 startling theories might be based thereon. There is always a certain degree of truth in 

 the opinions of practical men, founded as they are on long experience, yet it would be 

 interesting to every intelligent farmer to know certainly whether these opinions are true 

 or not, and this can only be known by a series of experiments. It is supposed by many 

 practical farmers that the small breeds of hogs will lay on more fat for the amount of 

 food consumed than the large breeds. A carefully conducted experiment would settle 

 the point. Who will make it? All the valuable English small breeds of hog>s have 

 been greatly improved by judicious crossing with the Chinese and Neapolitans. The 

 Suffolk, E^ex, Middlesex, and Berkshires, have all*more or less Chinese and Neapolitan 

 blood. All of them possess many valuable points, and are respectively best adapted for 

 particular objects. Eor early maturity, rapidity of fattening, and small proportion of 

 bone and offal, the Middlesex breed is, in our opinion, second to none. 



The accompanying engraving represents three beautiful specimens of this breed, as 

 exhibited at the Smithfield Club Cattle Show. "They were farrowed on the 18th of 

 June, and were fed, from five weeks' old, on middlings, boiled potatoes, and peas, up to 

 eleven weeks' old, when they had barley and pea-meal, and boiled potatoes, mixed with 

 water. They consumed in thirteen weeks, twenty-eight bushels of meal and four bush- 

 els of potatoes. They were tried on milk, but did not thrive so well on it as on water. 

 In consequence of their gi*eat propensity to fatten, they were blind with fat at sixteen 

 weeks old, and when exhibited their eyes were buried two inches in fat, which came 

 over their forehead and lay on the top of their noses full three inches. 



The followino; is a statement of their weiofht and ao^e while fattenina: : 



July 22 



Aiisust 13 



September S 



DitUi 24 



October 15 



November 5 



Ditto 26 



December 6 



Weeks old. 



11 

 14 

 17 

 20 

 23 

 24 and 3 days. 



24 lbs. 



52 " 



80 " 



104 " 



153 " 



200 « 



232 " 



2:52 « 



24 lbs. 



44 " 



72 " 



96 " 



14-t '• 



192 " 



224 " 



224 « 



Third. 



20 lbs. 



42 « 



64 " 



8S » 



132 " 



102 « 



224 " 



224 " 



Mean increase 

 per wcelv. 



1M lbs. 



8M " 



8 " 



15X " 



17>i " 



mi " 



This breed of pigs has been much improved by Mr. Bakkkr (the exhibitor) in the 

 last seven years. They are of a pure white color, of great substance and propensity to 

 fatten. They keep in excellent condition while stores on grass, turneps, ofi'al from the 

 barns or garden, and when put up to fat, in two or three weeks make excellent porkers. 

 Thev are fine in the bone and head ; small upright ears, which point a little forward. 

 They are of a small size, have good litters, varying from seven to fourteen in number, 

 being very fat while sucking, and thus making very good roasters. 



