THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



149 



but by skill, extreme accuracy of observation, and 

 Ion<T perseverance. 



lie tiiought llie Durhams not well adapted to 

 llic scanty pastures and nej^lio^ent habits of many 

 of our I'arniers. All hi^h lircd animals rP(iuire 

 particular care and the most liberal Iced. Two 

 of the finest oxen ever raised in the country were 

 of this slock. One, it is believed, a lull blood, 

 Crom Greenland, N. H., weighii)<x over 3400 

 pounds live wei<jht ; and one a hall-blood, raised 

 in Claremont, N. H., and sent year belbre last to 

 England, lor exhibition. His live weight was 

 said to be 3700'pounds ; and he was pronounced 

 in England, by the best judges ol stock, as unri- 

 viilled lor weight and thrifij and etuinenily well- 

 Ibrmed. 



The best breeds would soon run out if negli- 

 gently or severely treated. This race were un- 

 dnubtedl}'' well sailed to the rich pastures and 

 abundant products of the west, of Kentucky and 

 Ohio. There they would flourish. What might 

 be done lor our own slock by more liberal 

 keeping, was yet to be seen. He had known a 

 call" from a native cow, at four months old, to 

 weii:h nearly 400 pounds ; and another, at five 

 months old, to weigh 600 pounds. Iflhe improv- 

 ed Durham slock should prove the beet for us, 

 and he kepi his mind on this subject open to con- 

 viction, we could at once avail ourselves of the 

 distinguished improvements of half a century's 

 pkill, and toil, and expense, so liberally bestowed 

 in England. At any rate, the improvements 

 which they had accomplished in England, so 

 obvious and impressive to the most careless ob- 

 server, read a most important lesson to us, and 

 showed what might be done by skill and care, by 

 judicious selection, by steady |)erseverance in a 

 reixular system, and by liberal keeping ; and pre- 

 sented, at tJie same time, the inost powerful 

 mniives to exertion i^nd enterprise in a branch ol 

 husbandry acknowledged by all to be of the first 

 importance. 



THE SIXTH AGRICULTURAL MEETING. — HOGS, 

 HORSES, SHEEP, AND CATTLE. 



Februanj 18th, 1841. 



Mr. Colman, [the agricultural commissioner,] 

 slated — Of swine, there were various breeds now 

 well known among us, and within (he last. Ibriy 

 yeais the most valuable improvpinents had been 

 made in this race of animals. Twenty years ago, 

 a distinguished packer of beef and pork, in this 

 vicinity, said, that the improvements which had 

 then taken place in this stock were wonh hun- 

 dreds of thousands of dollars to Massachusetle. 

 These improvements have consisted in introdu- 

 cing in the place of a long, gaunt, hungry species, 

 a compact, small-boned, thrifty, good humored 

 kind, who were kepi at a comparatively small 

 expense ; and made large returns for the amount 

 of food which they consumed. 



These improvements had been effected mainly 

 by a cross with the Chinese breed ; but this was 

 not whII ascertained. The in'roduciion of ihe 

 Byefield breed was perfectly within his own re- 

 collection. He had a relative living in Byefield, 

 a parish of Newbury, who attended, as a butcher, 

 ihe Newburyport market. He found in the mar- 

 ket, a woman, with two remarkable pigs for sale, 

 which he immediately purchased and carried to 



his farm. He did not know the history of these 

 pigs, but this laid the foundation of what is called 

 the Byefield breed, known iis such in this country 

 and in England ; and which proved a most excef- 

 lenl crot^s with the best of our native swine. — 

 They were remarkable for their thrift, their early 

 maturitj', their good humor, and the cheapness 

 wiih which they were kept. This was the first 

 important step in the improvement of the breed. 

 This oocurred about the year 1792. 



The next improved breed of swine introduced 

 into the country was the Bedlbrd. It is under- 

 stood that some oflhis breed, which had acquired 

 much celebrity in England, were sent a present 

 to General Washington ; and the person by whom 

 they were sent betrayed his trust, and sold thera, 

 or their progeny, Ibr his own benefit. 



The JNlackay, another improved breed, was 

 introduced by Mr. Mackay, who commanded a 

 packet between Boston and Liverpool, or Boston 

 and London; and, having a taste Ibr agricultural 

 pursuits, he selected abroad some of the best stock 

 he could find, and placed them on his farm at 

 Wesion, from which many valuable animals have 

 been obtained, anil are scattered in difterent parts 

 of the stale. They are a breed remarkable for 

 their ihriliiness and plumpness, and for their great 

 weight. 



The next valuable breed known among us is 

 the Mocho, a white hog, of excellent thriving 

 properties; but where he originated is not known. 

 Mr. Colman had Ibuiid this breed in the western 

 and south-eastern parts of ihe state, in the centre 

 of the state likewise, and in western New York; 

 but was not able to trace their genealogy. The 

 cross vviih this hog has produced an excellent stoclc. 



The next valuable stock introduced among us 

 is the Berkshire. The pure Berkshire, it is be- 

 lieved, were first introduced into the country by 

 Mr. Hawkes, an English filmier, who came over 

 and settled near Albany. He brought many 

 valuable animals with him ; but Ibr some reasons, 

 having given up his establishment, his stock passed 

 into the hands of a very enterprising farmer, Mr. 

 Caleb N. Bement, by uhom ihey were propa- 

 gated, and have now been widely extended over 

 tlie country. ^Ir. Colman remarked that the 

 change which had taken place in the hogs of 

 Albany, which are allowed to run at large in the 

 streets, since the in'roduction of the Berkshire, 

 was most remarkable ; instead of a lean, hungry, 

 prowling, noisy race, objects of universal disgust 

 and dread, there were now every where to be 

 seen in the sireets and siies of that city, fine sleeic 

 and plump pigs, which appeared to be kept with 

 the greatest care and liberality. 



The Berksiiire breed, however, were thought 

 by many persons to want size; and a cross of the 

 Berkshire with the Mackay has produced the 

 finest and most tlirifiy race cf animals that had 

 ever come under his (Mr. Colman's) notice. This 

 stock, of Ihe very finest description, misht now 

 be seen in perlection. at the place of Mr. Phinney, 

 Lexington, and of Mr. Cushing at Waterlown. 

 Finer animals than were here to be found, in Mr. 

 Colman's opinion, could not be found any where. 

 The Mocho breed had likewise been crossed with 

 the Berkshire; and intermediate crosses of the 

 Berkshire, with the Mocho and Mackay together 

 had been equally fortunate.* 



*E. Phinney, Esq., of Lexington, has just graduated 



