174 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



ihe flame became agitated and thrown in one 

 direction at the depth ofihirty feet, but was quae 

 still, and soon extinguished at the boiton:i. I' ea- 

 iher>!, down or any'lijzhlsubtance, when thrown 

 in, sifili wiih a rapid and accelerated motion. 



Owego, Feb. 26th, N. Lai. 42° 10". 



Prof. Silliman, in atiempiing lo solve this 

 exiraordinarv and difficult problem, observes : 



At the depth ofmore than sixty I'eet, the water 

 ou'Tht not to Ireeze at all, as it should have nearly 

 the'same temperature ol'ihat film ol the earths 

 crust, which is at this place aflected by atmo- 

 spheric variations, and solar influence, being ol 

 course not far from the medium temperature ol the 

 climate. Could we suppose that compressed 

 gases, or greatly compressed atmosphere were 

 escaping from llie water, or near it, this would 

 indicaie°a source of cold ; but as there is no such 

 indication in the water, we cannot avail our- 

 selves of this explanation, unless we were to 

 suppose that the escape of compressed gas 

 takes place deep in the earth, in the vicinity of 

 the well, and in proximity !o the water that 

 supplies it. Perhaps this view is countenanced 

 by the blowing of the candle at the depth 

 of thirty leet, blowing it to one side, thus indicat- 

 ing a jet ol gas which might rise from the water 

 as^low as at its source; and even if it were car- 

 bonic acid, it might not extinguish the candle, 

 while descending, as the gas would be much 

 diluted by common air; and still, in the progress 

 of time, an accumulation of carbonic acid gas 

 might take place at the surface of the water, 

 sufficient to extinguish a candle. 



HEAVY BERKSHIRE HOGS. 



From tlie ICentucky Farmer. 



[Here are some facts th-at tell well for iliispo 

 pular breed of hogs. If the breeders in variou 

 sections of the country would report the facts— 

 kind of keep, age, &c. ; in reference to the vari- 

 ous breeds of animals, the country would soon be 

 able to estimate the improved breeds by an intel- 

 ligible standard. There has been a vast deal too 

 nTuch puffing and blowing about all the breeds in 

 certain agricultural papers. It is time these 

 humbun'ging appliances were laid aside for the 

 more honest and more useful statements of ascer- 

 tained truths. If ever this paper sinned in this 

 way hitherto, it will sin no more. We are de- 

 vout believers in the superiority of various breeds 

 of domestic animals and shall use every legitimate 

 means of furnishing the public those grounds of 

 enliuhtened opinion which will tend to their great- 

 er diffusion; but from this day forth, be it lairly 

 known to all concerned, we shall admit no article 

 in this paper which is a mere pufF or advertise- 

 ment in disguise, of this, that, or other breed. 

 But we shall feel at all times thankful for the 

 facts on which a preli^rence for any breed is based 

 by the writer. — Ed. Ken'. Far. 



Mr. Editor. — If you think the following facts 

 in relation to some of the weights of our War- 

 ren county hogs are worth publisldng in your 

 valuable paper, you are at liberty to do so. 



Mr. Geo. Deyche slaughtered a lot of 40 half 

 blood Berkshire hogs 18" months old, with no 

 orrain durin" the summer months, their aver- 

 a^^e weifht^net was 304 lbs. Mr. Steddom's 



lot of 38 three quarters and seven eighths Berk- 

 shires 16 months old averaged 343 lbs. net. All 

 his choice pigs having been selected lor breeders, 

 led solely on grass during summer. Mr. Ebe- 

 nezer Halhaway's lot of 10, half Berkshire, at 

 20 months old averaged 373^ lbs. net. Mr. 

 Hathaway gives it as his opinion that it cost him 

 no more loot! and attention to bring his hogs up 

 to the above weight than it did his old stock to 

 250 lbs. at the same age. Mr. Gallagher's lot 

 65 hogs half Berkshire, from 14 to IS months old, 

 fed solely on grass during summer, averaged 309 

 lbs. net. Mr. Longstreet's lot of 55 head ave- 

 raged net 318 lbs — all the choice pigs were sold 

 lor breeders ; no grain until he had harvested his 

 oats and wheat, then run in the stubble. &c., 

 were from half to three quarters bred Berkshires, 

 with a cross of the Irish Grazier, &c. Mr. Tache 

 of Springborough slaughtered a barrow 30 months 

 old, half Berkshire, gross weight 900 lbs. net 

 814 lbs. Mr. Samuel Irons wlio denied the fur- 

 ther improvement of his hogs, being prejudiced 

 against not only Berkshire hogs but Durham 

 cattle, &c., was induced by the persuasion of his 

 son to send a sow to his Berkshire boar, selecting 

 his poorest with design evidently to disgrace the 

 stock, the sow had nine pigs; Mr. Irons sold 

 two of the best lor breeders, the other seven 

 at 20 months old, averaged net 435 ; his old stock, 

 with precisely the same food and attention, as 

 they were fed together, did not average as much 

 by just 102 lbs., although .^ix weeks older on each 

 hog. This may seem to border on improbability 

 with som.e, it is nevertheless true, as can be made 

 to appear. Mr. Leievre slaughtered a lot of 5 

 half Berkshire pigs farrowed 17th March 1840, 

 average at 253 lbs. net ; one weighed 290 lbs. Dr. 

 Keever's lot of 6 or B'March pigs (the choice 

 ones sold for breeders, (averaged 260 lbs.) 

 The writer of this article bred a big thorough-bred 

 Berkshire, got by Mr Lossing's imported boar 

 Newbury, out of sow bred by the society of Sha- 

 kers near Albany, N. Y., that at 5 months and5 

 days old weighed 185 lbs. gross. M. B. 



£,ebanon, Ohio, Jan. 16, 1841. 



AN ACCOUNT OF THE METHOD OF PLANTING 

 AJND MANAGING PEACH ORCHARDS, 



As practised in New Jersey. By T. Hancock, Nur- 

 seryman, Burlington, N. J. 



From the Magazine of Horticulture. 



The peach tree is very extensively cultivated 

 throughout New Jersey, and large quantities of 

 the fruit are annually sent to the New York and 

 Philadelphia markets. Since Ihe opening of the 

 communication by rail-road between these two 

 cities through the interior of the state, it has been 

 the means of greatly increasing the number of 

 peach orchards, and many large and extensive 

 plantations have been made. Within a few 

 years, from the increased facilities of rapid and 

 safe transportation by rail-road, between Boston, 

 Providence, and Stonnington, the eastern cities 

 have been supplied, to a very great extent, with 

 New Jersey peaches, and the opening of such a 

 market has induced cultivators to plant more 

 extensively, in order to supply the demand. The 

 crop proves a very profitable one for the light 

 soils of a portion of the state, as the trees flourisli 



