

'S 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



PU1!LISHED BY JOSEPH BRECK & CO NO ^la IVOliTH iVTiRirK"r ctim.-lti /a ,,r , .,, ^ 



^"-i ""■ ^■^ IXJI'IM MAKKhl &rRli.t,T, (Agricultural WAaEHousE.)— ALLEN PUTNAM, EDITOR. 



vol,. XIX.] 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 7, 1841. 



[NO. 40. 



N. E. FARMER, 



For the N. E. Farmer. 



KINDNESS TO ANIMALS— SHELTER FOR 



SV^'INE IN WINTER. 

 " Blessed are the mrreifal, for they shall obtain mercy." 

 There «ire few tilings more revoltino' to the feel- 

 ings of a (rood man, than unkind treatment to ani- 

 mals. Such an abs.'nce of mercy as some men'?] 

 evince towards the su'leless creatures over which 

 by the unmerited goodness of God, they have do- 

 minion, betokens, in my estimation, a lack of all 

 (he qualities whicii comprise the character of a 

 good man — it indicates, indeed, a depraved heart. 

 This may be lliought strong language, but my ob- 

 servation justifies it. 



Regard for Uie wants and feelings of the speech- 

 less brute, is a _;o«-el trait in the human charac- 

 ter — und to me it is indicative of a virtuous dispo- 

 sition am! a feeling iieart. It is an incumbent 

 duty, [irompted by iho spirit of goodne.ss, by the 

 deper'lant relation in which we stand to the brute, 

 and c ijoined by Him who gave man his authority 

 over the htasts. 



Emertani ig these sentiments, Mr Editor, it was 

 with no ordiiiury degree of pleasure that I read in 

 J^our last the communication of " A Farmer," in 

 which ha broaches the subject of providing a more 

 comfortable shelter for swine in winter. It is high 

 time that public attention was e.\cited upon this 

 matter. The practice which prevails to so great 

 an extent among (tirmers, of taking care for" the 

 comfort of their other animals and leaving their 

 ewine to comfort themselves as best they can, is an 

 error of no small magnitude, and as detrimental to 

 the true interests of the farmer as it is repugnant 

 to the dictates of humanity. I am heartily'glad 

 your correspondent has brought the subject to pub- 

 lic attention ; for, in the light 1 view it, it is one of 

 equal moment wjth "the comparative value of 

 Berkshires," or any other topic which at present em- 

 ploys the pens of your correspondents. 



The neglect (cruelty, in reality,) manifested bv 

 some farmers towards their swine, is reprehensible 

 in the extreme. I have seen hog-pens, in the mid- 

 dle of winter, with crevices in the most exposed 

 points half an inch in width, through which the 

 cold wind and tlie storm had free access to the 

 poor animals within when they sought their nest, 

 and the entrance to that wretched apartment entire- 

 ly open and destitute of the means of being closed. 

 Such pens frequently meet the eye of the traveller', 

 and the spectacle always excites in my mind a sus- 

 picion, that the owner is no better citizen than he 

 should be — most likely, is a man destitute of kind 

 feelings, or one who has benumbed his sensibilities 

 by the poison liquid of the dram shop. As Dow, jr. 

 says, "I have an antipathy to such men." 



Though I cannot join with your correspondent 

 in pronouncing the sufferers in question either 

 "beautiful" or " noble," as general characteristics 

 of the genus suiue, yet I certainly would not have 

 them excluded fr-jm the pale of humanity simply 



because they are hogs. They are peculiarly en- 

 titled to the farmer's care, as they constitute, or 

 may be made to constitute, one of the chief sources 

 fl( his pecuniary income: this consideration alone 

 should ensure them kind treatment— at least com- 

 mon kindness, which they cannot now, in too many 

 instances, be said to receive. Their claims to tlii.s 

 are just and indisputable: — they are not, like too 

 many of the bipeds who feed upon them, consumers 

 merely — they are in an eminen degree producers : 

 if permitted, they cheerfully remunerate their 

 owner for all the cure bestowed upon them while 

 living, and having accomplished the chief object 

 of their life — to die — by their death they increase 

 his profits. Why then, in the name of justice I 

 ask, are they so generally slighted.' Upon what 

 principle of right, reason, or humanity, is the prac- 

 tice founded, of leaving them in a great measure un- 

 protected from the " peltings of the pitiless storm " 

 and the pinchings of cold, while other animals, less 

 useful even, are provided with comfortable ami 

 adequate shelter .' The partiality cannot be justi- 

 fied : it is an evil— a crying evil, that calls for im- 

 mediate remedy. And if our farmers who are cul- 

 pable in this respect* still manifest any apathy or 

 reluctance to move in the desired reform, I would 

 suggest, Mr Editor, as a means of effecting the 

 consummation so devoutly to be wished, that an as- 

 sociation of humane persons be formed in each 

 town, entitled " the Society for ameliorating the con- 

 dition of Swine in u'inter." The age is prolific in 

 projects for benevolent purposes, and I can con- 

 ceive of but few better calculated to subserve the 

 cause of humanity than the one I have suggested, 

 although its novelty may excite a smile. At any 

 rate, let something be done, by some means — by 

 the voice of the potent press or by private influ- 

 ence — through the agency of association or by in- 

 dividual example — to open the eyes and soften the 

 hearts of those, whose unjust, ungenerous, and un- 

 merited treatment ol their swine, indicates blind- 

 ness to their own interests and hardness of heait. 

 Your correspondent has contributed his mite to- 

 wards this end, and is entitled to much praise for 

 his active benevolence in coming forward as an 

 advocate in behalf of those who, though In sotne re- 

 spects resembling their master, are destitute of his 

 faculty of pleading their own case. 



J. II. D. 



PREMIUM LIST 

 Of the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agricul- 

 ture — 1 811. 

 The Trustees of the Massachusetts Society for 

 the Promotion of Agriculture, announce to the pub- 

 lic their intention to ofter in premiums not only the 

 sum granted by the government, but the whole 

 amount of the income of their own funds; and as 

 they again omit for the ensuing year their Cattle 

 Show at Brighton, they propose in addition to their 



usual premiums on agricultural experiments, the 

 following premiums : 



For Stock. 



From any county of the Commonwealth, to be 

 exhibited at the annual Shows of the Essex County 

 Agricultural Society, the Plymouth County Atrri. 

 cultural Society, and the llamp.shire, Franklin and 

 Hampden Agricultural Society, respectively, in the 

 autumn of 1841. Among other objects, 



For the best full blooded bull, of an imported 

 breed, not less than one year old, on satisfactory 

 assurance being given that he shall be kept for 

 use, in some county of the State, at least nine 

 months from the day of exhibition. 

 For the second best ditto. 



For the best milch cow, full blood, of an import- 

 ed breed, not less than three, nor more than ten 

 years old, with salisfactory evidence as to the quan- 

 tity and quality of her milk and the manner in 

 whicli she has been fed. 

 For the seiond best ditto. 



For the best full blooded heifer, of imported 

 breed, that has been milked not less than three 

 months, with satisfactory evidence of the quantity 

 and quality of her milk. 

 For the second best ditto. 



For the best yearling full blooded heifer, of im- 

 ported breed. 



For the best pair of working oxen, taking into 

 view their size, power and training. 

 For the second best ditto. 



For the best pair of three year old steers, taking 

 into view their size, power, &c. 



The amounts of the premiums for the foregoing, 

 will be particularly specified in the premium" lists 

 of said Societies ; and no premium will be award- 

 ed to any animal which has heretofore had a pre- 

 mium of the State Society. 



Competitors will be required to comply with the 

 rules and regulations of said Societies respectively, 

 and also to give notice in writing of their intention 

 to offer animals for the foregoing premiums, to Ben- 

 jamin Guild, Esq., Boston, Recording Secretary of 

 the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agricul- 

 ture, on or before Monday preceding the d°ays of 

 exhibition respectively. 



For the Best Cultivated Farms. 



'I may safely presume that few stch f re to be found 



among your subscribers, Mr E.litor; for those wlio are 

 in the habit of reading a paper devoted lo Iheir occupa- 

 tion, are generally better economists and better men. 



For the best cultivated farm, on which no pre- 

 mium has before been given, of not less than TO 

 acres, exclusive of wood land, regard being had to 

 the quantity of produce, the manner and expense 

 of cultivation, and the general appearance of the 

 farm, ^g^g 



For the next best, ]5q 



For the next best, jnQ 



For the next best, 75 



For the next best, 50 



For the next best, gs 



To obviate the objections which some claimants 

 for premiums may have to making a written state- 

 ment of the condition, products and management 

 of their respective farms, as heretofore required, the 

 Trustees propose to relieve them of this trouble by 



