340 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAY S, 1S33. 



Frovi tht^ Kenuehec Farmer. 

 IMPROVEMENT IN SWINE. 



Perhaps tliere is no animal whicli varies so 

 much, as it regards profit and loss as the Hog. 

 If you get one made as he ought to be, you will 

 derive fair profit on what you give liim. If 

 you have one made as nine tenths of the hogs in 

 the State are — exactly as they ought not to be, 

 you are lucky to get back your principal, even if 

 it be nothing but swill. We have had some lit- 

 tle experience in the shoat line — from your close 

 built, broad backed, wide breaster, deep chested, 

 short nosed, bright eyed grumphy, — that would 

 lie still and fatten almost upon the smell of his 

 dinner; to your long snouted, long legged, slab- 

 sided, razor breasted, finbacks, squealing and 

 squealing, and squealing even with the corn be- 

 tween their teeth, — never at rest and never con- 

 tented, save when working you up a bill of cost by 

 breaking into your neighbor's enclosures. Such 

 pork will cost you a shilling a pound, and then it 

 will hardly lie still in the barrel. 



It seems to us that there is unpardonable negli- 

 gence in breeding swine. It must be owing to a 

 want of care in selecting breeders from the several 

 litters, that we often hear firmers complain that 

 their breed of hogs has run out, as they call it, 

 and they must get another kind. To those in this 

 vicinity who are in that predicament, we would 

 take the liberty of recommending their attention 

 to an advertisement respecting swine, on the last 

 page — and can assure them that they will find an 

 excellent animal of the kind at Mr. Wood's who 

 will be hapi>y to show him to all who wish to 

 e.xamine. 



From the American Fanner. 

 PEN YOUR HOGS. 



n'oodside, Del. March 15, 1833. 



Mr. Smith, — I have often been astonished to 

 find it is the general plan with farmers to allow 

 their hogs to run at large the most of the year, 

 placing their crops in a constant liability to be in- 

 jured by them, as the best of fencing is but a poor 

 defence ; for a bar being left out or a gutter washed 

 by rain, easily gives them the opportunity of de- 

 stroying a deal of the farmer's hard earned crops. 

 But without any of these accidents, their loss in 

 another way is much more'than they may imag- 

 ine : I mean in the article of manure, which all 

 certainly will allow ought to be the aim and prin- 

 cipal object to amass as much as possible in every 

 possible manner ; the manure made by these ani- 

 mals is of the very best kind, and by proper care 

 a large quantity may be made by a few of them. 

 Some object to it by saying the litter given to them 

 might as well be used in the barn yard ; but they 

 must remember it is made at a time when our barn 

 yards are without stock ; and the pigpen is a con- 

 venient repository for all the rubbish you can ac- 

 cumulate, weeds from your gardens and weeds or 

 coarse grass you can cut from any part of your 

 grounds during the summer ; also the rakings of 

 your stubble ground the spring succeeding a crop 

 ot wheat and many other sources imnecessary to 

 mention. A little earth spread over each layer of 

 litter will be found a great advantage, as it induces 

 them to root among, and stir it up which soon pro- 

 duces fermentation. 



It would astonish any one, unless they have 

 given it a trial, how nmch rnajiure may be made 

 in this way of the very best description. For in- 

 stance, the past year I kept eighteen hogs, the cost 

 of their feed (exclusive of corn while fattening) 



was $2,00 per head, making a total of S36,00 

 I have no doubt I shall be able this spring to draw 

 out of their pens over one hundred large three 

 horse cart loads. 31anure is now selling in Wil- 

 mington at $1,25 per load, which at one hundred 

 loads leave a balance in favor of the hogs of $89,00, 

 without the expense of hauling it from Wilming- 

 ton a distance of three miles ; the hauling of whic! 

 would nmch more than cover the additional ex- 

 pense of tending them when kept up. I have a 

 strong rack fixed in the pen similar to a sheep rack 

 in which they get fresh grass three times a day ; 

 having which, they require but little feed to keep 

 them in good thriving order. As I am convenient 

 to merchant mills, I get an article called sweepings 

 which is sold for that purpose, consisting of corn 

 meal, flour, and the ottals of the grain, this we 

 mix with milk and water and give them for wasli. 

 Let any one give this plan a fair trial and I am 

 convinced they will never again allow their hogs 

 to roam about, which not only appears slovenly 

 hut must keep them in constant fear of their break- 

 ing into the grain or other crops. If by these 

 plain matters of fact I can induce any one to give 

 it a trial, and thereby cause a slight imi>rovement 

 in agriculture, the end is gained, of 



Respectfully, Yours, S. 



SILK— ITS MANUFACTURE IN VERMONT. 



Mr. Samuel Mills, of Burlington, has given no- 

 tice that he has a few thousand White Mulberry 

 Trees, of two years growth ; and that any individ- 

 ual who will transplant a number not less than 

 25, shall receive them and as many more as he 

 will set, not exceeding 500, gratis. Mr. M. states 

 that a tree of the size of a common apple-tree, will 

 produce leaves enough, when rightly fed to the 

 worms, to leave a profit of about §20. The trees 

 for transplanting must be called for within the 

 present month, after which they will be ia market 

 at $8 per hundred. 



A STRIKING ILLUSTRATION OP THE RE- 

 SOURCES OP NATURE. 



CiHcinnali, 1st Mo. 25th, 1833. 



Dear Sir: — One of my neighbors, in the fall 

 and winter of 1831, wa.s fatting a lot of bogs, 

 when it happened, either from disease or indo- 

 lence that one of them took a bed to himself dur- 

 ing the coldest weather. The consequence was, 

 that the skin and a stratum of fat beneath were 

 frozen ; and, in a certain length of time, disengag- 

 ed from the animal, from the shoulders, leaving 

 only a narrow strip along the belly and over the 

 head and legs. This monstrous slough, if I may 

 be allowed the expression, was detached with such 

 rapidity as not to have time to undergo any pro- 

 cess of putrefaction, and was as sound as if it had 

 been taken oft" by the most skilful butcher. The 

 farmer, perhaps through curiosity, took it to the 

 tanner, where it was pronounced to be a sound 

 and good hide, and the last I heard of it, was that 

 it was nearly ready for the saddler to work into 

 horse collars, saddle seats, &c. 



The hog, as we would naturally suppose, if not 

 complaining before the absorbents commenced 

 their operations, would by this time find himself 

 in a pitiful predicament. He however, survived 

 the operation ; healthy inflammation came on ; 

 granulations shot iq) on all parts, and the last time 

 I saw him (for I saw him divers times) both of his 

 sides were completely healed and nicely haired 

 over, and there only remained a narrow stri|i 

 from the hips to the shoulders, wliich was beauti- 



fully bespangled with healthy granulations. I 

 make no doubt that the hog before this time has 

 had a complete skin. 



That this may be relied on as a matter of fact, 

 I may state that it took jdace in Clinton county] 

 Chester township, where the most positive proof 

 can be had on the subject. 

 With due respect, &c. 



I subscribe myself thy friend, 



JESSE BURGESS. 



From the Uenesce Farmer. 

 IMPROVED CITTLE. 

 0.\ the subject of cattle, I am decided in the 

 opinion that the Durham, crossed with the Devons, 

 is a very great inq)rovemeut in the latter, giving 

 diem size and increasing their milking pro|)erties, 

 which I have fully proved by actual experiment. 

 ^ The improved short homrd Durham cattU dis- 

 tinct need no crossing other than to obtain the fine 

 mahogany color of the Devon. In every other re- 

 spect they surpass any known breed, i am fully 

 persuaded ;— /or instance, in unlking properties, 

 the cow owned by John Hare Powel* Esq. that 

 gave thirty-six quarts of rich milk daily, and 

 made rising of h«cn<3/ pounds of butter per week; 

 also, the fine heifer, raised by Charles H. Hall, 

 Esq. of Harlaem, N. Y. which at four years old 

 gave thirty-four quarts of milk daily ; also, the cow 

 Princess, imported by G. W. Featherstonhaugh, 

 Esq. that gave thirty-six quarts of milk daily; and 

 several others that I could name, owned in Mas- 

 sachusetts and Connecticut, nearly equal, ^nd 

 for the .itnll, the fine hull imported by Charles H. 

 Hall, Esq.; also, Champion, imported by the 

 Patroon of Albany; and Mmiral, sent out from 

 England by Sir Isaac Cofiin. No finer animals 

 could be found in England than the above. They 

 were selected by the best judges in England with- 

 out regard to trouble or expense. From such an- 

 imals, with a little attention, great benefit may be 

 derived and our present stock of cattle much im- 

 proved. 



CHEAP FODDER. 



During the time we were engaged in the pur- 

 suit of agriculture, we witnessed the following ex- 

 periment which we submit to farmers as a veiy 

 cheap mode of raising fodder for fattening cattle. 

 It answers the double purpose of hay and grain. 

 It is to plough the ground and fit it in the same 

 manner ns for a crop of wheat, and then sow corn 

 on it — say, about two bushels to the acre — i)lough- 

 ing or harrowing it in like manner as for wheat or 

 rye. In selecting the ground, that should be pre- 

 ferred which is free from weeds. It will grow 

 (provided the land is strong enough) so as to have 

 short ears and the stalks so small that no feed can 

 be given to cattle which will make them gain fast- 

 er. We have seen some of the nicest beef we 

 ever saw in any market, in fattening which no 

 other grain was given than that which was raised 

 on the fodder, in the above manner. — Middlebury 

 Ft. Paper. 



From tfie Maine Farmer. 

 Mr. Editor: — One great and beneficial object 

 of your useful paper, is to collect and spread abroad 

 experiments, together with the profit and loss of 

 Farmers in their several pursuits ; I beg leave 

 therefore to make known the following. Mr. John 

 Gihnore, of Monmouth, ploughed a piece of sward 

 land, being one half of an acre — a light loamy soil. 

 In the spring of 1831 he sowed it with peas 



