No. 1. 



Woburn or Bedford Hog. 



25 



From the Franklin, (Kj'.) Farmer 



^Voburiior Bedford Hog.— Fig 1. 



The plate is a representation of my boar, Belmont, taken from a painting' by Moss. The 

 proportions are from measurement, and taken wlien lie was nine months old. He is of the 

 Woburn, (or as generally called here the Bedford) breed. By looking at the painting and 

 imagining a body nearly round, you may have a tolerable idea of this breed of hogs. 



The e.xcellence of this breed consists in their early maturity, large size, ease with which 

 they fatten, hardiness, productiveness, and being excellent travelers. 



I will give a few instances of size, taken from actual weight. I sold to Maj. Yeldell, a 

 pig, pigged on the 8th of March, and he weighed him in the .Tuly following, and he weighed 

 one luuuired and fitly pounds. A pair from the same litter, sold to David Tanner, and 

 weighed in October, weighed two hundred and six, and two hundred and eight pounds. A 

 pig sent to Mr. Phelps, six or seven weeks old, was weighed every ten days for some time, 

 and found to have gained each time fifteen pounds. The boar from which the above cut was 

 taken, notwithstanding his long journey to Kentucky, was the largest animal of the hog kind 

 that I had ever seen at nine months old. I regret "that I did not have him weighed ; but the 

 following measurement was taken at nine months old : from the root of his ear to the root of 

 his tail, tour feet two inches; around his body, five feet. 



As an instance of the ease with which they fatten, I would state that I cut one of my boars 

 and sold him to Capt. C. A. Preston, his weight was two hundred and sixty-seven pounds ; 

 and he again sold him in thirty days and found his weight to be three hundred and sixty- 

 seven pounds, having gained one hundred pounds in thirty days. 



As an instance of their productiveness, I would mention a sow that was two years old the 

 13tli of last month, and has produced tbrty-four pigs at four litters, none of them have ever 

 raised more than ten; but they often have over that number. 



Mr. Bush, Mr. McDonald and others, who have driven them, all concur in saying they 

 are the finesi traveling hogs they have ever driven, and sell first when they get to market. 

 I prefer the name of Woburn, the name by which they are known m England, to the name 

 of Bedford, on account of there being several kinds of hogs of the latter name, one of which 

 originated from a family of that name who had them in this State. 



I have had this breed of hogs ever since 1832, and consider them better adapted to the 

 wants of Kentucky than any hogs I have seen, and the boar, Belmont, and two sows, were 

 imported last spring, for a cross for my other hogs. 



I can furnish any reasonable number of boars for breeders, and a few sow.s, at from $5 to 

 i$10 each, according to size and quality. I have lately added thirty young sows to my former 

 list of breeders, and hope when they have piirs, which will be in about two months, that I 

 then can supply all who may want. I am breeding from four boars that are very little con- 

 nected with each other, so that I can furnish a suitable cross. I know of no animal that 

 degenerates sooner than the hog from breeding from near relatives. I have never seen full 

 rother and sister produce stock equal to themselves. Sam'l D. Martin. 



