172 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



DEC. I, 1841. 



supply of iiot)i liaving greatly exceeded Ihc de> 

 mand. The "Major" never look couim-iiid of a 

 battalion, or bore arms in the campaigns of the ar- 

 my of Massachusetts, liut lie fell in the service of 

 his country. He died in civil life in his bed, as a 

 citizen and a [ntriot should, where his pure Berk- 

 shire blood wa9 shed by the knife. His prema- 

 ture decease was occasioned by damages received 

 in his march to liie pens on a fi)rmer cattle show, 

 where he bore away the highest honors of his class. 

 His generous proprietor who fed and lovod him 

 like a devoted friend, mourned for his loss Avith 

 sorrow that has not yet been comforted. Two 

 hundred and twentytwo of the cliildren and de- 

 scendants of the departed pork could now unite in 

 lamentations for their bereavement. 



No individuals have done more to improve the 

 swine or encourage the agriciiltuml exliibitions of 

 the county, than Mr Knox and Mr Dodge. Tliey 

 Lave, annually, at great expense of time, money, 

 and inconvenience, brought to the pens large por- 

 tions of their stock, and with extraordinary libe- 

 rality, have contributed to the objects nf the insti- 

 tution, without any adequate ri:niuneration, except 

 the satisfaction of doing good by the example of 

 their successful experiments. Sometimes, in the 

 hurry of the occasion, their animals hiive been ac- 

 cidentally excluded from their just places in the 

 enclosures and reports, and have been conipelled 

 to depart in sorrow. Undismayed by adversity, 

 they and their pigs have persevered in well doing: 

 Mr Dodge brought with him to the festival of this 

 year, twentytliree of the inmates of his establish- 

 ment, and .Mr Knox produced weighty specimens 

 of the results of his care and attention. One who 

 has examined the ears of corn raised by the latter 

 gentleman, nearly as long and wide ns the broad- 

 swords of cavalry, which have ornamented the hall 

 of exhibition, could not doubt that while his fields 

 yield such defences against poverty, the household 

 of his hogs would be rich in all goodness. The 

 long ears of his harvests have made his pigs smile. 

 Long may the conmiunity of swine prosper. It 

 was decided that llie thaidts of the Society ought 

 to be tendered to both, for their generous and hon- 

 orable exertions to promote the prosperity of agri- 

 culture. 



The secont] premium of four dollars, it was con- 

 iidered should be awarded to Mr Simeon Stock- 

 well, of S .tton; for the lady of Leicester which he 

 exhibited, ;.nda gratuity nf two dollars was recom- 

 mended for .Mr Alaynard King, of West Boylston. 



It must gratify the owners of the fortunate swine 

 who have carried off the prizes, lo know that they 

 have experienced no slight competition, and that 

 if the Society cannot bestow premiums they must 

 give praise to all. The breeding sows of Mr Har- 

 vey Dodge, of Sutton, full blood Berkshire; of 

 John W. Lincoln, of the same race; of Osgood 

 Bradley, three fourths Berkshire and one fourth of 

 New England, and of Charles Tucker, of the good 

 old Byfield breed, would have beat their rompeti- 

 tors if they could. Ketiring Irom the contest, they 

 will, it is hoped, try again on the next year, and 

 once more show to their rivals that if they conquer 

 ill such contest, they cannot succeed without sur- 

 passing excellence. 



Sixteen four-footed boiirs presented themselves 

 before the Society. The first promnim of five dol- 

 lars way awarded to Mr I'ree and Converse, o( 

 Charlton, for one of the entire licrkshire lineage : 

 and the second preinliini of three dollars was as- 

 signed to Mr Benjamin F. Curtis, of Worcester, 



ifor one which was of the half blood Berkshire and 

 Leicester breeds. 



'Ihe court could not refrain from recommending 

 [a gratuity of two dollars to Mr Samuel A. Knox, 

 of Grafton, for the best boar, through whose veins 

 flowed a current three quarters full of Berkshire 

 blood improved by one quarter of that derived from 

 New England ancestry. 



They could only bestow their highest approba- 

 tion on the boars of .Mr Thomas \i. Eaton, three 

 fourths Berkshire and one fourth Bedford ; of Mr 

 Lysander C.Clark; of Mr Charles Hadwin, and 

 of Col. John W. Lincoln, all of Worcester, and 

 each one half Berkshire; of Samiirl Perry, one 

 quarter Bedford ; of Simeon Slockwell, of Sutton, 

 supposed to be entirely Leicester; of Lewis Bige- 

 low, of Worcester, purely Yankee, and excellent 

 in every point, and express their gratification at 

 the rare spectacle of ihe congregation of the an- 

 cestors of that posterity which in future lime will 

 rejoice their owners with happy hearts around their 

 firesides. 



The duties of the Court were not diminished by 

 the abundance of judgment in the most distinguish- 

 ed cases of merit. Behind them pressed a mighty 

 congregation of claimants, where all might be- 

 come plaintiffs or be nonsuited by the opinions of 

 the judges. 



Such terms of commendation as can be found in 

 the folio edition of Johnson's Dictionary, have 

 been at least twice used, and must pass to the 

 third reading, unless afresh supply can be obtain- 

 ed from Webster's giant American lexicon. No 

 aid of new words would accurately express the 

 feeling which delighted those who inspected the 

 assembly of the great and good, and bcautitul. 



A whole family occupied one pen. It was anony- 

 mous. The card on the rails was blank; but it 

 was as significant as the inscription on the pictures 

 of Atheneum Galleries, where we read that the 

 work of an artist is the " Portrnit of a Grntleman" 

 or " Porlrait of a Lady," wliich might be under- 

 stood without description. It was proved, however, 

 that these were real gentlemen and ladies belong- 

 ing to Col. John W. Lincoln, of Worcester. His 

 mode of education was so much approved, that it 

 was considered proper to odvise him to extend his 

 practice in the care of the young. 



Mr George C. Davis brought u flock of pig.<i de- 

 scribed by him as Transcendrntalisls. The form 

 was orbic — the pork will be cubic. External- 

 ly they were of superior construction ; the more 

 interior quality will manifest itself when eaten. 

 They needed no premium. They raised the out- 

 er covering of the common commonly called sod, 

 and built a manument of earth for themselves. 

 If they could have been aided by a fair of the fair, 

 and allowed a few hundred years, they would have 

 htfcped up a memorial as lofty as the unfinished 

 column on Bunker Hill. ."Vs no gentle help assist- 

 ed their underluking, and as the clocks which 

 stand as sentinels on the watchtowers of time to 

 mark his march, gave warning that his advance 

 through the next centuries was rapid, it wasrccom- 

 iiiended that Mr Davis should have a gratuity of 

 two dollars. 



Thirtyjix hogs who had enjoyed the hospitali- 

 ty o( the Slate Lunatic Hospital, attended the ex- 

 hibition. The swine of Massachusetts have never 

 been out of their heads, and heretofore their heads 

 have not appeared to be out of them. They have 

 been so infatuated, that without derangement of 

 their happiness they could dispense with their 



thinking faculties while under the care of Doctoi 

 Woodward. His skill, converting every thing i 

 touches into good, has given to his slocks liighe 

 value than they ever before possessed, by allowinf 

 them to look out for themselves. The breed pro 

 duced by his care, has been celebrated througl 

 pen and press. If it was possible, the Societ- 

 ought to return to the Commonwealth a portion o 

 the generous bounty which is appropriated for Ihi 

 encouragement of agriculture, when its ofliccr 

 promote the great interests of husbandry bf intro 

 ducing important improvements. It is ii:ore desi 

 rable to extend the benelils of the munificence o 

 the State among the farmers, by making them ac 

 qualnted in some subsequent publication, with thi 

 high merits of the list of improved races of th( 

 Old Bay State. 



Mr Thomas B. Eaton, of Worcester, had a large 

 domestic circle grouped around their venerabh 

 maternal parent, who had consented that thej 

 should be absent from home. The simple diet ot 

 which they had gained their livelihood, and theii 

 fine appearance, rendered it proper to rule that c 

 gratuity of two dollars should be bestowed. 



The art of cooking for the pigs has not advanc. 

 ed so rapidly as that of eating. Their tables len 

 delicately furnished than those of men, are ofteili 

 spread over with living pork, and sometimes abouodl 

 with delicacies. The bill of fare of one fair cre*.^ 

 lure reclining in all the grace of female lovelineai 

 a whole bundle ol beauty, had not that rich variert] 

 of names which perplex the visitors of those 8plen>< 

 did hotels called watering places, because tliQ 

 guests use so little water in proportion lo theii 

 consumption of rosy fluid. One day's example 

 may show the arrangements for food : 



Breakfast — Potatoes and apples. 



Luncheon — Apples and potatoes. 



Dinner — Potatoes, apples and Indian meal. 



^Ijlenioon Refreshment — ."Apples and potatoes. 



Supper — Potatoes and apples. 



The potatoes were described as being small ; i 

 so, they were the cause of greatness in uthera 

 As a substitute for tea and coffee, the drink fur- 

 nished at the repasts was the pure washing froi 

 the house, unadulterated with those foreign luxiKi 

 ries which are considered by many to be deletei 

 ous. 



Aluch useful and interesting information, hi 

 been collected from many gentlemen dijtinguishei 

 for their love of the arts of agriculture in relatii 

 to the rearing, feeding, and good breeding of swim 

 Many communications in answer to circulars ad< 

 dressed to those who have been blessed with 

 care of the amiable animals, have been obtainei 

 It has been considered most desirable to anni 

 these in an appendix, without impairing their val 

 by an imperfect and hurried abstract of their conS 

 tents. 



A delegation from the Court, soon after their 

 appointment, proceeded on a mission lo examine 

 the condition of the swine in other r^ gions. They 

 found that the hog was treated with the highcft 

 consideration in the Empire State. }Ie was pi 

 iiiitted to frequent the principal places of resort 

 the commi'rclal emporium, and in the cilio . 

 and villages of New York. There, lif mtendei) 

 lectures, and political meetings, went d own ii 

 cellars, ascended the steps of the palace s of 

 chants, and visited the homes of the hi isband 

 Like other free and independent citixr ,ns, he 

 given to hospitality, and cultivated acquaintance 



