182 



TEE GENESEE FARMER. 



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THE HOG -ITS HISTOEY, &c. 



All the varieties of the hog originate in the 

 Wild Boar, which is considered the parent of the 

 domestic hog. It is found in most of the temper- 

 ate regions of Europe, Asia, and Africa. 



In England and Scotknd, a few centuries since, 

 the wild boar chase was a sport in _great_ repute 

 with the nobles. Shakspeare describes it with 

 graphic accuracy. And if in those countries men 

 are now better employed, the sport has now be- 

 come obsolete. It is still practiced in India, and in 

 those districts of Europe in which the animal main- 

 tains his hold, lie is now common in the exten- 

 fiive forests of France, Germany, Prussia, and Hun- 

 gary, as well as in Spain and some other countries. 



The hog docs not appear to have been indiginous 

 to our country, but was brought hither by the early 

 voyagers from the old world, each bringing them 

 fro'm "their own country; and in the Eastern States 

 especially it is said a few of the breeds still retain 

 traces of the old English character. From its na- 

 ture and habits, the hog was the most useful and 

 protitable of all animals bred by the early settlers. 

 It was their surest resource during the first years 

 of toil and hardship. It arrived earlier at maturi- 

 ty, re(iuired less care, sought out for the most part 

 its own food, was the least subject to accidents and 

 diseases in a new situation, and therefore best re- 

 paid any portion of attention bestowed on breeding 

 and rearing it. 



Until within a few years, very little attention 

 has been paid to the breeds of our farm stock ; and 

 hogs, being considered an inferior species of domes- 

 tic animals, have been the last to engage the atten- 

 tion of the farmer ; and even at the present day, 

 in many districts of our country, the old, unprofit- 

 able kuids of tins animal continue to prevail. In- 

 deed, systematic breeding, with a view to improve 

 the form and value of the animal, may be said to 

 l»ave hardly commenced among us, the improve- 

 ments which are perceptible being rather the fruits 

 of European than American skiU. 



A common error, in this country, has been to 

 regard more the size of the animal than its symme- 

 try or good ])omts — to estimate a breed according 

 to the great weight which it could be made to at- 

 tain, rather than the profit with which it would be 

 fitted to the hands of the butcher — the most mate- 

 rial point to the farmer. But experience is teach- 

 ing us a new lesson on this head. Butchers now 

 judge of an animal accorning to the good points, 

 or most valuable meat, which it carries. Breeders 



have learned to prefer those which with a given 

 quantity of food will lay on the most meat. And 

 the consumer has learned, too, that meat that shows 

 the most sf>lid fat, is neither the most healthy, the 

 most savoiw, nor the most economical. It is the 

 due admixture of fat and lean, or the prevalence of 

 what is termed "fat lean" — such as is seen in the 

 Devonshire ox and the South-Down sheep — that 

 gives the greatest value to the butcher's meat. 



"We are perfectly satisfied, from long experience, 

 that the best and most profitable breed of swine 

 for the farmer, is that breed which will nearly ma- 

 ture at eight to twelve months old ; and then weigh, 

 when well fatted and dressed, from 250 to 300 lbs. 

 A ])ig that has to ])e wintered and kept till sixteen 

 to eighteen months old before fatted, rarely pays for 

 itself, at tlie ordinary price of pork ; and the aver- 

 age weight of these, in tlie United States, even at a 

 year aud a half old, we do not believe exceed 300 lbs. 



We never liked the long-legged, slab-sided, lop- 

 eared, razor-backed grnnters, except for the race- 

 course, for the reason that they eat too much food 

 to keep them in "good working order." For 

 porkers, give us the short-legged, small-boned, 

 round-bodied, compact, quiet, contented, hearty 

 pig, with sufticient good sense to know when he 

 has eaten enough, and when to go and lie down to 

 be rubbed or curried ; and, withal, a hog with a 

 remarkably good disposition; — in short, a hog — 

 such an one as is figured at the head of this article 

 — a real^ genuine Suffolk. 



The Sutiblk is a hearty, quiet, and thrifty breed. 

 They grow rapidly, are docile, contented, and good 

 locking. They are white, well foi'med, compact, 

 short-legged, hardy animals, equal in point of value 

 to the best. By crossing with the coarser and slower 

 growing sort, tliey will much improve the latter. 



In our cities and villages, an immense amount 

 of pork is consumed in a fresh state ; and for this 

 purpose, small hogs are much better adapted than 

 large ones. They shoi Id be small-boned, not over 

 fat, but meaty, plump, fine-grained pigs, weighing, 

 when dressed, from fifty to one hundred pounds. 

 It is of great consequence, also, that they should be 

 •varieties which give good-flavored or well-tasted 

 meat. There is a vast difl:erence in swine, in this 

 respect, though some persons will not acknowledge 

 it. For the above purpose, the Suffolk is imdoubt- 

 edly tJie hog. 



In order to get pigs to weigh well, they must 

 come early. February, in the Southern ; March, in 

 the Middle; and xVpril, in the Northern States; 

 are the best months to drop pigs. Feed them, 

 from tlie start, all they will eat; and they will be 

 ready to kill in November and December. Thus 

 you will dispense with wintering any except thos» 

 reserved for breeding. 



Tlie animal wliose portrait is figured above, was 

 bred by M. Vassae, Esq., Spriiigside, near Pough- 

 keepsie, N. Y., and sold to Hon. Enwix 11. Bkown, 

 Mount Ilope, Mi-ss., aud to which was awarded the 

 first ]irize for the best sow of any breed shown at 

 the State Fair of Mis.>issippi, in November last. 

 She was of the pure Sulfolk breed. 



SpringHde, N. Y., May, 1859. C. N. BEMENT. 



It may sometimes be economy to buy manure ; 

 but, as a general rule, only to get the land in heart 

 to crow manure. 



to grow manure 



