SWINE. 375 



weight The experiment could easily be tried ; and would it 

 not be well for our agricultural societies to encourage such 

 experiments, not only with the different breeds of swine, but 

 with all other stock, especially cattle ? It is also a question, to 

 be answered by experiment, whether more beef cannot be 

 made from Devons by the use of a certain amount of food 

 than from any other breed. And the same proposition applies 

 with equal pertinence to the rearing of Suffolk pigs. 



The consumption of pork in the United States far exceeds 

 that of any other country, to say nothing of the large amounts 

 exported — a fact which lias, and should in future, stimulate 

 much attention to the improvement of swine. In 1840, the 

 number of swine in the United States was 26,300,000. Ten- 

 nessee had more than any other State, her number being 

 over 2,900,000*; Ohio had over 2,000,000; New York over 

 1,900,000; and all the New England States combined only 

 850,000. In 1850, there were 30,315,700 swine in the United 

 States. Tennessee had over 3,100,000 ; Kentucky over 

 2,800,000, standing second on the list ; Ohio and New York 

 had not increased ; and the New England States had decreased, 

 and probably stand now in the same proportion. Taking the 

 average at $10 per head, the value of the hogs in the United 

 States would be $303,157,000 — certainly an item of sufficient 

 importance to encourage increased enterprise and effort among 

 growers of this class of stock. 



In awarding premiums on this occasion, we have estimated 

 the combined qualities of the several animals presented, the 

 various breeds having distinct points adapting them to different 

 uses and for different markets ; and where these were all 

 embraced in one class, the committee found it no ordinary task 

 to arrive at just conclusions. Aware that persons entertaining 

 diverse opinions and prejudices, as in times past, would per- 

 haps have decided differently, we feel relieved from exposure 

 to any just accusation of partiality. What we have accom- 

 plished wc have done with the best intentions to serve the 

 society and promote the interests of agriculture. 



H. M. Sessions, Chairman. 



