66 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPTEMBER $, IS38. 



tion of saltpetre, and planted some of it upon dry, 

 and some upon wet gfround ; not more than a tenth 

 of the latter crew, while seed not soaked, planted 

 upon wet ground, came well. The steeped seed 

 plantod upon dry ground, came up almost without 

 a failure. Wo leave to naturalists the solution of 

 the questions, why Mr French's soiked corn, plant- 

 ed in wet ground, and Mr. Hathaway's brined 

 wheat, did not grow. They seem both to be ex- 

 ceptions to a general law. — Cull'.valnr. 



THE REVOLVING HORSE RAKE IN ENG- 

 LAND. 



JVewbj Iixtroduned Jhn*.rican Hay Rake A now 



hay rake of American invention lias been intro- 

 duced into this countrj', and promises to be of ma- 

 terial benefit to the f:irmer durinsf the hay-making 

 season. The implement ha? a light beam or stock, 

 nine feet in length, to which are attached rows of 

 teeth, both before and behind. It is drawn over 

 the sward by a horse ; and as soon as the inter- 

 stices between the teeth are filled, the workman in 

 attendance moves a handle, which turns tlie rake 

 right over, and presents the side whicli has hitherto 

 been empty. In this manner the hay is deposited 

 in little heaps throughout the field, and the prin- 

 ciple advantages of the implement are, that it vast- 

 ly economizes labor in a very busy season, and at 

 the same tune sweeps the field with the greatest 

 nicety. 



Thus it is thit the inventions of civilized 

 countries may benefit each other ; and though oc- 

 casional importations are made, still they are not 

 to the extent that is desirable. Prejudice may 

 have something to do with this. We may fancy 

 that we have arrived at the highest point of perfec- 

 tion in the invention and manufacture of all sorts 

 of tools and implements : if so, ihe sooner such 

 notions are discarded the better it will be for our- 

 selves. 'Tis true that America is only a newly 

 civilized country, but for all that she can boast of 

 her intelligent farmers. The able papers of Mr 

 Ruffin, which appeared some time ago in the 

 British Farmer's Magazine-, and the address of Dr 

 Beekman, in our present number, need no com- 

 menL Our farmers will peTceive tliat the sound 

 sentiments embodied theE?.vii are worthy of the 

 oldest of civilized nations: if.hey show an intimate 

 acquaintance with the su)/ject3 of wliich they 

 treat, and their writers will be regarded with the 

 veneration tlrat ever haUows the memories of tal- 

 ented men. If, however we would have agricul- 

 ture advance in the same ratio as manufactures, 

 wo must take similar measures to effect it. We 

 must banish prejudice, and avail ourselves of all 

 the foreign aid that may bo had for seeking, and 

 by thus increasing our resources, we shall simplify 

 the operations on the firm, and secure increased 

 produce. — British Farmer's Magazine. 



(Selected for the iVew England Farmer.) 



HOGS. 



Section 1. "Ilogs are most extraordinary ani- 

 mals ; but, tliough in many respects rather disa- 

 greeable, they are of very considerable importance 

 to the community at large, and to the fatmers in 

 particular. There is no animal aft'ords so much 

 human sustenance in flesh, in proportion to tlie time 

 in which it is raised : and in no instance has Na- 

 ture shown her economy more than in this race, the 

 stomachs seeming to be intended as a receptable 

 for many things that other creatures refuse, and 



which, but for them, would be entirely wasted ; for 

 they industriously gather up, and greedily devour, 

 what would otherwise be trodden under foot — the 

 refuse of the fields, the gardens, the bams, and the 

 scullery." 



The Boar. — "In describing the boar, I mean to 

 give the form, and every good property a hog ought 

 to possess. Be rinning at the head — the mouth 

 should be small ; the snout, or nose end, fine ; the 

 fore ])art of the face, from the nose to the crown, 

 rather short, thin, and straight; the eyes quick, and 

 shining like that of a ferr(!t ; the ears short and 

 thin, sharp at the end, turning up, standing near 

 together, and put forwards so as nearly to meet at 

 the ends ; the crown, or forehead, should be nar- 

 row and the cheeks full ; the upper part of the 

 neck very full, so as wlien fat, to be nearly as 

 broad at the top as the shoulders and back, viz. 

 from the ears to the shoulders, that part where the 

 head is cut otf, being nearly as round as the body ; 

 the shouldcfs should be very broad above, and con- 

 tinue of that regular breadtli all along tlie back to 

 the tail ; the tail should stand low down ; the back 

 from the neck to tlie part above where the tail is 

 set on sliould be straight, and the tail fixed in such 

 a manner as for the upper part of it to be invisible 

 when fat ; the ribs well extended, and rather round- 

 ing, but not required to be so much so as some 

 other animals ; from the part where the lail stands, 

 down to the cameril, between the thighs, what is 

 called the twist, should be very much cloven; the 

 thighs very thick, both inside and out ; the belly 

 part, when fat, should nearly touch the ground, from 

 the hind legs to the fore, and continuing to the 

 chops ; tlie slioulders should be well e.xtended, so 

 as to form a complete, deep, round side, from head 

 to tail ; tlie tail small and short, with little hair ; 

 the bone of the legs rather small in proportion to 

 the size ; the leg, from the cameril to the ground, 

 short ; the fore legs the same ; the hoofs short and 

 round, to tread very straight on all the legs ; the 

 hair long, fine, and thin, having few bristles, or if 

 none the better; if the hair shed along the back, 

 like a long-wooled sheep, it is a recommendation ; 

 and the skin, or rind, sliould be thin, witliout any 

 being loose or superfluous." 



Section 2. "The inoutli being small, will pre- 

 vent its taking in much food at once, and the ani- 

 mal is therefore more likely to masticate it prop- 

 erly ; a fine snout indicates fine symmetry in other 

 parts ; the crown being formed narrow, with a quick 

 eye, looking smart, is almost a certain indication 

 of quick aptitude to fatten ; the ears short, and 

 sharp, hair long and thin, without bristles — if a pig 

 have these properties, let the other shape be what 

 they may, he is sure to be a good feeder. A hog 

 that lias short, mossy hair, thickly set, generally has 

 a thick, coarse skin, loose and wrinkled, wliich is 

 one of the worst faults a pig can possess. There 

 is little waste or otfal about liogs ; therefore, a large 

 long ear, hanging down on each side of the head, 

 with long, large legs, &.C., would not he so great a 

 fault in them as in other animals, if tlioy were not 

 a certain indication of hard thrivers, and that they 

 will on a certainty cost more feeding than they are 

 worth. I have remarked that the upper part of the 

 neck should be thick, whicli is one of the very best 

 properties in regard to being well covered with 

 flesh, and that of a good quality ; for when a hog 

 in a store state is thick on the upper part of the 

 neck, that sort of flesh, which is lean, or rather in 

 a fattening state, is sure to continue all along the 

 back, on both sides the chime, inside and out, ma- 



king very heavy griskins, and prime roasting parts 

 when killed as pork pigs ; and if kept to tlie age of 

 bacon hogs, (which ought not to be less than two 

 years, as there is not the requisite solidity in the 

 fat or flesh of young pigs.) that sort of flesh natu- ' 

 rally descends to the shoulders, and along the fat 

 parts of the sides, producing tlie bacon flitches 

 agreeable layers of lean in every part, and by bei^g 

 so mixed or layered, the fat will be rendered more 

 firm, not so soft and greiLsy. Hogs that are not so 

 properly made are, some of them, all fat, and in 

 every stage, either as pork or bacon, they have no 

 more flavor than hogs-lard." 



Sectio.-* 3. Hogs are of various kinds, therefore 

 the choice of the sort should be regulated by the 

 treatment they are to receive. I shall describe the 

 several species that have fallen under my observa- 

 tion." 



" The Berkshire pigs are distinguishable by their 

 color and shape. Their color is a spotted white, 

 and some are sandy, with small black spots regu- 

 larly all over them ; a few are entirely sandy. The 

 hair is long, and thinly set, but much curled, look- 

 ing very rough, and the real true breed feather- 

 ered, having long hair growing round the outward 

 edge, which looks rather unseemly, but is found 

 not to be an imperfection. The hair indicates a 

 coarseness, as if the skins were thick, but they are 

 quite the reverse ; the best sort, although very large, 

 being remarkably thin in tlie rind, and equally fine 

 in the flesh ; they are, with very few, if any excep- 

 tion, better known by their hair than any other ap- 

 pearance, and the best of these pigs have no bris- 

 tles ; indeed, so remarkable are they in that respect, 

 that those I took into America received the name 

 of Parkinson's no bristle pigs. The Americans 

 were so partial to this breed that I sold sucking 

 pigs weighing 20 to 32 lbs. each, at 20 dollars a 

 sow, and 23 dollars a boar. I knew a pig, of this 

 breed, killed at the age of 1.5 months, which weigh- 

 ed 574 lbs.* When choice is made of even the 

 best kinds, tlaey require very attentive nursing, and 

 and good support when sucking the sow. The sow 

 should be well kept, in a clean warm dry sty, well 

 littered with clean dry straw, changed once a week 

 at least ; every place should b6 made thoroughly 

 clean, even the bottom must be swept, and the 

 trough they are fed in washed daily. The young 

 pigs should be learnt to cat as soon as possible. 



"Along with the sheep, Mr Barney brought a hog, 

 two years old last fall, of General Ridgely's Pju'kinson' 

 stock, wliich weighed : 



Nett weight, 751 



Leaf fat, 88 



American Farmer Vol. 5th p. 40. 



The following is an extrart of a letter from the Hon. 

 Oliver Fisk (see New England Farmer Vol. 3, page 222.) 

 He says — "1 have obtained the following account of the 

 introduction of this breed of swine from the Hon. T. 

 Pickering. He .saw them first on a farm of General 

 Ridgely, at Hampton, 14 miles from Philadelphia. Gen- 

 eral RiJgely, informed him that they were brought to 

 this country, as a present to General VV^ashington, from 

 the Duke of Bedford, (liencc, the name, by which they 

 are now known,) who committrd them to the care of aii 

 English farmer by the name of Parkinson. This man 

 look a farm in the neighborhiiod of Baltimore; but in- 

 stead of sending the swine to Geu. Washington, Parkin- 

 son »o\d them. General Ricfgely esteemed them very 

 liiehly^ and sent Col. Pickering a pair of tliein, in a ves- 

 sel bound to Salem. Mr John Keed of Roxbuiy obtained 

 the breed from Col. Pickering's stock ; from Mr Reed 1 

 obtained the offspring from se])aratc litters, and transfer- 

 red them to Worcester, where by avoiding the breeding 

 directly in nnd in, 1 have preserved Ihem without their 

 degenerating." 



