vol., XVIII. NO. 19. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER 



103 



ind which are worth just as little and just as much i true rriiin (upon' known quantities of food) at nil 

 18 any other unverified opinions— and they may go seasons and upon the ordinary modes of feeding 

 or whiil they are worth. \\c have never lieard, ' generally practiced. An oxpcriinpnt which shows 

 lor still loss entertained a doubt that the Irish hogs | what may be effected by a mode of husbandry which 

 ire fine travellers. I cannot bo adjusted to the circumstances of the coun- 



Whether this or that breed of hogs is the best | try, although it may load to rational conclusions, 

 or this or that farmer, depends upon various con- j is not the most valuable for general usefulness, 

 iderations— position with reference to market— : We do not know what is the final result of Dr. M.'s 

 ire tliey to be slan;;hternd and packed at home or I experiuient, or indeed whether it is satisfactorily 



driven abroad — the mode ol keeping — the kind completed ; but we should be glad to hear, and par- 

 if food, &c. &c , all which every reflecting far- i ticnlirly to know the cost as well as the result. 

 r(er will duly appreciate. Coarse boned animals, of i We know of an experiment which was made with 

 ill kinds, the world all over, rre known to be less 'the same breeds, last winter, in the ordinary meth- 

 hrifty than those of fine bone. Ifhojis therefore ' od of keeping stock hogs, which resulted greatly 

 ire to bo slaughtered at home, ve .should prefer I in favor of the Berkshires ; but in neither case do 

 hose of fine bone ; but if the hogs are to bo driven ' we know whether the gain obtained by each breed, 



1 long way to market, and the bone be too fine and under the differently conducted experiments, was 

 he le'gs too short for travelling, the coarse boned had at the cost of food and labor, equivalent or 

 log must be adopted of necessity. But the jndi- inore than equivalent to the value of the gain. If 

 ;ious breeder well knows how to secure, in tae i one animal gains fifty pounds in the same time 

 greatest compatible degree, all the desired quali- i that another gains forty, and upon the same quan- 

 ies, by crossing; and why should we feel asortof jtity offood, i,here can be no dispute as to the su 

 )artisan spirit in regard to any particular breed , periority of that animal : but if he consumes an 

 vhich does not possess all the ciualities desirable ? ' amounc of food more than the other, equal in value 

 Fhe fact is, we none o.f us know enough in rela- , lo his excess of flesh, his superiority consists only 

 ;ion to any of the breeds, to justify dogmatic con- in the quickness with which he fattens. Some ani- 

 llusions as to their superior fitness for all purposes, i nials take on flesh much more rapidly in some peri- 

 It is true we have some well-founded opinions de- ods of life than in others. This aptitude manifests 

 ■ived from experience and which serve to guide us : itself in some breeds early, and in othor, late in 

 jften to very favorable results; but we have not life. There is said to be a breed of pigsatthe 



ill the data by which to test every mooted ques 

 iion arising in this branch of rural economy. Facts 

 — indisputable facts — the well-attested results of 

 skilful, accurate and thorough experiments, are 

 ivhat we want before we can decide the superior 

 lvalue of this or that breed of animals and lay down 

 immutable laws for the guidance of breeders. We 

 know of no such experiments having been made in 

 reference to the relative qualities and value of va- 

 rious breeds of hogs. It is true every breeder who 

 has several breeds, forms his opinions, and for the 

 soundness of which he can give substantial reasons, 

 sufficient to govern himself and influence others ; 



north, which mature sufficiently for slaughtering at 

 nine months old; but these are stuffed in the stye, 

 we presume, from the start. Under this treatment 

 any breed of ordinary thrift, would do the same; 

 but this treatment cannot be adopted in Kentucky. 

 The whole system of stuffing, in reference to calves 

 as well as pigs, we regard as affording no useful 

 information, except in developing an aptitude to 

 fatten quickly. It is a system which cannot be 

 adopted in general practice ; and the fat calves 

 and pigs which we see at the fairs — who can tell 

 us wliether the labor and food expended in fatten- 

 inor them is not worth more than the animals would 



and we doubt not these opinions and reasons are bring in the shambles ? This is at last the true 

 the best which could be derived under the circum- i test of things ; and it is important that such exper- 

 stances of their formation; bnt the most eminent ! iments should be made and the results accurately 

 breeders arrive at different conclusions in relation [ recorded. In this view of the subject, we have 

 to the same breeds. Hence we say different cir- ' sometimes thought that no premiums ought to be 

 cumstances are to be taken into account, and that , awarded at our fairs, except upon animals whose 

 they are not duly weighed and ascertained by accu- ! owners produce accurate statements of the mode 

 rate experiments in seeking definite conclusions, and expense of keeping and the amount gained up- 

 Dr. Martin (if he will pardon the unauthorized use 1 on the food consumed. If any of our Kentucky 

 of his name and practice,) is making some experi- ' breeders have made such / experiments and kept 

 ments upon the relative thriftiness of the Herkshire their accounts accurately, we should be extremely 

 and Woburn hogs, by putting an equal number of glad to publish their statements, 

 each in the same stye and feeding them alike. — | We find also, that some of the experienced 

 These are young hogs, highly fed, and the experi- breeders do not admit the correctness of our opin- 

 ment so far, is decidedly in favor of the Woburns. ; ion, published some weeks ago, that Durham cattle 

 Well, this experiment will teach some facts pretty \ are less hardy than the native stock. On this sub- 

 clearly, but still we doubt whether it is an entirely Iject we earnes;ly desire enlightenment; and if ex- 

 fair one in view of testing the question whether perimental facts are offered, showing that this in- 

 the one or the other breed, upon the whole, is the , valuable race is capable of enduring the rigors of 



most valuable and profitable broed. It may be 

 shown, indeed, which class of animals, fed in the 

 same stye, takes on more flesh in a given time ; but 

 it does not show at what additional cost of tood the 

 gain is obtained ; nor indeed, is an experiment of 

 stuffing pigs at all a satisfactory mode, to our mind. 



wintef and the stint of food under which the com- 

 mon stock of the country are sustained, one of the 

 most serious obstacles will be removed and their 

 spread will be much more rapid. We do not at all 

 entertain the unfavorable opmions on this subject 

 affected by many ; but at the same time we were 

 /..jr>,11,l In the tiplipf tliat. the native stock oossess 



SALTING BUTTER. 



On some occasions, a part or the whole of the 

 butter may, perhaps, be disposed of fresh : but in 

 general it niu.st be salted bef)re it can be carried to 

 market. And as this part of the process requires 

 as great nicety as any other, a few remarks on the 

 subject shall be added. 



• Wooden vessels are, upon the whole, most prop- 

 er to be employed for containing salted Dutter. — 

 riiese should be made of cooper work, very firm, 

 and tightly joined with strong wooden hoops. It 

 will be advisable to make them very strong where 

 circumstances permit them to be returned to the 

 dairy; for as it is a matter of considerable difficuky 

 to season new vessels so well as that they shall not 

 affect the taste of the butter, it is always advisable 

 to employ the old vessels rather than make new ones, 

 as long as they continue firm and sound. Oak is the 

 best wood for the bottom, and staves and broad Dutch 

 split hoops are to be preferred to all others when they 

 can be had. Iron hoops should be rejected, as the rust 

 from thorn will in time sink through the woc^d, though 

 it be very thick, and injure the color of the butter: 

 one iron hoop, however, should be put at the top, 

 and another below beyond the bottom, the projec- 

 tion below the bottom being made deep for this pur- 

 pose. No form is more convenient than that of a bar- 

 rel, unless, perhaps, it be that of a truncated cone, 

 with the apex uppermost ; as in this case the but- 

 ter never can rise from the bottom and float upon 

 the brine, which it will sometimes do in the under 

 part of a barrel when brine is necessary. But this 

 inconvenience may be easily obviated, by driving a 

 wooden peg with any kind of a head, into the bot- 

 tom before it be filled, as the butter, closely embrac- 

 ing the head all round, will be kept perfectly firm 

 in its place. — An old vessel may be prepared for 

 again receiving butter, by the ordinary process of 

 scalding, rinsing, and drying; but to season a new 

 vessel requires greater care. This is to be done 

 by filling it frequently with scalding water, and al- 

 lowing it to remain till it slowly cools. If hay or 

 other sweet vegetables are put into it along with 

 the water, it is sometimes thought to facilitate the 

 process. But in all cases frequent effusions of hot 

 water are very necessary, and a considerable time 

 is required, before they can be rendered fit for use. 

 The careful dairyman ought to be particularly 

 guarded with respect to this particular, or he may 

 soon lose his character at market 



After the butter has been beaten up and cleared 

 from the milk, as before directed, it is ready for 

 being salted. Common salt is almost the only sub- 

 stance that has been hitherto employed for the pur- 

 pose of preserving butter; but I have found by ex- 

 perience, that the following composition is, in many 

 respects, preferalilte to it, as it not only preserves 

 the butter more effectually from any taint of ran- 

 cidity, but makes it also look better and tasto 

 sweeter, richer, and more marrowy, than if the same 

 butter had been cured with common salt alone. I 

 have frequently made comparative trials with the 

 same butter, and always found the difference much 

 greater than could well be conceived. The com- 

 position is as follows : Take of sugar one part, of 

 nitre one part, and of thg best Spanish great salt, 

 or best rock salt, two parts : beat the whole into a 



