184 
BLACK HAWK, A GRADE BERKSHIRE. 
A GRADE BERKSHIRE. 
I forward you for insertion the portrait, weight, 
and dimensions of a valuable Berkshire hog killed by 
me on the 13th day of January last, which portrait 
was taken the same day by Mr. T. R. Brooks, of 
Little Falls, civil engineer. It is very faithful, and 
like life, and 1 would cheerfully recommend Mr. B. 
to the attention of the stock-breeders of this State as a 
promising artist. 
This hog was kept on grass alone through the sum¬ 
mer months, castrated the last of June, shut up to 
fat the 9th of October, and weighed when dressed, 
nett 721 lbs. His dimensions were as follows :— 
from the end of his nose to the end of his ham, 6 feet 
7f inches; girth around the heart close to the fore 
leir, 6 feet 8 inches; around the middle, 6 feet 10£ 
inches; around the Hank, 6 feet 6 inches; height, 
BLACK HAWK. -Fl-O i2 
Bred by Z. B. Wakeman, Esq., Herkimer, N. Y. 
2 feet 11 inches. He had no extra keep whatever. 
His feed for a few days over a month before he was 
put up to fat, was principally boiled pumpkins and 
potatoes, mixed with sour milk, and no meal; and 
after being shut up to fat it was for the most part 
dry corn. He was judged to gain 3 lbs. per day, 
from the time he was put up till the day he was 
killed. If he had been castrated in the spring, and 
kept on meal all summer as many farmers keep their 
hogs, he would have weighed at least 850 or 900 lbs. 
[t has been said by some that this hog was not Berk¬ 
shire, because he was so large, and for that reason I 
will give a brief history of him in order that your 
readers may see what improvements may be made by 
perseverance. 
This hog was the seventh cross on the native or 
common stock from Berkshire boars, breeding from 
young sows, paying particular attention to size, 
length of body, and the general fine points as a 
breeder, and never was bred the least way connected 
to my knowledge. Observing these rules, your 
readers will see at once by looking at the above por¬ 
trait, what improvements can be made on our common 
stock if we felt disposed. It is astonishing how in¬ 
different farmers are about improving their stock in 
this way ; it costs but a trifle in comparison to what 
it does to buy blooded animals. I know fanners of 
my own acquaintance, if they felt disposed, could 
drive their cows to good Durham bulls; their ewes to 
splendid South-down bucks; and their sows to fine 
Berkshire boars; but will they do it? No; yet if 
they could make all these improvements for nothing, 
or get their sheep to your bucks in the night (like a ' 
certain individual in my acquaintance), they would do 
it; and then if they want full-blood animals they 
would be much as the old Dutchman was, who 
drove a sow of the genuine Landpike breed to a fine 
Berkshire boar, for the purpose of getting some full- 
blood pigs; for he said his sow was Berkshire, be¬ 
cause she was black, and because his pigs were not 
full-blood, or as good as the boar, that was the 
first and last of his improvements, so away went the 
dollar. Now, Mr. Allen, these are facts ; and when 
farmers commence with such animals as the old 
Dutchman's sow was, they want to follow it up at 
least 5 or 8 years, to make any decided improve¬ 
ments ; and then they want to understand all the 
necessary rules of breeding, which they may learn 
by reading some books on the subject. 
Speaking of the rules of breeding, puts me in mind 
of an anecdote I heard not long since, which is a new 
idea in the art of breeding. It is this:—an old 
Dutchman had a small flock of sheep, and the time 
had come when a buck should be with them. Well, 
he went to the owner of him, and what to do he did 
not know. As for hiring or buying a buck that was 
out of the question. But his good wife was very 
anxious that they should be increasing their flock, 
even if the wool was not quite as good ; “ for,” said 
she, “ we got good many big galls, and dey can spin 
de wool so well as can be.” So the old Dutchman 
calls up his son Hanst, and says to him;‘“ Hanst, 
you must go and put de boar long mid de sheeps, as 
pig’s wool be betters than no wools at all.” So Hanst 
goes and gets de boar and puts him mid de sheeps. 
Now this no doubt improved the hog's wool; but 
