GREAT WEIGHT OF BERKSHIRES.—ANNUAL MEETING OF THE N. Y. STATE AG. SOCIETY. 87 
spring. There are medicinal properties contained 
in its juices then, never subsequently afforded du¬ 
ring the same season, which do wonders in pur¬ 
ging away all the bad humors, or incipient diseases 
consequent on his too intensely artificial state; and 
his constitution, by this simple means, becomes 
refreshed, renewed, and invigorated, (for the indi¬ 
vidual so indulged,) tantamount to an hereditary 
improvement in his blood. 
Among the valuable animals for agricultural 
purposes which have fallen under my observation, 
is a fine imported English cart-horse, belonging to 
Mr. Sotham of Albany. He will give excellent 
stock of the large breed of farm-horses. 
R. L. Allen. 
Buffalo, May, 1843. 
GREAT WEIGHT OF BERKSHIRES. 
Mr. Steddom has just slaughtered fifty-nine 
head of full-blood Berkshire hogs, of an average 
age of sixteen months, and of an average weight 
net of 329 lbs. They had no grain during sum¬ 
mer, and were of the small prick-ear kind, and 
had been purposely somewhat in-and-in bred, so 
as to keep them rather small and fine. Mr. Har¬ 
ris, who packed them, says he never saw a finer 
lot of hogs—so light in their offal, and cut such 
clear pork. Dr. Keever of Ridgeville, has just 
slaughtered a full-blood barrow, 2 years, 2 months, 
and 7 days old, weighing net 616 lbs. There is 
another full-blood Berkshire near me, which will 
weigh over 800 lbs. I will give you his exact 
weight when killed a few weeks hence. I sold 
Dr. Phillips of Mississippi a young boar from Dr. 
Keever’s imported sow, which he purchased of 
you, got by imported Newbury, which turns out 
about one story above all competition. 
Munson Beach. 
Lebanon, Ohio, Jan. 13 th, 1844. 
The Cultivator gives the following account of a 
big Berkshire:— 
Mr. Asahel Foote, of Williamstown, Berkshire 
Co., Massachusetts, slaughtered a Berkshire hog 
on the 9th of January, the dressed weight of 
which was 708£ lbs.! He was 2 years and 8 
months old, and had been fattening only from the 
10th of June last, at which date he was estimated 
to weigh 300 lbs. His fare for the three months 
was whey with a little corn in the ear occasion¬ 
ally—during the last four months was Indian 
meal, as much as he would eat—or about 6 quarts 
per day. His rough fat was 80 lbs.—that of his 
leaves, pared unusually close, 52 lbs. each. Thick¬ 
ness of the heaviest of the clear pork was full 10 
inches. Leaf lard, 80 lbs. 
But the Louisville Journal tells the largest Berk¬ 
shire story that we have yet seen of a litter of pigs, 
beating its tobacco-stalk all hollow. 
Mr. Thomas B. Spilman of Hunter Bottom, 
Carroll county, Kentucky, recently slaughtered 9 
Berkshire pigs, full blood, of one litter, 20 months 
and 6 days old, weighing 3,429 lbs. Mr. S. says 
that these hogs were fed as a majority of farmers 
feed their hogs, no more care being taken of them 
than is generally taken of common hogs. The 
weight was certified by two respectable citizens. 
Three weighed over 400 lbs. each. Mr. S. banters 
the state to beat him with one litter of the same 
number of pigs. 
We understand from verbal conversation with a 
friend just come to town from St. Louis, Missouri, 
that there is a thorough-bred Berkshire hog in 
that vicinity, whose live weight is over 1,100 lbs. 
He is represented as being fine in all points, not¬ 
withstanding his great weight. 
It will be seen from the foregoing articles, that 
in addition to all their other excellences, the 
Berkshires can accommodate themselves to any 
Aveight their breeders please; and every day’s ex¬ 
perience of their merits, only the more firmly con¬ 
vinces us that they are the best breed of swine 
ever yet known. 
NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
ANNUAL meeting. 
The annual meeting of the New York State Agri¬ 
cultural Society for 1844, was held at the Geological 
Museum, Albany, on the 17th of January—the Presi¬ 
dent of the Society, James S. Wadsworth, Esq., in 
the chair. 
The first business attended to was the admission of 
members—89 being admitted, paying $1 each. 
The Report of the Committee on Field Crops, con¬ 
sisting of Messrs. Hillhouse, Bement, and Howard, was 
then read as follows :— 
The committee to whom was referred the examina¬ 
tion of the statements of the competitors for the pre¬ 
miums offered by the N. Y. State Ag. Society, on 
“ Field Crops,” having attended to that duty, respect¬ 
fully offer the following Report:— 
BARLEY. 
1. To Bani Bradley, East Bloomfield, $10. Product, 
140 bushels 21 lbs. from 2 acres and 21 rods. 
2. To George Geddes of Camillus, $5. Product, 51 
82-100ths bushels, averase on five acres. 
3. To Wm. Wright of Yernon, vol. of Transactions. 
Product, 82 bush. 22 lbs. on two acres. 
INDIAN CORN. 
There were three competitors for the premiums on 
Indian corn, neither of whom, the committee state, had 
sufficiently complied with the requisitions of the Society 
to justify the award of a premium. 
WINTER WHEAT. 
1. To N. S. Wright, Vernon, $10. Product, 80 
bush. 55 lbs. on two acres. 
2. To Wm. Wright, Yernon. Product, 73 bush. 12 
lbs. on two acres. 
SPRING WHEAT. 
1. To Uri Beach, West Bloomfield, $10. Product, 
65f bush, on a fraction over two acres. 
RYE. 
1. To Geo. M^Geoch, Jackson, $10. Product, 77 
bush, on two acres. 
PEAS. 
1. To Geo. K. Smith, Utica, $10. Product, 46 bush. 
20 quarts, on one acre and 14 rods. 
