THE MEDLEY HOG. 
369 
vicinity, a renovated system, and a complete re¬ 
storation of physical strength and vigor, affords 
abundant testimony. 
I would, by no means, advise the Northern farmer 
who is already comfortably settled, and in prosper¬ 
ous circumstances, to cc pull up stakes” for the pur¬ 
pose of trying to better his condition, here or else¬ 
where. I feel no hesitation in recommending all 
whose health or circumstances require a change of 
climate, or of place—all who have contracted the 
prevailing fever for Western emigration—and all 
who are in search of an advantageous investment 
of their surplus means, to spend a few weeks in this 
delightful region ; and if, upon a careful and delibe¬ 
rate survey- of its advantages and disadvantages, 
they should be of opinion, as I am, that they 
“ might go further and fare worse,” I can venture 
to assure them a cordial welcome to the Old Do¬ 
minion. A New Yorker. 
^ Fig. 91. 
The above cut is a portrait of one of my breeding 
sows of the Medley breed. It was sketched by Mr. 
Van Zandt, while running in pasture, and selected 
by him as a fair specimen of the breed. She was 
one year old at the time he made the sketch. 
In forming this breed of pigs, two distinct or dif¬ 
ferent systems have been chiefly pursued. The first 
by means of crossing the various breeds so as 
to supply the faults or defects of the one by 
the merits or perfections of the other; the latter, or 
that which has been by uniting the perfections of 
the same kind, by selecting and continuing to breed 
from the best and most perfect animals in the same 
family line, or blood. By crossing with judgment, 
improvement may be effected, especially in what re¬ 
lates to bone, size, hide, or coat, the bettering of 
particular points or parts, and constitution. 
It would appear, therefore, that by crossing and 
the careful selection of the most perfect animals of 
the same breed or kind, with due attention to con¬ 
stant good feeding, the improvement of live stock 
may be carried to great perfection. 
It is folly to attempt to raise superior animals of 
any breed without the aid of good and sufficient 
keep at all seasons, with suitable shelter and warmth, 
both for young and old stock, so that they may 
never decline in flesh or be checked in their growth. 
A difference of opinion may always be expected 
to exist, as to form and color that constitute 
beauty in animals ; but it cannot be denied, that the 
grand object should be a profitable produce. Every 
farmer should be desirous of keeping up the good 
qualities, if not improving his animals, and let this 
be determined as it ma y, perfection can only be ob¬ 
tained by a selection of breeders. If a greater or 
less size is required, stronger propensities, or greater 
and more perfect health and vigor, the object must 
be attained by selecting and pairing the males and 
females which possess in the greatest degree the re¬ 
quisite qualities, whether crossing be resorted to or 
breeding in-and-in. 
After a perfect stock has been attained, how is it 
to be continued ? This seems to be the grand ques¬ 
tion, and it only can be answered by duly attending 
to their qualities and habits, when selecting breed¬ 
ers, by which these qualities are to be sustained. 
The long agitated question, whether large or 
small sized animals are the most profitable or pay 
the most money for the food they consume, is not 
yet fully decided; nor is it probably capable of be¬ 
ing easity ascertained, on account of the difficulty 
of making experiments. From my own observa¬ 
tion and experience, I am inclined to give 
the preference to the smaller or medium 
sized, as most profitable, especially near 
villages and cities. 
The basis on which I commenced the 
improvement and formed the “ Medley 
breed,” was the little improved Chi¬ 
nese hog, a short-bodied, small, com¬ 
pact, chubby animal, of a spotted 
black and white color—too small for the 
barrel, but an excellent pig for fresh 
pork. Their general weight at one- 
year old was about 200 or 250 lbs. 
The first cross I made was with the 
“grass breed,” so called; a hog of 
similar character, but of a larger size. 
The second cross was Avith a “ Leicester” boar, 
which increased their length and size of bone. I 
now bred from my own boars, selecting those that 
appeared to possess or approach the nearest to cer¬ 
tain points which I had in view, viz.—small, short 
heads with a hollow or dishing face—small, upright 
ears—deep, capacious, long bodies—a small short 
Jeg, and above all, of a thin skin and a white 
color. 
After breeding in-and-in, a few years, in order 
to get more length and wash out the dark spots that 
would occasionally appear, I crossed them again 
with a son of a boar imported by Mr. McIntosh, 
crockery merchant, of this city, called the “ Derby-, 
shire breed,” a hog of immense length of body and 
great size, and bone sufficient to sustain his weight 
(650 lbs.) By this cross, I lost in a measure the 
rotundity of the ham, and increased the length of 
the nose, but with a dip of the “ Neapolitan” 
blood, which are famous for a large, round ham in 
proportion to their size, I have, as you will perceive 
by the portrait, regained that point, but the nose or 
face is still too long. In order to obviate or improve 
the face of the “ Medley,” I sent to the East for a 
“ Mackay” boar, but on finding so many other ob¬ 
jectionable points, I did not use him, although a 
thrifty pig. Since then, I have bred from my own 
stock, until I may say it is thoroughly established 
as a breed, characteristic throughout. On looking 
at the different litters, now in my pens, they resem¬ 
ble each other so nearly that if they were all of the 
