AMONG THE HOGS. 
SOME DISTINGUISHED ENGLISH IMMIGRANTS. 
Berkshires on New Jersey Hills. 
[EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.] 
Prominent among prize-winning Berkshires at 
Eastern agricultural fairs during the past few years, 
have been those from the Willswood Farm. They 
always received a large proportion of the prizes, and 
were uniformly good, strong, thrifty animals. The 
Berkshire is an English breed which has been im¬ 
proved upon by the breeders of England for scores of 
years. They are great favorites among those who 
like black hogs, and have held their own with the 
other breeds which have been pushed into public 
notice from time to time. Their color is jet black, 
with white points, but they dress perfectly white. 
The qualities which commend them, are the 
large proportion of lean meat when fattened; 
their quickness of growth and large size attained 
when mature ; freedom from skin and other diseases ; 
adaptation to varying climates, quiet 
disposition and great propensity to 
graze, and the excellent quality of 
the hams and bacon. This combination 
certainly should make them desirable 
for the farmer. 
Willswood Farm is located in the 
western part of Morris County, N. J., 
at an elevation of 1,200 feet above sea 
level. It is on the crest of Schooley’s 
Mountains, overlooks the hamlet of 
Budd’s Lake, bordering the beautiful 
little sheet of water of the same name 
while in the distance to the west looms 
up the Blue Mountains, and beyond, 
a mere outline, is seen the famed Dela¬ 
ware Water Gap. To reach the farm 
by way of the New Jersey Central 
Railroad, one passes through some of 
the finest scenery to be found in the 
East. From High Bridge, the railroad 
winds here and there up the narrow 
valley, whose precipitous sides are 
almost a solid wall of cragged rocks, 
scantily covered with a stunted growth 
of trees, while a mountain stream 
rushes foaming down, first on one side 
of the track and then on the other. To 
reach the farm, we leave the train at 
Flanders, and go by carriage 2% miles, 
going in that distance, 750 feet further 
from the center of the earth. It is a 
continual climb, much of the way over a country 
fairly paved with rocks. The scattered buildings be¬ 
token an unprogressive population. The country is 
fit for little but stock-breeding and dairying, or for 
poultry raising. The elevation renders it well drained 
and healthful, and the abundance of pure water fur¬ 
nishes a most important adjunct for these occupations. 
“ Model Hoghouse.” About the Business. 
“ I want to call your attention to a model hoghouse 
for this part of the country,” said Mr. Seward, as we 
were passing a place beautifully located, but much 
neglected. The large hogyard was nearly covered 
with large bowlders, and a stream of water flowed 
through it. Several hogs were wandering among the 
stones, and after straining my eyes, I discovered the 
“ model” to consist of a few boards leaned against a 
restraining wall against a bank, backed by an old 
building ; this was all. I have seen many similar in 
different parts of the country, but never heard them 
called by this name before. Stone is a favorite build¬ 
ing material, being so plentiful, and enters largely 
into the construction of most buildings in this region, 
though it is said to be as expensive to build with this 
when costing nothing but the handling, as to build 
with wood. 
“ How large a farm have you?” I asked Mr. Seward. 
“ About 200 acres, only about 75 of which are im¬ 
proved. The most of the remainder is woodland.” 
“ Is this an old settled farm ? ” 
“ No; it has been in the family for more than 100 
years, but it is only about 20 years since my father 
began to improve it and built upon it. At that time 
it was all covered with woods. I have shot pigeons 
from the front piazza of the house.” 
“ Do you make this your sole business ? ” 
“ No ; we are in business in the city, but my fore¬ 
man, Henry Appleby, an Englishman, who has been 
with me for 10 years, ever since he came to this coun¬ 
try, lives here and takes the same interest and care that 
I do myself. He first led me to engage in the impor¬ 
tation and breeding of purebred stock, through a de¬ 
sire to make a reputation for the farm and to breed 
salable and profitable animals. He makes sales, 
“ I suppose that you send pedigrees with the ani¬ 
mals sold ? ” 
“ I send pedigrees before they are sold. Any would- 
be purchaser may select from the catalogue any strain 
which he prefers, and I will send descriptions of such 
stock as I have of that strain. Many breeders send 
pedigrees only when the animals are shipped, and as 
there is no guarantee of registry, you can see that 
pedigrees are easily manufactured. Some live-stock 
breeders, of whom I know, have shipped stock, prom¬ 
ising to send pedigrees afterwards, but that was all 
that the purchaser ever got, a promise. Here is a 
blank I use for giving description of animals offered 
for sale. Every animal is recorded in the American 
Berkshire Association Record, and all imported ani¬ 
mals in the British Berkshire Herd Book : 
DESCRIPTION OB’ THE BERKSHIRE. 
Sold to.of. 
Name of animal. 
Sire. 
Dam. -. 
J3T - B’or extended Pedigree of Sire and Dam see pages.and 
.of Catalogue. 
B'arrowed.18..., 
jy Service cannot be guaranteed. 
Served .18....by. 
Price $.at.Station, as per terms 
and conditions In Catalogue. 
Natural Markings: White, on....feet. 
Remarks: 
The above description Is correct to the best of 
my knowledge and belief. 
Dated.18.... 
Alert 29308 
Naomi 29306. Charity 29301. 
A Berkshire Female Quartette. Fig. 270. 
attends to collections, and transacts business of any 
kind appertaining to the farm. We live here through 
the summer, but go to the city late in autumn for the 
winter, during which I come out once or twice 
weekly.” 
“You aren’t in the business solely for revenue, 
then ? ” 
“No, not entirely. It is my endeavor to build up a 
herd of which any man might be proud. With this 
end in view, I have imported some of the best animals 
to be found in England.” 
Importing, Registering and Shipping. 
“ Do you import animals for sale, or only for use as 
breeders ? ” 
“For breeders, only. I sometimes sell after using 
them for breeders for a considerable time. But there 
is no money in importing the best stock for sale. They 
cost too much in the first place ; then there are heavy 
transportation and quarantine charges, and all sorts 
of minor expenses. All these, besides the risk of loss 
by death or injury on the passage, which must be 
borne by the importer, as no insurance can be effected.” 
Breeder aud Owner. 
“You probably find plenty of people 
who think your prices are high ? ” 
“Oh, yes; but there are plenty of 
other breeders who will sell at lower 
prices. I have letters now from differ¬ 
ent parties who say they want to buy 
stock, asking for prices and saying 
that they will write to several others 
for quotations. They expect to buy 
where they can buy cheapest, and you 
probablj know the quality of stock any 
one is likely to get who buys in this 
way. Many of these lower-priced ones 
are nothing but dealers, and have but 
little or no stock of their own, buying 
to fill their orders. Of course they can 
sell cheap. They manufacture the 
pedigrees of the stock they sell, or 
else they don’t give any.” 
“ How do you ship the hogs when sold ? ” 
“ By express. When I sell an animal it is recorded, 
transferred, crated, supplied with food for the jour¬ 
ney, and delivered to the express company free of 
charge. Here my responsibility ends, unless I make 
a special agreement.” 
“ Do express companies usually take good care of 
stock shipped ? ” 
I never have had any trouble with 
a card, one of which is tacked on 
B’alth 28332. 
“ I think so. 
them. Here is 
every crate 
To Express Agents: 
Place head of animal toward locomotive; feed In bag to be given 
with small quantity of water at 6 A. M., 12 M. and 6 P, M...... quarts at 
each feed; also give water for drink. Feed and water in trough. 
US?" Notify Consignee immediately on arrival. 
FROM WILLSWOOD FARM, 
BUDD’S LAKE, N. J. 
B’or. 
Via.Ex. Co. 
“ I don’t like that style of card; it is too large. I 
shall get up a smaller and neater appearing one. These 
directions are, I think, usually closely followed.” 
