f 04 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
©6T<28 
one Democrat that I know of. I shall vote 
agaiust one of them anyway, and would vote 
against both of them if I lived in the district 
where my vote would reach the Congressman. 
I claim that the farmers of New Jersey have 
a chance now to show just where they stand. 
We seut in loads of petitions, now let us stand 
up like men and show what there was back of 
these petitions. If we fail to do it we might 
just as well keep our mouths shut in the 
future, for uo House of Representatives will 
have respect for men who talk one way and 
vote another. We ought to rule this country, 
so everybody says, but we never can rule it 
by signing petitions. We have got to back up 
our talk with our votes. I don’t believe there 
is a question that can be reached at the pre¬ 
sent State election of more vital importance 
to the farmers of New Jersey than this one of 
honest butter. It may be that we cauuot send 
up the price of butter by defeating those men, 
but we can, at least, stop them from injuring 
us further, and add more dignity ixi the farm¬ 
ers’ vote. c. w. 
Passaic Co., N. J. 
[There has been some little inquiry concern¬ 
ing the state of the New York butter market 
as compared with previous years. The follow¬ 
ing figures show the range of prices. The 
first row of figures gives the prices for the 
best creamery butter, and the uext row prices 
for best dairy. These are taken from our 
market reports for the last five years. August 
and October are taken as sample months: 
CREAMERY. DAIRY. 
Aug. 
Oet. 
Aug. 
Oct. 
18*2. 
. i»5 
81 
24 
29 
1SS3. 
£2 
29 
21 
25 
18S4. 
. 22 
29 
19 
28 
1885. 
19 
21 
10 
19 
1886. 
... . 20 
82 
17 
26 
These figures show that good butter is quot¬ 
ed in this market at a higher figure than at 
any time since 1882. Creamery butter is 11 
cents higher than last year, while best dairy 
is seven cents higher. Since August tee price 
has increased 12 cents on creamery butter and 
nine cents on dairy. Last year the increase, 
in the same time, was but two cents on cream¬ 
ery and three cents on dairy. The greatest 
increase known in the same time before this 
was in 1884, viz. seven cents on creamery aud 
five cents on dairy. How much of this 
increase was due to the “oleo” law may be im¬ 
agined when we consider that other articles 
of produce have advanced little if any. In 
1880 New Jersey produced 0,518,835 pounds of 
butter. Figuring this, even at one-half the 
advance in price of the past few months, an 
idea can he gained of the importance of the 
oleomargarine law.— Eds.] 
Dairy Contests at Fairs.—How much do 
the milk and butter contests at the fail's prove? 
That one breed is superior to another or 
that one breeder is more enterprising than 
another aud can put a better cow into the 
field ? It is too often more of a contest between 
feeders than between breeds. What the 
great public want to know is how to get the 
most milk and butter out of a certain amount 
of food. If one cow gives more butter than 
another, all right, hut bow much more meal 
or bran does it take to do it? 
Farmers are becoming fully conscious of the 
fact that the soil is not a laboratory in which 
fertility is made, but merely the granary in 
which it is stored, and unless the supply is in 
some way replenished it must eventually be¬ 
come reduced beyond the point when paying 
crops cau be grown, and the wisest cultivator 
is he who so manages his soil as to return a 
full equivalent for vvliat is taken away as long 
as he can before this poiut is reached. Even 
the farmers on the rich prairies of the West 
cauuot be too careful in returning to their 
fields every pound of waste material contain¬ 
ing plant food. Of course,the elements of fer¬ 
tility can be obtained iu bone dust and other 
sources of phosphoric acid; in potash salts; iu 
oil meals, gluten meals, cotton-seed meals and 
other sources of nitrogen.and in many parts of 
the country it will pay richly to buy and use 
one or more of these things singly or combined 
in the various commercial fertilizers; but no 
one should use these to the ueglcct of all the 
barn manure ho can make. Millions of pounds 
of oil meal, cotton-seed meat, gluteu meal, 
bran and other foods rich iu nitrogen, potash 
and phosphoric acid, the by-products of our 
manufactories are shipped across our starving 
fields aud exported to the Old World, there to 
be fed and the residue used to enrich then' 
fields. Every pound of this should be fed at 
home, and the manure used to restore and 
maintain the productiveness of our acres. 
It is a beneficent provision that these so 
called waste products retain very nearly all 
the plant food contained in the whole grain, 
and that when fed to fattening animals very 
little is taken from them beyond such as come 
mainly from the atmosphere, so that were our 
farmers to provide suitable quarters aud feed 
all these foods, together with other suitable 
foods, the exhaustion.of our lands would be al¬ 
most uuapprceiftble. 
Now, iu answer to the question: Suppose a 
N-Y 
Gros D’Agen Plum. Fig. 397. See 1st page. 
Sljc Swincljcri). 
BERKSHIRE SWINE. 
A. B. ALLEN. 
Prepotency of Berkshires; antiquity of the 
breed; superiority for hams and bacon; ori¬ 
gin of the Impromd Berksh ires; excellence 
of these; their early maturity; the Ameri¬ 
can Berkshire Association , and Record; 
caution in buying; number recorded; 
points; as graziers; best feed; their pop¬ 
ularity. 
Tnis is the most ancient improved breed 
known, which, with its other superior quali¬ 
ties, raises its value to the highest pitch; for 
the longer any breed of animals has been in 
existence, the greater the certainty of stamp¬ 
ing its qualities iu all their integrity upon its 
offspring. For crossing on other breeds loss 
ancient, improvement is also more certain and 
rapid. When Berkshire boars are put to 
strange sows, there is not one of the resulting 
litter which will not prove superior to the 
dam, while several of the pigs almost invari¬ 
ably so closely resemble their sires in color 
and all desirable points, as to be taken by 
those uot perfectly familiar with true Berk¬ 
shires, for them. 
The time of the commencement of the im¬ 
provement in Berkshire swine is not known. 
When visiting England in the Summer of 1841, 
for the purpose of obtaining some foreigu im¬ 
portation iuto the State of New York, to re¬ 
cruit my piggery there, I was informed by the 
most aged breeders that they had known Berk¬ 
shires from the year 1780, iu as great perfec¬ 
tion as the best then existing in England. 
Originally the Berkshires were a buff and 
sandy color, spotted with black; of large size, 
usually weighing, when full-grown, from 
N-Y 
Gros D’Agen Plum. Fig. 398. See 1st page. 
about 800 to 900 pounds, and coarse iu all their 
points. But notwithstanding this, their fiesh 
was quite superior at that time to that of nil 
other British swine for hams and bacon, iu 
consequence of a greater predominance of lean 
to fat, so well streaked—or marbled, as it is 
termed—as to render it tender, juicy, and 
highly savory. 
When English farmers began to grow more 
enlightened as to the best sorts of their domes¬ 
tic animals, they saw that these swine were 
too slow feeders lor a good profit, as they did 
not mature and could not be properly fattened 
till they had attained the age of about 2% 
yours. Looking about them to seo how they 
could be improved, particularly iu this re¬ 
spect, a recent importation of Siamese stock 
struck them as most likely to do this, by cross¬ 
ing the males on the native females, which 
being done, and their produce bred together, 
they formed what has since been called the 
Improved Berkshire swine. 
The Siamese were scarcely half the size of 
the native sort, but possessed a thick, rouud, 
deep body, with extra well-developed back¬ 
hands and shoulders, a fine head, dished face, 
short, prick cars, and small legs and feet; it 
will be seen that it was admirably suited by 
crossing to make a rapid improvement in the 
form aud curlier maturity of thin large, coarse 
stock, without lessening its hardiness, thrift 
aud good constitution. The color of the Sia¬ 
mese was from dark slate to a rich plum, with 
two or more white feet, and a white tuft ut 
the end of the tail. This color and markings 
were generally imparted immediately to the 
cross progeny, as well os all other desirable 
qualities, making them, down to their present 
descendants, the best fleshed and most profit¬ 
able swine to breed and rear that the world 
has yet known. 
Those of the present day can be grown to 
weigh 300 to 350 pounds when 12 months old, 
500 to 600 pounds at 18 months, beyond which 
time it is not generally profitable to keep them 
for slaughter. They can be easily well fat¬ 
tened at any earlier desired age, and always 
turn out a first quality of flesh, eagerly sought 
for at an extra price iu all our markets. 
Being very hardy, thrifty and active, the 
present stock are found quite superior for 
crossing on different breeds with a view to 
improve their flesh for hams and bacon, while 
uo others can in this respect improve them. 
For the purpose of keeping the breed strictly 
pure, and to guard purchasers from being im¬ 
posed upon by unprincipled men iu soiling 
them grade stock for full-bred, a large assem¬ 
bly of breeders met February 25, 1875 at 
Springfield, Illinois, aud organized the Amer¬ 
ican Berkshire Association, electing a Presi¬ 
dent, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer and 
au Executive Committee of six persons. Soon 
after this the Association commenced the 
publication of the American Berkshire Record, 
for the purpose of recording the pedigrees of 
all such as the owners desired to enter, aud 
which could be proved to be pure stock. The 
same thing was done in Great Britain in 1884 
aud the two Associations have had an elevat¬ 
ing effect, and put au end almost entirely to 
the nefarious sales of grade auimals for 
full-bred. When people wish to purchase now, 
they enquire as to the pedigree of the pigs of¬ 
fered for sale, aud thou refer to the published 
Record, and if the two correspond, the bar¬ 
gain is completed. Eight volumes of this have 
alreud V'eeu published, the first of which was 
issued in May, 1876.These recorded 11,518 head, 
and since this up to October 1, 1886, the addi¬ 
tional number of 1,996 have been received for 
record in volume ninth. The aggregate now 
is 13,514, of which 4,626 at e males and 8,888 
are females. 
At page 16, volume third, of the American 
Berkshire Record this improved breed of swine 
is officially described as follows: 
“Body color, black, with smooth, pliable, 
pluui-colored skin; hair rather fine, soft and 
thick; feet and tip of tail white, with dash of 
white in face, auu not unfrequeutly the nose 
white, as also some white on jowl; forehead 
and face broad, the latter dishes, with eyes 
rather large and very clear, and snout short; 
ears of medium size, thin, and very soft, and 
earned rat her upright; neck short, broad on 
top, with jowl large and full: shoulders broad 
on top, and deep through the chest; back broad; 
sides deep, aud r early straight on bottom line; 
hams large, reaching well forward on back and 
well down on hock, well rounded, and deep 
through, causing the legs to stand well apart, 
these ns well as the forelegs, short and stioug, 
and standing well on the toes: tail tapering 
and rather iiuo and sot well up, lu general 
form, a modern, well bred Berkshire, in good 
condition, is symmetrical throughout, attrac¬ 
tive in appearance, ami recognized at once as 
an animal of more than ordinary merit.” 
Lean, tender, juicy tlesh predomimates in 
the carcass of the improved Berkshire swine. 
This makes their hams and shoulders quite' 
superior to those of all other breeds for srnok- 
iug, and the side pieces for bacon. The meat 
is well defined as being fine-grained, rich, 
savory and nicely marbled. Possessing high 
vital powers the Berkshire is hardy, active, 
thrifty, and less liable to be attacked by pre¬ 
vailing diseases than most swine. Being good 
graziers, when nearly full-grown and subse¬ 
quently, t hey thrive well in an abundant grass 
or clover pasture during Summer, aud on veg¬ 
etables in Autumn, l’igs of course should 
have some grain. When they come to be 
fattened, pure corn is not the best feed for 
them; it should be mixed from one-third to 
one-half with oats, barley, rye or buckwheat, 
the four latter grains probably iu the order 
named. Peas are also au excellent mixture. 
All five of these have a tendency to make 
tender lean, instead of fat incut, while corn 
alone is too gross. The grain ought to be 
ground, for otherwise much of it will pass 
through the swine undigested, and be u great 
waste. Add to the above a pint to a quart of 
oil meal per day, aud a few vegetables should 
alsu bo fed with the provender, for with these 
all animals fatten faster and better than with¬ 
out them. 
With so many excellent qualities, aud such 
care taken in their breeding, Berkshires are 
multiplying more rapidly over the whole civ¬ 
ilized world than any other sort of which we 
get au account. A knowledge of this is an 
important incentive to au increase in their 
careful raising, for the profit in doing this is 
highly promising. They are in great vogue 
now, aud nothing cau supplant the demand 
for their particular quality. Other breeds are 
preferable to make fat pork for salting and 
barreling; but for hams and bacon, the Berk¬ 
shire excel in au eminent degree. 
farm Camonuj. 
PORTABLE SILO. 
An illustration is given at Fig. 395 (p. 705) of 
an English arrangement for handling silage, A 
Examine the Teeth.— I notice that when¬ 
ever a good dairyman wants to buy a cow he 
looks at tier teeth. The udder, stomach aud 
chest are all looked at, but Lhe mouth comes iu 
for a careful examination. That seems like 
good sense when you come to think about it. 
After all, it is the food that makes the milk 
and butter rather than the stomach and udder. 
One is the power aud the others are the ma¬ 
chines. A cow must have good teeth to take 
care of her food. Before I bought a dairy 
cow i should want to see her eat. 
Ontario, Can. u. G. brown. 
0l)Cf|3 IjusbxmiJn). 
Notes from the Western Neto York Farm. 
FEEDING LAMBS. 
WILL THE MANURE ALONE PAY? 
This is the all-important iuquiry in a long 
letter from a friend iu Ohio, and it is one that 
equally interests every farmer of this country, 
especially such as desire to improve tneir farms 
and are not satisfied with the meager crops 
that barely pay the cost of cultivation. The 
vast majority of farms in all the older States 
are on the decline, and despite the better till¬ 
age are annually yielding less aud less, and the 
area to which this rule will apply is extending 
rapidly westward. In localities where a score 
of years ago, the manure was considered a 
nuisance aud was dumped iuto some ravine 
to be washed away by the Spring freshet, 
and where it was claimed that the fertility of 
the soil was so abundant that it could not be 
exhausted in a century of continuous cropping, 
men are now carefully saving all the manure 
made, and anxiously inquiring how the sup¬ 
ply can be increased. 
car-load (290) of lambs are put in to feed, and 
the quarters are of the best, and the auimals 
are SO eared for that the gain in price and 
weight will be sufficient to pay for the food 
consumed, auduo more, what would the feed¬ 
er have in the Spring to pay for the labor and 
profit on the investment.? He will have fed of 
clover hay, or its equivalent, 30 tons; of corn, 
nine tons; of bran, four-aud-oue-half tons, and 
of oil meal, the same. Conceding that he must 
have the plant food contained iu these foods, 
and that unless they are put upon his soil in 
this manner, he would be compelled to pur¬ 
chase them in the cheapest form to be found, 
it would cost him at least £240 to buy what 
would be contained In the hay; £54 for that m 
the corn; §49 for that iu the bran, and £72 for 
that in the oil meal, or an aggregate of §415. 
This calculation is based on the very lowest 
valuation of grain by auy chemist of the 
plant foods contained in these various foods; 
but suppose that one half is wasted and lost (a 
thing which would be inexcusable), there 
would still be a profit of over one dollar per 
lamb. Surely the manure, alone will pay. 
* * * 
Those breeding early lambs, and who have 
had rams aud ewes together for the past two 
mouths, should have separated them the first 
week in October, unless perchance lambs are 
wanted after March. And after they have 
been taken away the rams should be put into 
extra good feed and grained a little every day, 
in which case they will be ready to use 
again in November for raising lambs for the 
uext Winter’s feeding. 
A recent steamer brought from New Zealand 
to London 11,410 carcasses of mutton, averag¬ 
ing 05 pounds apiece; 528 legs, averaging eight 
pounds apiece, aud 225 haunches averaging 24 
pounds apiece, besides 75 quarters of beef 
averaging 200 pounds each, and 50 cases con¬ 
taining 2,520 dozen kidneys which brought 48 
cents a dozen. 
