1846 
THE CULTIVATOR, 
337 
state of cultivation, is almost incredible. We lately saw 
a large orchard of young peach trees, containing seve¬ 
ral hundred, set out in a new clover lot, and then left 
to themselves. The consequence was as might have 
been expected,—not one in twenty was alive. Any 
other vegetable growth without culture, as grass, grain, 
&c., would probably have produced the same effect. 
We have noticed thousands of trees very badly treated 
in transplanting,—mutilated in removing, —crowded 
into small holes, which were hastily and imperfectly 
filled, and every other part of the operation performed 
In a superficial and hurried manner,—but the deaths 
from neglected after-culture , have exceeded, three¬ 
fold, all other causes put together. Remember, there¬ 
fore, the importance of a constantly clean and mel¬ 
low soil, if a thrifty and vigorous growth is wanted, 
with early of crops of fine, rich, and delicious fruit. 
BREEDS OF SWINE. 
In an article in our last, in which we spoke of the 
Berkshire breed, of swine, we stated that two classes of 
hogs should be kept in the country; “ one for supplying 
the market with meat for eating fresh, and for affording 
fine, delicate meat for families; the other for making 
heavy, fat pork for barrelling, &c.” We propose now 
to make some further remarks in reference to the subject, 
and to speak of the breeds best adapted to these purposes. 
In our cities and large towns, an immense amount of 
pork is consumed in a fresh state. For this purpose, 
small hogs are much better adapted than large ones. 
They should be small-boned, not over fat, but meaty, 
plump, fine-grained pigs, weighing, dressed, from forty 
to a hundred pounds. It is of great consequence, also, 
that they should be varieties which give good-flavored, 
or well-tasted meat. There is a vast difference in swine 
in this respect, though some persons through ignorance 
or prejudice, will not acknowledge it. We recollect 
having once spoken to an extensive farmer on this sub¬ 
ject, who, with a most incredulous leer, replied— 
« Why, pork is pork!” He had probably never tasted 
any but the coarse flabby pork from such hogs as he 
kept himself. But there are people who know that 
there is a great difference in pork. We have seen that, 
the lean of which, when roasted, was almost as white 
as the breast of a turkey, and at the same time had a 
fineness of grain and richness of flavor not possessed by 
any other meat. 
The breeds which are thought best suited for the 
fresh-meat market, are the black Essex, the black 
Sussex, the Suffolk, the Norfolk, the Neapolitan, and 
the medium-sized Berkshire, or crosses of these. 
Of the black Sussex, Mr. Henry Parsons, now of 
Ancaster, Canada West, imported some which were 
kept for some time near Massillon, Ohio. They were 
small-boned, round-bodied stock, which matured at 
about a year old, and would weigh when fattened at 
that age, 250 to 300 lbs. When fed on dairy slop, they 
would weigh 200 lbs. at eight months old. Their flesh 
was decidedly the finest, whitest, and best flavored of 
any which the writer ever tasted. A cross of these 
and the Berkshires produced some very good stock. 
The Sussex were long in the rump, with closely coup¬ 
led and rather arched backs, which served to improve 
these points which in the Berkshires were sometimes 
very defective. 
The Essex breed seems to be closely allied to the 
above but have probably been more highly improved, 
and have a greater aptitude to fatten. We are not 
aware that any of this breed have been brought to this 
country, and the writer can only speak of them from 
the descriptions of others. The best are said to be 
quite black, with rather long, upright, thin ears. The 
late Lord Western' was noted as a breeder of these 
pigs, and Mr. W. Fisher Hobbs, of Mark's Hall, Es¬ 
sex, has of late years carried many prizes at the shows 
of the Royal, and various other agricultural societies in 
England, for a variety called the “Improved Essex.” 
In a late English paper we notice an account of an 
auction-sale of Mr. Hobbs’ live stock, consisting of 
Hereford cattle, Leicester sheep, and Improved Essex 
pigs. The boars sold at ten guineas each—the sows at 
fifteen guineas. Portraits of several of Mr. H’s prize 
pigs have been given in the London Farmers’ Maga¬ 
zine. 
The Neapolitan hog is also black without hair. The 
Rev. W. L. Rham, in his “ Dictionary of the Farm,” 
speaking of this breed, says—“ No breed can excel it in 
aptitude to fatten. The sows often become so fat on 
very scanty food that they will not breed; they are ex¬ 
tremely tender, and if they happen to have litters in the 
winter, it is difficult to save the young pigs from dying 
in cold nights. [This is applicable to England, where 
the weather is not near as cold as it is here.] A cross 
of the Neapolitan with some of our hardier breeds, 
greatly improves their usefulness, without injuring their 
aptitude to fatten.” This variety has been introduced 
into this country, and crosses of it with some other 
breeds have resulted favorably. We have seen occa¬ 
sional crosses with the Berkshire which did well. Mr. 
Bement, of this city, has a stock of pigs which he calls 
“Medleys,” the result of a cross of the Neapolitan with 
the Chinese, and some other sort, which appear to be 
well adapted to killing at an early age, and we are told 
by a butcher who has several times had of the stock, 
that the quality of their flesh is excellent. 
Of the Suffolk breed, we have known of no importa¬ 
tions to this country except those by Wm. Stickney, 
Esq., of Boston. We believe he has made three seve¬ 
ral importations of this variety. We have seen several 
of the imported ones, as well as several bred by Mr. S., 
at his farm in Vermont. From what we have seen, we 
think them not only well adapted for porkers, (or for fresh 
pork,) but also very well suited for ordinary family 
purposes, where a medium sized hog is preferred. This 
breed is spoken of very highly by Mr. Rham, in his 
work before mentioned. He says— 
“ Suffolk pigs are perhaps, on the whole, the most 
profitable breed in England. They are well shaped, 
short-legged, mostly white, with short upright ears, 
and the porkers of this breed are excellent. It may be 
distinguished from the Essex breed by being better 
covered with hair, and from the Norfolk by having 
smaller ears, set more nearly together. The Suffolk pig 
is not so delicate in constitution as the Essex, and is 
therefore decidedly the best poor man’s pig.” 
The best breeds of hogs for making fat pork for bar¬ 
reling, so far as the knowledge of the writer extends, 
are the Bedford or Woburn, first brought to this 
country many years since from the Duke of Bedford’s 
farm, at Woburn; the Mackay, originated by the late 
Capt. John Mackay, of Boston; and the variety kept 
at the Asylum for the Insane, at Worcester, Mass., and 
popularly known as the “ Hospital breed.” 
The first named breed has formerly been quite wide¬ 
ly disseminated over the country; but it is believed that 
only a tew of them now remain which retain the charac¬ 
teristics of the originals in such a degree as to be 
recognized. It is doubted whether any breed ever 
brought into the country has been of such essential ser¬ 
vice in improving the shape and qualities of our swine 
generally, as this. There were several importations of 
them at various times, from those sent to Gen. Wash¬ 
ington by the Duke of Bedford, in 17— to 1825, and 
they were sometimes known under different names; but 
the testimony in regard to their value was the same, 
from Virginia and Kentucky to Maine. 
The “Hospital breed ” before spoken of, is under* 
stood to have had for its basis, the Bedford breed, de¬ 
rived irom the late Dr. O. Fiske, of Worcester, Mass., 
whose swine were for many years held in the highest 
esteem. Dr. Woodward, the superintendent of the 
hospital, increased their size by an admixture of some 
other blood, (said to have been the Mackay,) preserving 
at the same time the perfect symmetry of the original 
Bedfords. This Hospital stock, as exhibited at the Massa¬ 
chusetts state show, at Worcester, in 1844, we considered 
decidedly the most perfect for heavy barreling pork, of 
any we ever saw. Their dressed weights at eighteen 
months old, were stated to be from 400 to 500 lbs. 
