54 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
A Visit to Mr. Allen’s Piggery. 
Messrs. Editors —Being at Buffalo a short time since, 
and having heard much of the celebrated Berkshire and 
China stock of swine, and being an admirer of fine do¬ 
mestic animals withal, I determined to make a visit to 
Mr. Allen and ascertain whether his stock realized the 
description I had often had of them. 
The farm of Mr. A. is charmingly located on the im¬ 
mediate bank of the Niagara river, two miles below 
Black Rock and five from Buffalo. The ride is a plea¬ 
sant one. You are scarcely out of the city on a broad 
and noble avenue, before you are within Black Rock, 
which stretches along the river for upwards of a mile, 
on a broad and level street, with several mills attached 
to its immense water power, created by the great State 
pier which walls in a portion of the Niagara river, and 
here forms the head of the Erie Canal, and supplies it 
with water for half its length towards Albany. 
One can hardly imagine a pleasanter location in the 
summer season, than is presented from the house of 
Mr. A., having a fine view of Lake Erie some five 
miles distant; the town of Black Rock and the steeples 
of Buffalo, with the ascending highlands stretching far 
away beyond them—the broad and clear Niagara, here 
two miles wide, checkered with beautiful grassy islands, 
and the green cultivated shores of Canada opposite. 
The canal passess immediately in front of the house be¬ 
tween the main road and the river, giving every desi¬ 
rable facility of access and transportation east or west, 
by canal boats every hour in the day. 
Mr. A. B. Allen was not at home, having gone to 
Ohio to pass the winter ; but I found his brother resi¬ 
ding there for the present, who kindly showed me their 
extensive establishment, and gave me much valuable in¬ 
formation regarding their stock, and other matters ap¬ 
pertaining to the domestic and improved animals of our 
country. The piggery, including a new erection recent¬ 
ly enclosed, is now 100 feet long, by about 30 wide, and 
two stories high. It is divided off by a spacious alley- 
way in its whole length through the center in two long 
ranges of rooms. These are subdivided into separate 
pens from 8 to 12 feet square, as circumstances require, 
and fitted up in the most approved style of convenience. 
In these were the breeding sows, some with young lit¬ 
ters of pigs, others two or three together, and some sin¬ 
gle, as their different conditions and circumstances re¬ 
quired. In one end was a steaming apparatus, with 
huge tanks or vats for steaming the food, supplied with 
water by a large cistern under the building. Overhead 
were stored quantities of straw for bedding, corn, oats, 
Indian meal, shorts, &c. &c .; in a word, all the varie¬ 
ties of food with which the swine are fed. Placed at 
proper distances through the building were glass win¬ 
dows which pushed back and forward as ventilation was 
required, but always admitting an excellent light through 
the day into each apartment. In the rear of each en¬ 
closure was a small door for the passage of the animals 
out into the open air in good weather, and for exercise, 
a thing almost daily practiced. In short, every conve¬ 
nience which thorough and approved breeding required, 
was here furnished in a cheap and economical manner. 
Surrounding the piggery, were three or four grass fields 
for the summer range of the swine, with temporary pens 
erected for shelter, and suitable feeding troughs in their 
proper places. 
As you will observe that every thing for the conve¬ 
nience and due accommodation of the animals was in 
apple-pie order, I shall now attempt to describe what I 
saw of animated nature within. The first object that 
struck my eye on entering at my right, was an enormous 
yet beautifully proportioned Berkshire sow, with eleven 
young pigs at her side, about three months old. This 
magnificent animal (excuse the term, for I can assure 
you that although applied to a hog, it is to one so ele¬ 
vated by the successful application of a noble science in 
natural economy, that the coarse material of the ani¬ 
mal is transformed into an almost superior nature from 
the common groveling brute of the name,) I learned 
was imported, with three other sows and a boar, (Sul¬ 
tan, the finest and largest animal of the kind I ever 
saw,) last year, from Berkshire in England, at a great 
expense. They were all from separate stocks in no 
way related, and of incomparable value to Mr. A. in 
enabling him to avoid the in-and-in breeding system 
which much of the finer stock of our country is subject¬ 
ed to, for the want of proper selections from foreign 
stock of the same blood. This in-and-in plan of breed¬ 
ing, Mr. A. has always avoided, and has spared neither 
pains nor expense in importations and selections from 
the best stock of this country, to improve and cross with 
his own, and make it what it now is beyond a question, 
the most extensive and superior swine breeding estab¬ 
lishment in America, if not in the world ; now consist¬ 
ing of between 30 and 40 of the finest breeding sows, 2 
imported boars, and pigs of every intermediate stage 
and growth. 
But to the detail. This fine sow would weigh as she 
then stood, near 500 pounds, was in a capital condition 
and of a perfect model. Fancy could not picture a more 
beautiful creature of the kind ; she was gentle too, as 
possible, and quiet as a lap-dog. These pigs I learned, 
were all engaged at $40 to $50 the pair in the spring. 
In an adjoining pen was another fine young imported 
sow with 5 pigs equally good with herself, and all per¬ 
fect of their kind. Adjoining them also, were the two 
remaining sows of the last importation, now about fif¬ 
teen months old, and promising in size and appearance, 
to equal at the maximum, either of the others. Pass¬ 
ing along, I observed the fine and stately sows purcha¬ 
sed last summer of the Shaker family at Niskayuna, 
and of Messrs. Meigs and Middleton of Albany, all 
select animals of excellent form and proportions. Then 
again, were a fine pair of young sows from the stock 
of Mix Rotch, of Otsego, one of the most scientific, 
perfect, and fastidious of breeders, not excelling in size, 
but in beauty of proportion and fineness of limb, per¬ 
haps surpassing almost any other. Here too were Ra- 
venhair and Picaninny, the prize animals of the flocks, 
bred with all the honesty and good management of Jus¬ 
tice Harwood, one of the principal managers, besides 
many others, the reserved stock from time to time bred 
by Mr. Allen himself. Many of these noble sows 
would weigh four to five hundred pounds in good 
breeding condition as I saw them. Their food was 
principally cooked shorts obtained from the flouring 
mills at Black Rock, a coarse yet substantial food, with 
occasional changes of corn meal, potatoes, raw and 
boiled, sugar beet, boiled corn and oats, as the health 
or appetite of the animals required, both of which were 
studiously observed, daily and continually by a careful 
manager. No animal that I saw was fat, yet all were 
in good condition, and of course contented and well to 
do. Scattered along throughout the pens, I observed 
several pigs of various ages and sizes, which the clo¬ 
sing navigation had prevented shipping away, or which 
had been reserved to add to the stock of grown animals; 
for I found that it was the policy of Mr. A. occasional¬ 
ly to part with a superior, or even a favorite from a 
well established breeding sow or boar, in extraordinary 
cases, when he had others equally good at hand, or co¬ 
ming on; but that he made it an undeviating rule never 
to sell the very best sows in his herd ; and by that re¬ 
striction never suffering any one to possess a better an¬ 
imal than himself. I fancy that if all breeders would 
adopt and adhere to a rule so correct as this, the stand¬ 
ard of perfection in domestic animals would not fall so 
low as is often witnessed in our country. 
After inspecting for several hours, and with great in¬ 
terest, the inmates of the piggery, I was shown in anoth¬ 
er building, each in his own distinct apartment, the two 
boars Sultan and Prince Regent. The former is of the 
latest importation, and is now two years and a half old; 
an enormous animal, whose weight, if in high condition, 
would be about 600 pounds. For so large an animal he is 
fine in his points, being long, rangy, high shouldered, 
and broad in his hams ; of great constitution and vigor, 
in fine, a most valuable animal for the extensive pork 
countries of the west, where great size and hardihood are 
in demand. The other, Prince Regent, now about 18 
months old, is the most perfect male animal of the 
swine family that I ever saw. His size is medium, now 
weighing, I should judge, about 300 pounds ; his head 
remarkably small and pointed, his ears short and erect; 
his neck short and highly set; his shoulders broad and 
firm, body round, deep and long ; hams large, well set; 
and tail properly elevated, with a beautiful silky black 
hair, and the usual white intermixture of the improved 
Berkshire in the finest style and fashion. His pigs have 
proved remarkably fine. Several of them were shown 
me of uncommon symmetry and excellence. The stock 
also of Sultan, has proved remarkably good, and those 
which I saw at this establishment can hardly be excell¬ 
ed. In short, I know not how Mr. A. can improve his 
present selection. He has been for several years enga¬ 
ged in breeding and selecting his animals. No one has 
taken so much pains as he has ; his opportunities have 
been good, and thoroughly improved ; his eye and judg¬ 
ment are correct and discreet; and he has as a matter 
of course, excelled when perseverance, intelligence and 
a high sense of integrity in his business have been call¬ 
ed to the aid of a natural enthusiasm, and laudable pub¬ 
lic spirit. Not only personal advantage to himself, is 
the result of all this labor, but a vast public good, and 
it is no exaggeration to assert, that by the services of 
this individual, and other spirited breeders of domestic 
stock in this country, our agricultural profits will in a 
few years be enhanced millions in the diffusion of im¬ 
proved breeds of domestic animals throughout our sev¬ 
eral States. 
I should not omit to state that I also saw several 
breeding sows of the celebrated China breed, which is 
yet retained in its perfection at this establishment. Al¬ 
though much less in size and length than the Berkshires, 
they are still the original of all true excellence in the 
family of swine, and by many are preferred for crossing 
the native breeds of the country, to any other. They 
are exceedingly scarce in the United States, and I knoiv 
of no other piggery in the country that possesses them. 
They are beautifully spotted of about equal parts of 
white and black ; are quiet feeders, easily kept and ear¬ 
ly matured. The gentleman’s hog, the world over. 
Having viewed the piggery in all its parts, and admi¬ 
red its order and good management, I accompanied 
Mr. A. into the house, where he showed me numerous 
letters and correspondence, which, to judge by their 
bulk, must be no trifling affair of itself. There were 
letters of inquiry ; others containing orders ; some so¬ 
liciting information ; others imparting it. The writers 
were statesmen, planters, farmers, large and small— 
professional men and merchants, breeders of fine stock 
in distant parts—in fact, from all classes of our citizens, 
the attention of each of whom has been turned to im¬ 
provement in his domestic stock, and who intends to be 
on the high road to excellence in all these important 
subjects of domestic economy. I found that during the 
past year Mr. A. had sent pigs to Maine and Georgia, 
and to almost every intervening State on the sea-board, 
and to Wisconsin and Missouri at the west, and to Ten¬ 
nessee, Kentucky, and the intermediate States in the 
Ohio Valley. I confess I saw with honest pride that 
the highest talent of our country was not too exalted to 
overlook the substantial improvements so rapidly ma¬ 
king in our agricultural stock; and when we find nu¬ 
merous exalted individuals of the present time, diligent¬ 
ly devoting a part of their attention to the improvement 
of domestic animals as they now do, it is a gratifying 
indication that we are in a state of rapid progression. 
Henry Clay is said to be one of the best and most ex¬ 
tensive stock breeders in Kentucky. He last year or¬ 
dered a pair of Berkshire and China pigs, each, from 
Mr. Allen, and a pair of valuable Chinas were also or¬ 
dered by one of the wealthiest retired gentlemen in the 
vicinity of Boston. I name these things as no matter 
of form, but to show that gentlemen of the first talent, 
intelligence and wealth of the country are sedulously 
turning their attention now, to what a few years since 
was considered in America proper only for the vulgar 
and illiterate. And why should they not? The most 
extensive breeder of Short Horn cattle in England, is 
Earl Spencer, recently Lord Althorp, and so attached is 
he to remaining at home and attending to his stock, that 
it is said he will only go to London on matters of high 
state affairs, where lie is often officially called, when he 
can do so with entire convenience to the welfare of his 
favorite herd of Short Horns! 
The success which has attended Mr. A.’s exertions 
in breeding swine, have brought extraordinary demands 
upon his coming supply, which cannot much exceed the 
orders already on hand. Contrary to the common opin¬ 
ion, that the dissemination of these fine animals over 
our widely extended country, would lessen the demand, 
it has only tended to increase it, and from present indi¬ 
cations, for years to come the demand will keep pace 
with, if not exceed the utmost efforts to supply a suffi¬ 
ciency of first rate stock to those who require them. 
It should be matter of honest exultation and pride that 
our agriculturists have so far awakened to the dignity, 
to the true interests of their profession, as to seek im¬ 
provement where it has been so long and so heedlessly 
neglected. 
My curiosity was somewhat excited to know by what 
means Mr. A. was enabled to supply orders for such a 
distance as he did in many cases, being more than 1,000 
miles, with three or four transhipments by water, and 
occasionally land carriage for many miles. I learned 
that in all cases the purchasers give the directions of 
the route to follow, and when the pigs are shipped, either 
at Buffalo or Black Rock, by steamboat or vessel, or 
from the farm by canal, with proper directions, they 
usually reach their place of destination with despatch. 
Occasional misfortunes occur by accident or bad feed¬ 
ing, want of care, &e., in those to whose charge they 
are entrusted, by which a temporary disappointment is 
sometimes suffered by the purchaser ,• but time and 
good feeding soon restores the young emigrant to its 
wonted condition. There is, however, a disadvantage 
to the appearance of any animal, and particularly so of 
swine, in transporting it to a great distance, but it must 
be encountered by those who will have valuable stock, 
and the risk is abundantly made up in the possession of 
the animal itself. During the last fall, upwards of 150 
head of improved Berkshires left Mr. A.’s piggery for 
Ohio alone ; and 19 went in one lot to a plantation in 
the interior of South Carolina, without serious accident. 
I was told that the boar Prince Regent, before spoken 
of, got so stunted on his passage from England, for 
want of proper care and feed, that it took him several 
months to recover his thriftiness, and it may always 
measurably affect his size. 
I find, gentlemen, that I have told you a long story ; 
but as I am an enthusiast in the admiration of fine ani¬ 
mals of every description, I have thus spun out my epis¬ 
tle. I cannot close however, without mentioning that 
in addition to the herd of swine, Mr. A. has a choice 
selection of valuable Short Horned cattle, which he is 
rearing with great care. They now consist of ten or 
twelve head, all Herd Book animals. Since selling their 
former admirable stock at the west, upwards of a year 
since, where they have been deservedly admired, the 
Messrs. A. have recommenced this useful branch of 
stock raising. Success to their efforts; none better de¬ 
serve it, and few have made greater exertions to excel 
in this truly noble as well as valuable undertaking. 
A Western Farmer. 
Old Virginia hard to Beat. 
Messrs. Editors —Mr. Wesley Scott of Botetourt 
County, told me last Saturday, that he had the largest 
Durham Short Horn cow that he had ever seen of any 
breed—that she brought a bull calf the 9th of Dec. 1840, 
and that he sold it to Judge William Allen, a member 
of our high court of Appeals, Richmond, for $10 at four 
weeks old to a day, and that day it weighed 310 lbs. 
gross weight. He did not weigh it when calved. Now 
Messrs. *Editors, suppose this calf to have weighed 100 
lbs. when calved, the daily gain for 28 days would be 
7^ lbs. per day. If Mr. Scott had sold his calf for the 
big sums that many have been sold for, the world at 
large would be much more disposed to believe his state¬ 
ment. I believe it for he looks and talks like a man of 
truth, and his doing business for such a man as Judge 
Allen is a good proof of his fidelity. He had 38 fine 
beeves driving to the Richmond market, belonging to 
Judge Allen. The account of this wonderful calf, at 
once struck me, and I determined to send it to you for 
publication in the Cultivator. 
^ Johnson’s Springs, Fa. E. VALENTINE, P. M. 
