THE CULTIVATOR. 
113 
our own flesh by inserting a pea, for instance, in a muscular 
part of the body and thus creating a dissemination of the na¬ 
tural lymph to one particular onfice. I should have made 
trial of this plan on my own place, but (fortunately in all other 
respects} mine is a piece of ground abounding with water and 
would add no corroboration therefore to the experiments of 
the inventor; requiring so litde trouble, perhaps some of 
your contributors will put it into execution and communicate 
the result. _ A Subscriber. 
Fishkill Landing , Dutchess Co., N. Y. 
Hitters from the West-No. 7. 
The Pork Business at Cincinnati. 
The business for which Cincinnati is most famous is pork 
packing, and to the details of this, during my brief stay there, 
I devoted considerable attention. As I walked through the im¬ 
mense slaughter houses, I could not but deplore the fate of the 
amiable grunters, that every season are made to walk off into 
the barrel, with such admirable scientific skill and celerity as 
are here displayed. Poor piggy! he is not allowed time for 
even a single imploring cry, ere he is remorselessly knocked 
down, his warm blood is quickly seen oozing off in a little rivu¬ 
let to the great stream of Rio Sanguinetta, (bloody river,) his 
glossy bristles are ruthlessly scalded off his hide, and in a trice 
he hangs up by his hind legs, head down, at full length, from 
the sharp hooks in the cooling house, displaying his white, 
•clean skin, broad ham, thick jowls, and interlarded sides, a 
watery mouthing piece to the dainty epicure that walks the 
premises, thinking what a juicy roast and capital smoke and 
fry he will make, and wondering what dreamy lands his wild 
spirit is now wandering o’er. Talk of poetry and romance, and 
all that sort of thing—1 advise the sentimental and imagina¬ 
tive in the bright months of November and December, to come 
to Cincinnati for a lesson upon these subjects ! Now to sta¬ 
tistics. 
During the past season 150,000 hogs have been cut up here, 
averaging 210 lbs., making 31,500,000 lbs. pork; employing in 
this and the branches of packing, smoking, &c. 1220 hands, and 
a large capital. The season of ’3S and ’9 was still larger, 210,- 
000 head were then cut up, averaging 176 lbs. Pork then bore a 
high price, and the farmers were more eager to get it to market 
than at present, when it sells so low. I will now state the ca¬ 
pacity of one house for this business.—25,000 hogs have been cut 
up in a single season, 1500 of which can be done in one day, 
with fifty hands, averaging 200 lbs. wt.— 800,000 lbs. can be 
smoked at one time, or 4,000,000 lbs. in a single season. The 
season for killing and packing is short, only about ten weeks. 
As to the color of hogs, the packers are totally indifferent to 
it, a blaek or a spotted, a blue or white is all alike to them, 
nor does it make any difference with the purchaser or con¬ 
sumer. I hope, therefore, to hear no more objections to the 
color of Berkshires; it is never thought of here at the West.— 
Now to the weight, and upon this point I was very minute and 
particular. If the side pork is reasonably thick, say four or 
five inches, they do not wish the animal to weigh over 250 to 
•300 lbs., for with such hogs the shoulders and hams are small 
and tender., easily saturated with salt and smoked, and bring 
'the highest market prices. Indeed, the best prices that they 
fetch is in the Virginia market, and then they only want a 200 
lb. hog. Animals that weigh 450 to 500 lbs. are long and thin 
here, and do not cut any thicker side pieces than those of a 
proper conformation, that only weigh 250 lbs., then the hams 
and shoulders of the large animals are coarse and thick, diffi¬ 
cult to salt and smoke, and do not bear so high a price in market 
by half a cent per pound as the smaller and more delicate 
hams and shoulders. I wish to call the particular attention of 
the pork raiser to these facts. It will be seen now that the 
very smallest sizes of the fine Berkshires can easily go in 
weight over the desideratum of the pork purchasers and pack¬ 
ers of the West. The live weight of the least Berkshire sow I 
ever had in good breeding order, weighed on the scales alive 
303 lbs.., and could easily fat to dress nett 350 lbs., and cut at 
least 4 to 5 inches thick of side pork, which makes heavy mess 
pork enough for even the Boston market to supply to its fisher¬ 
men, and give tender, lean, juicy hams and shoulders with 
very small bones, and a trifling per cent of offal. Now what 
more can the public want than this ? But urged on by a spirit 
of pride, and for the sake of bragging about sizes, they seem 
determined to sacrifice to this folly the finest race of the swine 
kind that ever existed. My breeders now run from 350 to 600 
lbs., in good store order, and would fat from 400 to 700 lbs., 
double the weight required by purchasers at the greatest pork 
mart in the Union, and still the cry is for size, size ! Well 
size they shall have now to their hearts content, for it is my 
intention to import some Berkshires this season, that will fat, 
full grown, to one thousand pounds. They can De had in Eng¬ 
land just as easily as a finer medium sized race, and I am de- 
itermined, for one, that the cormorant appetite of the public 
shall be satisfied, in this particular, to the full, at the same 
time to please myself and the more judicious number of my 
purchasers, I shall still continue to breed good medium sizes 
■of about 400 lbs. weight, and we shall see at last who is right. 
Visit to the Farm of Mr. Mahard. 
With these prefatory observations, I come to the farm of Mr. 
John Mahard, Jr., which to him is a sort of pleasurable hobby, 
his main business being that of a most extensive pork-packer 
in Cincinnati, having cut up at his establishment the past sea¬ 
son about 2.2,000 hogs. Mr. M. has been many years engaged in 
this business, and has consequently large experience in the 
sort of animal upon the whole the most profitable to the pro¬ 
ducer and consumer. He early saw the deficiencies in the 
common hog of the country ; they were either too large, coarse 
and thin in the sides, or too small, and for the last ten years 
he has endeavored by crosses of the grass, Leicester and vari¬ 
ous other breeds, to get him a broad, square, thick animal, and 
thought, about a year since, he had at last, after so much pains 
and expense, eminently succeeded, and felt great pride at the 
perfection at which he had arrived, when lo and behold he 
came across some Berkshires, and what was his astonishment 
to at once fuffl that these were the very animals that he had 
sought to attain, and good as he before supposed was his own 
breed, that these cast them entirely in the shade. With his. 
characteristic good sense and decision, he at once made a lib¬ 
eral purchase of all the best strains of the pure blood in the 
country, and commenced, by way of pastime, as a breeder, 
taking for his style as a general rule, those of a fine medium 
size. But in order to please the public and accommodate him¬ 
self somewhat to its taste, he also got some of the larger class¬ 
es, and is breeding about half of one size and half of the other, 
and in addition to the best strains already imported he is to 
have out this fall some fresh ones from Engand, part of which 
will be of the very largest sizes. 
It was late in the afternoon that a jolly quartett of us viz 
Mr. Mahard, Mr. Affleck, of the Farmer and Gardener’ Mr' 
Foster, the animal painter and engraver, and myself started 
for the farm. We climbed the hills overtoping the town with 
great glee, dashed round the tasteful buildings of the Lane 
Theological Seminary, where Dr. Beecher so eminently pre¬ 
sides, and after passing villa and farm house some three miles 
more, we found ourselves at the elegant mansion of Mr. M.— 
It was quite dusk when we arrived here, so leaving the discus¬ 
sion of the stock till the morrow, we soon set about that of a 
SHORT HORN BULL PRINCE FREDERICK— [Fig. <«.] 
Owned by John Mahard, Jr. Esq., Cincinnati, Ohio. 
capital supper, and then early to bed. We were up betimes 
the next morning, and out in the clover fields, where we found 
most of the grown Berkshires that were not suckling their pigs, 
ruralizing on fresh grass, even at this early season, with little 
else to eat save a small quantity of wheat bran swill, and yet 
they were all in fine order; and some I thought almost too fat 
for good breeding. Still, as it was very different flesh from the 
corn fed, being light and loose, perhaps they were as near right 
upon the whole, as they well could be. 
Mr. Mahard is a judicious feeder. When a sow has pigs by 
its side it is high kept, and the offspring tempted to eat as 
soon as possible. The pigs do not scour then or fall away up¬ 
on weaning; though done at an early age, and as soon as re¬ 
lieved of this burthen, the dam is put into good condition and 
then turned out for a run at. grass, if iu the summer, or a large 
roomy pen, with light food, if in winter. He tells me that thus 
managed, upon an accurate calculation that he has made, his 
food costs him but about a penny per day per head, and as 
cheap as grain is in this country, and as well acquainted as I 
am with Berkshires, I can readily believe it. I have frequently 
kept them at home at a cost of two cents per day, where food 
is double the price it is here. 
The stock I think generally beautiful; Lollo, Oteco, Darkeye, 
and Daisy are probably the choicest of the grown breeders, 
while Nell, Dinah, and Millie are the largest; then there is a 
goodly number of yearlings coming on, got by Mr. Lossing’s 
imported boars, out of my great Shaker sows. Of the boars, 
Sagamore, out of the beautiful Raven Hair, is very fine, with 
the best hams I ever saw on a male. Young Newbury is large 
and fine, and as for Long Canoe, if he don’t make a show for 
size when full grown, I am greatly mistaken. Though but 
eighteen months old, he stands within a fraction of 2 ft. 7 in. 
high to the top of his shoulder, and is nearly 6 feet long, mea¬ 
sured in the usual way. He bids fair to out-top a Mississippi 
alligator,—so look out for a roarer here in the West. Doctor 
Shaler, of Newport, Ky., refused $ 100 cash for a four months 
so w pig of his get out of Oteco, while the same gentleman who 
made this offer paid Mr. Mahard $50 for the choice from the 
litter of Daisey only two months old. The former is very large, 
the latter of a medium size, and both as near perfection now 
as.it is possible for animals to be ; and to conclude about Berk¬ 
shires, I most heartily commend Mr. Mahard’s breeding to the 
Western public. 
We now pass on to the Durhams—Prince Frederick is my 
choice of the older bulls; he is 3 years past, and weighed on the 
seales last month 1760 lbs. in fair working condition; is a good 
handler, quiet temper, with fashionable and airy style, carry¬ 
ing a beautiful arched neck and fine head and form. A very 
accurate portrait* of him, by Foster, graces the April No. of 
the Western Farmer and Gardener. I thought Lady Ann and 
Juno the best of the imported cows, and they are famous good 
milkers. The former has given her 31 quarts per day, and the 
latter averaged 24 quarts for 4 months after calving, and gave 8 
quarts within five weeks of calving again, and it was with con¬ 
siderable difficulty that she could be dried up at all. Mrs. 
Mahard told me that the quality of this milk was much superior 
to any she ever had from the native cow. Florida is a fine 
animal, and was bought at Major Clarkson’s sale in ’38, with 
a calf at her foot, for $1075. Empress is a good one, out of La¬ 
dy Anne, imported in calf;—of the heifers bred here, I liked 
Miranda best. 
Mr. Neff’s Short Horns, &c. 
, The second day after this, Mr. W. Neff called upon me for a 
ride out to his farm, where my eye was feasted by the sight of 
about fifty head, large and small, of pure improved Durhams, 
which I do not scruple to say compose for so large a number 
the choicest, finest and most even bred herd that I ever yet had 
the pleasure of looking at. Retiring from his mercantile pur¬ 
suits, on an ample fortune, with a taste and spirit that does 
him honor, Mr. N.. has devoted much of the past four years of 
his life to the raising of stock and agriculture. Having ample 
means, he commenced right by purchasing the best animals to 
be had, and has continued to breed from them with great care 
and skill. 
The bulls he began with were Hector and Brutus, bought at 
Whitaker’s imported sale at Philadelphia, in 1838. My brother, 
who was present then, pronounced them the choice of the lot. 
Hector is now sold into Kentucky; I therefore did not see him; 
but Brutus still stands here in all his glory, with a weight, I 
should judge, of at least 2500 lbs., and some think of 2,700 lbs., 
most too much flesh I should fear for good service, though they 
say he is active under it. _ With this great weight, he is fine in 
his points, well let down in the twist, and has the best brisket 
I ever saw, measuring 2 ft. 9 in. across it, and a back broad 
enough to make up a cot-bed upon. These have been followed up 
by Prince William, now three years old, selected by young Mr. 
Whitaker, from among the choicest animals in England, and im¬ 
ported in ’39. Taking him all in all, I think, in his present form, 
he is one of the most perfect and beautiful of the improved short 
horns within my recollection. Of great substance, fashionable, 
[*Fig. 63, engraved from the print in the Western Farmer, by 
Dr. Anderson, of New-York, for the Cultivator.— Eds.] 
airy and fine, a quick feeder, a quiet temper, and fair handler. 
With these general remarks, and to give my Northern friends a 
more accurate idea of the animal, I subjoin an exact admea¬ 
surement of him, taken by Mr. Affleck and myself. Length from 
the base of the horn to the root of the tail, or rather end of the 
quarter, 8 ft. 1 in.; girth, round the heart, 7 ft. 74 in., do. round 
the loin, 8 ft. 2 in.; height over the shoulder, 5 ft. 2.| m.: spread 
of the hip, 2 ft. 3 in. This, of course, will be something more 
as he grows older, he will also attain a greater depth of car¬ 
case, wider brisket, &c. &e. His weight is now judged to he at 
least 2100 lbs. Mr. N. thinks Young Prince, yearling got by the 
above, as even more promising than his sire, hut he may well 
be proud of his breeding if he even equals him. 
Among the cows, Beauty, Blossom and Profitable pleased me 
the most. The former is quite as easily kept as a China pig, 
and the only difficulty is how to get her poor enough. B.uth is 
indifferent to look at, but as is often the case when the animal 
is itself well bred, has proved a very superior breeder. Vic¬ 
toria, her first calf, I think, is a perfect gem. Some might 
judge her as a trifle too short, but to my fine taste she seems as 
near perfection as one might hope to attain—she is of the me¬ 
dium size, and to her finished form adds those requisites that 
will give the most beef and milk for the food consumed.— 
Is not this then the desideratum ?—and to what beyond this 
ought we to look for ? Louisiana, another daughter of Ruth, a 
two year old, I found nearly as perfect as her fair sister, but 
much larger—then, of the same age, were Virginia, Clifford, 
and Georgia, all very fine, and as to their particular merits 
the public seem to be about equally divided. Sibella struck 
me as the jewel of the yearlings, yet all seemed good enough, 
and he must be particularly fastidious that should object to 
any one I saw in the herd. These finished, Mr. Neff took me 
to see a superb heifer calf got by Prince William, out of Vic¬ 
toria, the first produce from a cow of his own raising, and of 
which he seemed to be prouder than of all the rest he had 
shown me. Now I like this feeling; it is laudable, and I could 
only wish it were more extensively cultivated. 
In the swine family, Mr. N. has but a moderate number; his 
feelings were rather against Berkshires till he tried them with 
his others, and I believe now he is convinced of their superiori¬ 
ty, and as evidence of this has given me a liberal order out of 
my present expected importation. I here saw what he called 
the Liverpool hog, which 1 recognized at once as of the same 
family.as the Leicesters, that abound in Western New-York. 
The Irish Grazier that he showed me, had a better barrel than 
I expected to see. He is rangy, and I should judge a good trav¬ 
eler, but long in the snout and neck, and somewhat disposed 
to a scurfy skin. Mr. Affleck told me that they were of im¬ 
mense size in Kentucky, but perfect corn cribs, which is to say, 
enormous consumers. 
The stables here, I found well arranged, and each animal 
has a stall to itself. The corn is all boiled, and the straw cut, 
and a little wheat bran added to it. I was also shown a pile 
of the sugar beet still sound and sweet after their wintering, 
and was glad to hear Mr. N. acknowledge their good qualities 
m sustaining his stock. Now this is agricultural orthodoxy, 
shelter, cooking food, and maugre the anathemas of Doet. 
Guthrie, feeding sugar beet. I wish I had time at my disposal, 
I would give a plan for cooking corn and feeding it here in this 
■country, that I know, notwithstanding its low price and the 
extra labor in doing so, would greatly result to the farmer’s ad¬ 
vantage. The general idea is this :—Get a strong powerful 
corn-cracking machine, then go into the field with wagons, and 
take the ears from the stalks in the husk, throw them into the 
hopper, and break up cob, grain, husk and all; throw the meal 
into large vats of water to thicken and ferment, or even boil it, 
and then draw it out into troughs for feeding. I hope Mr. 
Neff or Mr. Mahard, or any other of the Western gentlemen 
here, so fully competent to the task, will one day give you their 
plans and ideas on this important subject, for we had full and 
irequent talks upon the matter, and they seemed to think it 
could not but pay. To finish off with, we took a walk in a 
flourishing vineyard, and returned to town at night-fall, highly 
gratified with my day’s excursion. 
The pleasant week that I spent in Cincinnati seemed to me 
but a an d H is my intention to come again, and float down 
the Mississippi to its mouth, and then up to the Falls of St. 
Anthony, and across from thence through the mineral region to 
the Lakes, and so down home; this will give one a very satis-- 
factory idea of the great Southern and Western region. We 
travel amazingly cheap here now on the rivers ; for instance 
you can go from this to New Orleans for $15 in the cabins of 
the crack.steam-boats, and return for $17, which is about the 
same as living at a hotel. The boats are differently construct¬ 
ed from the rakish looking craft that plow the Lakes of the 
''est and the waters of the East. Here they are of light draft 
and flat bottoms, with the lower deck almost even with the 
water, the machinery mostly on this, and the cabins on a hur¬ 
ricane deck above. They loom large, and command good views 
of the adjacent country, but in our big waters, of course, would 
be easily capsized in a gale. The Ohio here is rather a grand 
stream, being fths of a mile wide by measurement; its wate~s 
however, are turbid, and present nothing of the clear trans- 
