Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-12-19
Ctr Farm.
From the American Fatmer.
The Best Breeds of Swine.

The Best Breeds of Swine.
In the selection of breeding animals,
as in every thing else, there is to be
found a great difference of opinion as
to the merits of the several families of
hogs. In the earlier pages of this vol
ume; we gave the reports of the Com
mittees on Points, as established at the
Swine-breeders' Convention held at the
West in December, 1872, in which the
peculiar points of the several breeds
are authoritatively established for the
guidance of the public, to which we
would refer those who, in killing off
their stock of hogs this winter, may
wish to begin new year with some Of
the improved breeds. We have ever
held in high estimation the Berkshires
as the best for the general purposes of
the farmer, and were among the first,
with Messrs. Ed. & T. T. Gorsuch, of
BALTIC. Co., and Mr.. Geo. Law, of this
city, to introduce them into this State,
where they have always been a fayorite
with those who paid attention to this
particular kind of live stock. Mr..
Geo. Patterson, of Carroll Co., whose
Judgmentin regard to all kinds of farm
stock we ever held as unsurpassed by
that of any breeder of Maryland, would
never have any other. than the Berk-
shires on his estate. It was ALWAYS
considered the 'sgentleman's hog" both
In this country and England, the flesh
furnishing the most desirable meat to
the epicure of any other breed, neither
too fat nor too lean.
The Essex is perhaps the nearest ap-
proach to the Berkshires, and is held
by some in even higher estimation
the Sufolks also have their advocates
as being more easily fattened, but the
preponderance of the fat is an objection
to them, rendering them unsuitable to
the family table; but, at the same time
for a plantation hog it is doubtless val
liable. The Poland-China hog, which
is not much known in this vicinity
has attained to very high position al
the Westas peculiarly suitable for their
purposes, where pork raising for the
distant market is the great object. A
correspondent of the st. Louis Rural
World makes some iudicious remarks
on this subject, and as it is now the
time for farmers to make selection OF
breeders for the next year, we snbjoin
them for the consideration of ou1
readers:
'slf half our numerous readers knew
the great saving in feeding that they
would make by getting either of the
above breeds and crossing on theil
common stock, they would lose nc
time in ordering pair of one of these
breeds at once from some reliable
breeder. Not half our farmers are a.
ware that they could make the same
amount of pork with the improved
breeds on one-half the grain they now
feed their common stock. Yet this is
the case. One breed will fatten more
readily than another on less feed, will
be more docile and quiet, and farmers
should have such, and not these rest
less animals that are never satisfied
One breed of cattle is good to fatten,
for instance, the Short-horns; and an
other will not run to fat, but to milk
and butter, for instance the jersey
One breed of sheep is good for mutton,
for instance the Southdown; and an
other is superior for wool, to wit, the
Merinos; and thus it goes.
s'This is to illustrate that by skill in
breeding we can accomplish certain
objects, and we have accomplished
them in developing the Poland China
and the Berkshire. They are the best
breeds for pork, the best for the farm
er. They fatten easily at any age, and
on much less food than it requires to
fatten the scrub breeds. Farmers who
buy these improved breeds to cross on
their stock, will make an investment
that will be worth hundreds of dollars
to them, because the pigs that are pro-
duced will eat so much less corn to
make certain amount of pork. Farm
ers can see the improvement made in
machines and implements, but are
slow to see that still greater improve
ment has been made by skillfully pro-
ducing improved breeds. They must
get out of the old ruts."