Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-03-12
farm And FIRESIED #.
Big Hogs In New Jersey.
BORDENTOwN, Feb. {

New York and twenty-seven of them
weighed all the way from 700 to 900
pounds each. This is claimed to be
the biggest ''hog crop" in the sceuntry.
1t was a novel sight, and all Borden
town turned out to see it. The hogs
are the property Of Joseph Carter
Between him and Samuel S. Southland
thers is a great rivalry. Last year John
Taylor. Trenton pork dealer, offered
. gold medal for the most successful
hog raiser. Southland got it. Eighteen
Of his hogs averaged 7O3 10 pounds
when Killed, and 700! when delivered.
The king hog turned the scales at 79j.
If he can hold the medal fer three
years against all contestants it is bis, but
if perchance another should shsw up
the biggest average in pork he must
Weld his laurels. Carter says he can
DO 1t, and so far the balance is IN his
favor,
RAISING HeeS FOR A PRIZE.
Carter and Southland have reduced the
business of pork raising TO a science.
The former. intent upon taking the
palm, started of with thirty-nine hogs.
Upon tuenty-sevea Of these he bases
his hopes Of success. Of the original
number several have been killed. Along
in January three Of them came so very
near choking to death that the farmer
grew frightened and slaughtered them.
They weighed 79S, ST. and 73S pounds,
respectively. The hogs entered for the
prize have had the very best of care.
They have required attention continu-
ally. There are just two events in the
lives Of such housekeeping and eating.
They ere tov fat even to waddle. They
never wake up, except to eat, aud that
process over they again stretch out up
On clean straw IN their separate pens.
These particular hogs of Mr.. Carter S
were too law even to iced themselves,
and. indeed, even if ,hey were not, they
could not see their food. For weeks
they had been in total blindness. Like
the average hog OF no particular dis
tinctiOn they all had eyes, but three m
ches and Ia half Of genuine fat kept
them closed completely. The feeding
process is one Of interest to both hog
and spectator. The farm hand rolls up
boiled meal into round balls and forces
it into their hogships' mouths. The
hogs grunt and swallow and keep 1t ny
until they are perfectly gOrged. They
are kept in aslufed condition on the
best o. meal and all that is asked CT
them is TO grow fat. Carter's hogs
were killed on Saturday. Such noun
tains Of fat were never seen before.
Some one. who didn't know any better,
very nearly ended the lives Of them
before their time by simply Standing
them en- their feet. Happily, however,
they survived the shock, and lived to
die by the butchers knife. Mr.. Carter
confidently expected that his heaviest
hog would tip the beam at over 900, bu,
he was disappointed. The largest,
latest heg Of all weighed S7l pounds,
and the average wei sht Of the twenty
seyen was 755. This beats Southard's
average Of last year, but When the
hogs reach market they will shrink, as
usual. Yesterday there was a steady
stream of yisi Ors to the farm. Sleighs
Of all descriptions were out. and every
body went with thoughts bent upon
pork.
Hoes THAT CAN'T SEE.
Notwithstanding Carriers good show
ing, Southland thinks he can beat it. He
has not killed yet, aud his farm, as
well as his neighbor's, was overhoglng
with visitors. He began the year with
twenty-nne hogs, all Jersey Reds, but
bis pens now contain but twenty three.
There they were, lying around, grunt-
ing and putting, and with shouts point
ING upward in search Of air. Their eyes
could not been seen. and it took strOnii
fingers to pry away the masses Of fat SO
that the hidden organs Of sight could be
opened out. The blind, helpless masses
were shaken By loud breathing, and Oc.
cssionally would give vent toa snort.
but they seemed entirely unable to get
upon their feet. Hog men looked up.
on them, and measured their lengths
and breadths, and declared that they
would surly outweigh Carriers crop
perhaps they will" said some who
were friendly to Carter, "but 7jj
pounds average is bard to beat" South.
ard is very proud OF his last wears
medal. He has a stuffed eagle in the
house (the bird was shot by his SON
and the medal hangs from its neck
And there il sill stay" Samuel SAYS.
''ifI'm a Judge Of pork"
But the finest looking hogs seen
yesterday were Richard Harrison's.
Harrison lives about three hundred
yards from Southland, and he has a.
good farm as any of them. The
Harrisons. like most of the other land.
owners in the townships, have beer
farmers for generations. The elder
Harrisons kept deer, having a park SCI
apart for them, but a year or two since
disease got among the creatures anC
they were turned loose. Only one doc
10 TO be seen there now, and the park
has been turned int hog ward
Harrison's large hogs are thirty-sjx in
number, thirty-iiVe of them bejnc
Chester Whites. the other one q Jerse,