Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-01-16
Addison County Pigs.

MR. EDlTOR:-fifty years ago as elderly
people will remember, there was a friendly
rivalry among farmers in seeing who could
produce the heaviest fat pigs. Those days
are past. Now very fat hogs are not in de-
mand, and we have learned from the expert
ment stations that there is little or no profit
in producing such
Now and then, however, farmer enjoys
producing heavy porker.
With this feeling the writer would modest
ly present, as worthy of public record, the
history of his Springs pig lately the en-
bodiment Of contentment in a good straw
nest, but now, alas, slain by the cruel hand of
man and gone where the good pigs go.
lie claimed prolific and intelligent mother.
She had from II to 2 pigs twice yearly until
old age crept on. She could not read and
play cards. as one pig has been known to- but
she would open a slide door in her pen,
go out and in the yard, return and close the
slide door. This was in the winter. A pin
was placed behind the slide door; She dis
covered the ruse, pulled out the pm and went
out as before, but never replaced the pin.
But my pig. He was ANONYMOUSLY called
a tectman But he had the potency Of rapid
development. At first the size OF a pint of
cider, he was, as old people would say a
"likely looking pig and free scope was gwen
to his ambition to grow and make somebody
in the pig world. and like Longfellow's
turnp behinl the barn he grew and he grew,
until he could grow no more.
His dressed weight was 454 pounds.
But lest the young farmer OF today remain
ignorant of the grand achievements of the
fathers in making heavy weight records, it
might not be amiss to put down a few sample
weights of hogs reared, fattened and killed in
Cornwall.
Some fifty years ago Ansen Frost fattened
two pigs that dressed respectively 435 and
400 pounds. They were but little over nine
months old. During the last few weeks of
their lives they were fed so galoons of mo.
lasses mixed with cornmeal. Being unable to
stand, they received food reclining, thus
adopting the oriental style
Old Deacon Allen Of Mddlebury had en-
gagged one of these pigs 1t was delivered
The old deacon looked it over and said, 81
engaged a pig sir not an ovcrgrown hog =
When assured that it was pig, the man al
ways true to his word accepted the little Inno
cent and paid good money for it.
OF fully grown hogs the following though
somewhat modern, note worthy weights
One Of John Towle, 02o: one Of Tosepl
Parker, go; another by Henry Robbins
60O and one by Charles Stevens that tlppc'
= the scales at 6SO
, William Hubert, known as "Uncle Bill
was not guilty Of over admiration for the lai
seN-for he was bachelor-but he did al
mire a fat hog. He produced one tina
weighed exactly 600 pounds. 1t was sold t
Nathan Wood, Nliddcbury for 500. incl
Bill oftened mourned that he did not max
: his hog "leetle heavier" and so secure
round 500.
Seventy years ago Nathan Ees surprise
his towns people by killing a hog that dresse
little over 100 pounds. An envious neigh
Dor remarked that Mr. +. was SO much Xix
: the animal he iattened, he knew exactly wha
: to feed it, wicked SANDER for he was an eN
cellent man.
, \ little after this a certain Mr.. Samqso
had famous old sow. She had not only
giants name, as kind Of prestage to stan
on, but also giants frame like the deacon
one boss shay that was not the sign OF an
defective timber about her. Indeed in ag,
bone. frame and muscles She was cxactl
right for heavy weight said the owner, G
e too, now, old SOW, let US surprise the neigh
= bors." And She did.
, ate IN the winter toward sap-makng tim,
y having eaten warm meal and mllasscs unit
: too fat to stand, she was fed in pan, an
D when this became to burdensomc for the oil
> lady, it is reported that she was fed with
e spoon. No claim is made that she was "bor
with a silver spoon in her mouth but 81
came near dying that way. She dressed T.
pounds.
One more record as a climax shall suiic
I, Hon. Henry Lane, now deceased, was
man small in statue, but always great in al
enterprise he undertook. Ills was the cal
sheath hog.
SO commanding was he that when compare
with ordinary swine he reminded one
: Gohah among the Phistines. He was IA
tened, killed and weighed with the conidei
hope of breaking all previous records, an
n he did. The hog dressed $50.
d "There is a pleasure in poetic pains
A That only poets know
And joys there are in feeding grains
II tn MAKO va l,ttle rir,tiss or,,,v