"Pigs! And what, I should like to know, have pigs to do with horticulture?" says an intelligent reader. Why a good deal to do with it, when a sharp^nosed street grunter of the Alligator tribe creeps under your fence, or through your gate, which some straggler has, perhaps, left half way open, and roots up a fine growing border of Dahlias just getting into bloom, or a bed of choice Tulips in the full opening of their luxuriant colors; or, in a better way, the domestic, quiet dam, and half a dozen little chubby responsibilities which you have turned into your plum orchard to destroy the Curculio's which so incessantly murder your fruit. In this last employment, your well-bred pig is a useful creature, and well tended, and properly secured from mischief, is rather an interesting animal than otherwise.

Pigs have been wonderfully improved in England within the last fifty years, and England is the country, except in fine wooled sheep, where the best of all our domestic farm stock is obtained. Lei it be known, also, that many of our merchants and gentleman who live in cities, and have fine country places, have shown much more spirit and liberality in sending abroad, and fretting such things for the improvement and benefit of the farmer, than a thousand of the very farmers so benefitted would show of themselves,and who usually give little thanks, even while acknowledging the benefit, to those who confer it upon them. For myself, however, I intend to make an exception to this truth, in the case now in hand.

Among my friends and acquaintances in New-York, is a merchant, an Englishman, but who has complimented the land of his adoption in the highest possible way, by marrying an American wife, and cultivating a beautiful little farm in Newtown, on Long-Island, where he resides. This gentleman has a taste for fine animals, and next to his carriage horses, nothing composing his outside family gives him so much pleasure, as to look upon his beautiful Short-horn cows, of which he has several, his Middlesex pigs, and his Dorking fowls. In returning a visit of his of some months previous, I last winter drove over with my friend, and spent a night at his most agreeable home. Being an active business man in the city, I little dreamed that he had cultivated so nice and discriminating a taste for farm stock, and supposed that I should meet with some very tolerable things at his place, in the way of cattle, pigs and chickens; yet the last I knew to be good, for he had among them some of the choicest of a previous importation of my own. The first I also knew were fine, for he had selected some choice creatures from a herd into which I, myself, had dipped at a high figure.

These were examined, commented upon, and praised as they deserved; but usually regarding a pig as a thing to be kept in a pen, out of sight, flitted, slaughtered, and put out of the way, I took less interest in them; yet learning they were remarkable in their way, I went with my friend to their stye - a proper, well arranged apartment, adjoining the stables; and what a sight! I no longer wondered that Prince Albert, the illustrious spouse of England's Queen, breeds Middlesex pigs, and takes prizes with them at the Royal Cattle Shows. There were the original pair imported the previous year, with their brood of nine young ones, fat as squabs, white as pigs could be, and more beautiful in shape, and more perfect in style, than one would suppose a pig could be bred - all of the true " Prince Albert" stock. Why they really looked innocent, and in no manner of descent from the herd which ran into the Sea of Gallilee when possessed of the devil, some eighteen hundred and odd years ago!

It is needless to talk further about the pigs, for I fell so much in love with them that I dreamed of them half the night, and nought would do but my friend would have me accept one of them to take to my own place, with which to improve my own stock, although I had thought that my own were about good enough. The matter was soon settled, and a pig I was to have, when the navigation opened, and he could be safely sent to me. In due time I received him, and although I had never looked upon a thing of the swine fami-\y with particular complacency, the quiet temper, docility, and beauty of the creature has now won all my prejudices, and my pig is one of the prime favorites among my farm stock.

Finding his stock too large for his farm, my friend, a few months afterwards, sold his imported pair, and a part of the young ones to Col. J. M. Sherwood, of Auburn, who now keeps them, and declares that, although he had the best of pigs before, he never saw anything to compare with them. For introducing these beautiful pigs into the country, Mr. John C. Jackson - for that is the name of the gentleman - deserves more credit for good works than half the politicians in the country put together.

Now, as the pig, or a family of pigs, are useful things on every country place, be it a farm proper or country seat, with only its garden and fruit yard, let every one who requires a creature of the kind, see that he select good ones of an improved race, easy kept, and quite tempered; and if he want their services in his fruit orchard, they will not then root out his trees, or rasp off their bark, as the common ill bred brutes of the country are sure to do if they get access to them, thus effectually destroying curculio, fruit, and tree; whereas, your quiet little " Tussers" will graze among the trees, nosing over the fruit, and " using up" the grub.

After reading this paper, I beg your readers not to suppose that I have these, or any other pigs to sell, as I have not. I write this solely pro bono publico, and to do justice to the good taste of my friend, Mr. Jackson, as well as to advise all my horticultural friends to get good pigs when they get any. Your Suffolk pig, and your Essex pig are also quiet, gentle creatures, and well deserve all the patronage bestowed upon them; but in all my pig knowledge, I have never met with the beauty and perfection of the Middlesex pigs imported and bred by Mr. Jackson. Lewis F. Allen.

Blade Rock, July, 1834.

A Talk About Pigs #1

Mr. Allen seems to be associating himself largely with the aristocracy - in the way of farm stock, and he is right. When such gentlemen as these he names and alludes to, show such examples of liberality and public spirit in the introduction of improved stock to the farmers of our country, it must remain to the lasting disgrace of such farmers if they do not acknowledge the benefit they receive from it, and reward such benefactors to their interests in a liberal purchase of their animals.