THE BREEDING OF SWINE IN AMERICA.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2714, 20 December 1882, Page 3

THE BREEDING OF SWINE IN AMERICA.

An interesting instance of tlie survival of the fittest is to be found in the fact that whereas fifteen or sixteen years ago the swine in America were almost all white, there are now scarcely any but black pigs in all the Union. The superintendents of the Chicago and Kansas stockyards say that nine out of ten of the millions of pigs handled in these cities every yea” are now black. At the Kansas show of ISSO and ISBI all the swine were black. At a Kansas State fair, out of 700 entries of swine there was only one white pig. And the agricultural editorof the Cincinnati “ Commercial” says white hogs are now a curiosity. No doubttheincreased intercstiu breeding only the best sorts has led to the grafting of the Berkshire and other black breeds upon the original white stock of the country. But it would also seem that nature favors the production of the superior race, and thus the -white swine have receded before the black, much as the aboriginal tribes of mankind have before the dominant race. It is said the black pigs have hardier skins, and are less affected than white varieties by exposure to sun and wind and mud and frost, incident to their crude management in a comparatively new country. The change to black cattle now in progress cannot in the nature of things be so rapid as has been the case with the breed of swine. But it seems certain that black polled cattle will to a large extent supersede all other breeds in America, where they are found to be so suitable in many ways. Galloways, as well as Angus and Aberdeen black cattle, are being introduced. It is a well ascertained fact that the proportion of black cattle in the progeny of Galloway sires is very large. It may soon be possible in the States to have a live stock like that of a farmer in Forfarshire who took a pride in having no animal on his farm other than black. He had black horses, black Angus cattle, black (Berkshire) pigs, black (Spanish) hens, black collies, and even black cats. An American farmer might easily carry the notion further, and have black servants and oven a black wife 2

MiS NEIGHBOURS’ BRICKWORKS.

Of the various local industries of this provincial district, that of brick making is a prominent one. Many of our readers are doubtless familiar with the old process of making bricks by hand, which may be described as grinding the clay in a png mill, the motive power for which is provided by a horse attached to a long pole describing an endless circle, the clay thus ground being subsequently kneaded by hand, and then being passed on to the brickmaker and fashioned by the same method into bricks.

But in this industry, as in many others, it has been found desirable that machinery and steam power should, as far as possible, supersede hand labor and one-horse-power, and in the brick yards of Mr Win. Neighbours at Hillsborough the improved process is strikingly exemplified. A visit was recently made to Mr Neighbour’s works by a member of our staff, for the purpose of inspecting the brick making plant recently imported from England by that gentleman. The first spot visited was a high clay bank about 450 ft above the works, whore the clay—which exists in almost inexhaustible quantities—is dug, from whence the filled trollies or trucks pass along a tramway laid on a siding of the hill to the shoot, down which the contents are precipitated a distance of about 100 ft into a large hopper, where the clay is passed between a large pair of rollers, it is thence passed into a horizontal pug mill, and discharged on an elevated staging, whence it is shovelled by a laborer into a vertical pug mill, after which operation it gives every evidence of being thoroughly ground, having undergone three processes. It is then passed from the vertical pug mill to a massive circular iron table, which is provided with eighteen dies, each of exactly the shape and size of a brick, for its ' reception. These dies are filled in succession with the prepared clay as the table revolves beneath the vertical pug mill, each die receiving just sufficient clay to make a brick. In the rotation of the table the dies are brought one after the other opposite the press, at which moment the clay is lifted from the die by a cam movement, and thence by a sliding horizontal movement is passed into the finishing press, where a weight of at least thirty tons is brought to bear upon it. The pressure over, the brick is lifted by a second cam movement and pushed off the finishing press in a complete state, lifted on to the off bearing brick barrow and conveyed to the drying sheds. The time occupied from, the moment the crude clay is passed from the trolly into the hopper till the perfected brick is produced is about five minutes. The rate at which they are turned out is eighteen per minute, the number ma le each week being 90,000. The advantages claimed for these bricks are that they are thoroughly plastic, and owing to their being machine pressed, that at least 11b weight more clay is in each brick than can be worked into a brick made by any other method, that the clay is thoroughly pulverised, ground, and mixed, so that the term “ semi-dried ” cannot be applied to the bricks, that as they are perfectly square and smooth on the surface, they will stand 50 per cent, more pressure than any other made brick, and can be cut true, that owing to the great pressure in making each brick, it will only absorb 3acz of water in twelve hours’ soaking, whilst, as the water penetrates somewhat more than half an inch into the interior of the brick, it leaves sufficient suction to adhere to either cement or mortar. In proof of this, several bricks, with mortar adhering, were shown, and so firmly was the mortar attached that severe efforts to remove it brought away pieces of the brick, the mortar still sticking fast. There is little doubt that these bricks will he found of great value, as proving slow conductors of damp. The success thus attained by Mr Neighbours has not been achieved in a day. Not satisfied with the machinery to be procured in the colonies, he determined to visit England, and obtain machinery in which all the recent improvements were combined. Accordingly he went home and visited the most noted brickmaking establishments there, saw what he wanted, and procured the same, and has imported and erected it. The machine in question is said to be the only one of its kind in Australasia, and is described as the best in the colony. Motive power is communicated by a 16 horsepower steam engine, which is also utilised in forcing water by means of a force-pump to a height of 450 ft, to the clay diggings, for the purpose of softening the clay. It is stated that the dead weight of the machinery is 20 tons. Large hacks or drying sheds have been erected in the yards, and also a kiln capable of burning the output from the machine, viz., 90,000 per week. Returning from Hillsborough, the Waltham Pottery works, belonging to tbe same proprietor, were visited. Here is erected a machine for clay washing that effectually separates all iron and mineral products from the clay, and pipe-making machinery, with all the latest improvements, was seen in full operation.