282 STATE liOAHI) OF AGRICULTURE. 



Beven inches from the tip of his snout to, tlie root of his tail : and seven feet ten 

 inches in fjirtli around tlie center, ten inches arounil the thinnest i)art of hind 

 leg, and two feet across tlie widest j)art of back, lie stood thiee feet nine 

 inches in iieiglit, and, wliat is most remarkable, lie did not consume moie than 

 two bushels and three pecks of ground oats, peas, and barley per week." It 

 was, however, probably the Ijcst pig in England, and was wisely selected as the 

 basis of tiiose remarkable improvements, elfected after th.e Chinese cross, 

 which have rendered the modern Berkshire so celebrated. The Chinese blood 

 was freely infused ; after which we find the head finer, skin thinner, body tiiick 

 and compact, legs short, sides broad, the head well set on, llesli firm and well 

 flavored, color sandy, or spotted ])lack and white. It was still the poi)ular 

 breed, judging from accounts published many years ago. This sandy color was 

 quite common in the importations of an early day to this country. Later in 

 Berkshire history the Neapolitan Essex cross, of which I shall speak hereafter, 

 was used to give the linishing touches to the favorite breed. Then was elim- 

 inated the sandy color. For many years wise and judicious breeders have 

 labored to fix the desirable qualities which had been combined in the Berkshire 

 hog. 



ESSEX. 



The old Essex breed was described as up-eared, with long sharp heads, roach 

 backed, carcass flat, long legged, white or spotted black and white, disposition 

 unquiet. Lord Western, while traveling in Italy, saw some of the small black 

 Neapolitan pigs, and came to the conclusion that they were just what he needed 

 to improve his own coarse Essex. Writing to a friend he describes them as a 

 breed in which the flavor of the meat was excellent, the disposition to fatten 

 on the smallest quantity of food unrivaled. He procured a pair of thorough- 

 breds and took them to England. With these he eliminated the white from 

 the old Essex. And in his hands and the hands of Fisher Hobbs, the Neapol- 

 itan cross was used as the basis of those improvements which have since re- 

 sulted in the famous improved Essex. 



As I have before stated, the Neapolitan cross was used to improve the im- 

 proved Berkshire, and Harris says : The Berkshire breed have benefited much 

 from the improved Essex cross, and the debt due Mr. Essex was afterwards 

 discharged by Mr. Berkshire, and. I find Harris quoting as follows : ''The 

 improved Berkshire was used to give size and constitution, many years ago to 

 the Essex, and the most eminent breeder of Essex has informed me that on 

 one occasion, in a litter of Essex pigs, two little pictures of the Berkshire, their 

 ancestor by at least 28 years, appeared." But it was to the Neapolitan that 

 the Essex were primarily indebted. The Neapolitan stands second only to the 

 Chinese in the improvement of swine. "In themselves" says Mr. Youatt, 

 writing in 1845, *' they are not sufficiently hardy for general use, but crossed 

 with rougher breeds, proved a valuable progeny." They were a small, fine 

 boned, black breed, destitute of hair, which iieculiarity wo see occasionally 

 cropping out in " hairless Berkshire and Essex of to-day." 



The above shows how the improvement of our modern swine has been 

 brought about. These improved English hogs were early introduced into the 

 United States. The duke of Bedford sent some Bedfordshire pigs, as a pres- 

 ent to Gen. Washington, nearly a hundred years ago, but they failed to reach 

 their destination. Some of their descendants, however, found their way to 

 New England and left their impress on the hogs of the whole country. In 

 the early breeding of the Poland China, the descendants of the early Bedford- 



