MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. ^83 



shire, distinguished by their peculiar colored bands, were a not uncommon 

 feature in the hogs of tiie Ohio valley. Of course tiie English hogs found 

 their way to our country during more or less of our early history, but the 



INTRODUCTION OF MODERN ENGLISH BREEDS 



into the United States did not receive very marked attention until between 

 1830 and 1840, when the great influx of Berkshircs took place ; since which 

 time the importation of that breed has been quite constant to the present day. 

 And to-day the Berkshire has a host of friends in this country, as well as in 

 his native home. 



The importation of Essex commenced soon after that of the Berkshire was 

 fairly under way, and has since continued more or less constantly. The Suf- 

 folk appears to have found his way across the ocean, nearly at the same time 

 with his neighbor the Berkshire. The small Yorkshire, which is claimed by 

 some authorities to be identical with the Suffolk, are being urged on public 

 notice. 



AMERICAN BREEDS. 



American experience has not developed a large number of breeds, but rather 

 a great extension of the business of raising the best and largest number of 

 specimens of the few breeds. Of the American breeds I shall refer only to 

 the Chester White, Poland China and Jersey Ked. 



CHESTER WHITE. 



This is the spoiled child of a rich parent. It was first brought into promi- 

 nent notice before thoroughly established, and it became very popular. An 

 enormous demand was made upon the breeders for the now popular animal. 

 Owing to this, Chester county was thoroughly cleaned of all its white hogs. 

 Chester Whites and half Chester AVhite, and mongrel white, all at once, be- 

 came Chester Whites, and were sent out all over the country. Great coarse- 

 eared, slab-sided hogs were sent out of Chester county for pure Chester Whites, 

 as unblushingly as were election certificates in Maine at a later day. The re- 

 sult, you all know. They soon became in great disfavor, and it has required 

 the utmost efforts of later breeders to remove the stigma and again gain con- 

 fidence for the Chester White. They never have become an established breed. 



POLAND-CHINA. 



But the farmers of the Miami Valley have given a hog whose career has not 

 been as vacillating as the one just rehearsed. 



Fifty years ago the rich bottom lands lying in the Ohio valley, were, if they 

 are not now, the best corn lands in the country. Hogs and corn are of much 

 the same significance. 



Corn being the great crop of that section, the hog was their main reliance 

 for a market. Cincinnati, the commercial center, was long known as Pork- 

 opolis. 



The hog that would give the best returns for food consumed was long the 

 goal of these pioneers. As may be expected, they were ever on the lookout for 

 the animal that would be a profitable cross upon the already popular swine 

 of their section. Animals were imported, crosses made, and careful selections 

 attended to. 



I have already spoken of the introduction of the Bedfordshire, one of the 



