On the Exhibition of Lice Stock at Chester. 380 



words of the owner, " What you please, Sir." I guess they 

 are rather large consumers. The small breed has long been 

 a highly cultivated race of animal, and much pains have been 

 bestowed upon them. The Smithfield Club Show has done 

 wonders in bringing out good specimens of this very useful 

 class. Even some twenty-five years since, Lord Harborough, at 

 Stapleford Park, Leicestershire, used to exhibit splendid young 

 pigs at agricultural meetings. On inquiry I find that they were 

 bred from a Neapolitan boar and a Chinese sow. They had 

 great aptitude for fattening, light offal, and scarcely any hair ; in 

 colour usually " sheeted " black and white. At 20 weeks old 

 many of them have weighed 10 and 11 stone, and several have 

 been suffocated with over-feeding. These pigs, from their small 

 and compact forms, were not popular amongst the tenant-farmers ; 

 but for porkers, in connexion with dairy farms or gentlemen's 

 houses, they were excellent. The Earlof Radnor and the Prince 

 Consort have each exhibited some magnificent pigs of the small 

 breed at the Smithfield Club shows : these are of a white colour. 

 Earl Radnor's are designated the " Coleshill pigs," descended 

 from the stock of Mr. E. W. Moore's father, who had the breed 

 nearly fifty years ago. Mr. S. Wiley, of Brandsby, Yorkshire, 

 has also been long celebrated for his white pigs of the small 

 breed. Mr. Wiley informs me that he had the breed " full fifty 

 years ago," and that about the year 1817 he had from the cele- 

 brated Mr. Robert Colling, of Barmpton, a sow from which he 

 bred a great number of first-class pigs. Mr. Wiley has retained 

 a true pedigree of his breed from this early date. 1 need 

 scarcely say they are beautiful animals — their success at the 

 Chester and previous meetings illustrates it. 



The Fisher Hobbs breed of Essex blacks is another instance 

 of the high position gained by a small breed. Comment upon 

 this breed is quite unnecessary, their success having been 

 unrivalled. Mr. Hobbs has an immense sale for his " black 

 beauties." Mr. Crisp, of Butley Abbey, Suffolk, and Colonel 

 Towneley, of Towneley Park, have also beautiful pigs of the small 

 breed ; and other popular names might be recorded. 



Glass L — Boars of a large breed: 19 entries. — The North- 

 country large white pigs showed to great advantage at Chester. 

 The first prize was awarded to Mr. J. Harrison, jun., of Heaton 

 Norris, Stockport. The second prize was gained by Mr. Joseph 

 Gill, Silsden, York. They were immense animals. Another 

 of Mr. Harrison's was highly commended ; and Mr. Richardson, 

 Hibaldstow, Kirton Lindsay, had a 4 years and 11 months old 

 Lincoln pig commended. 



Class n. — Boars of a small breed: 29 entries. — These were 



