372 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



CHESHIRES. 



THE Cheshire is purely an American breed, and is regarded by many as only a modified 

 Yorkshire. It originated in Jefferson County, New York, and is known also in some 

 localities by the name of the Jefferson County breed. These hogs are excellent for 

 fattening exclusively in the pen. The flesh is fine grained, while the carcass has a small 

 amount of offal in proportion to the amount of pork it affords. A western breeder of expe 

 rience states that for seven years he had these hogs without introducing any new blood but 

 what was supposed to be pure, and that he produced all the different types of the Yorkshire, 

 from the large to the Lancashire Shortface. 



The white color was firmly fixed, and he never knew a Cheshire boar to get a pig that 

 had a black hair on it, although they were bred to sows of all breeds, including the purest 

 Essex. Another peculiarity he watched with interest was the frequent appearance of blue 

 spots in the skin of the purest and best bred specimens. This peculiarity sometimes disap 

 peared for one or two generations, and would again crop out even stronger than ever. The 

 type which he finally succeeded in establishing upon the Cheshires, as bred by him, was the 

 identical size, form, and quality of the approved medium Berkshire. Indeed, so marked was 

 this resemblance in all things but color, that they were often called white Berkshires. 



A new interest is being taken in this breed in some sections at present, they being bred 

 more extensively than formerly. 



Description. These hogs are pure white in color, with thin skin, and usually thin 

 hair, showing a pink color through the hair. The snout is usually rather long, but slender 

 and fine; the jowls plump, ears erect, fine, and thin; the shoulders wide, the hams full, and 

 the body long and deep. As compared with the Chester Whites, they are nearly as 

 large, with finer bones. 



ESSEX. 



THIS is one of the oldest English breeds of swine. The first improvement on the Essex 

 was made by Lord &quot;Western, who devoted much of his time to the cultivation of live 

 stock. While traveling in Italy, he saw for the first time, and greatly admired the 

 Neapolitan breed of swine, there found in its greatest purity in the peninsula between the bay 

 of Naples and Salerno. He purchased a pair of the best specimens from which he bred in- 

 and-in until there was danger of the breed becoming extinct. He then used the Essex and, 

 as some suppose, the Berkshire and Sussex sows, in crossing with the Neapolitan, the results 

 of which he gives as follows : 



&quot; I have so completely engrafted this stock upon British breeds, that I think my herd 

 can scarcely be distinguished from the pure blood of Neapolitans.&quot; 



These pigs had great success at agricultural fairs, but as Lord Western bred exclusively 

 from his own animals, his stock soon began to degenerate in size, muscle, constitution, and 

 fecundity; and while the result of his careful experiments in breeding was a benefit to the 

 surrounding country by the Essex cross, his own particular herd degenerated greatly. At 

 this period, the best of the male animals from Lord Western s stock were bred by others to 

 strong and vigorous Essex sows, carefully selected, and from this source originated the 

 famous Improved Essex breed. 



These swine are very popular in England, as well as in this country, being everywhere 

 regarded as a valuable breed, whether maintained in its purity, or used in crossing upon 

 inferior swine. 



