466 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 



an absence of any tendency to fatten. In spite of its un- 

 desirable qualities, it is more or less amenable to improve- 

 ment, and some of the finer breeds, notably the Essex, 

 have been crossed on it with a fair degree of success. Its 

 hardiness and its ability to look after itself are its main 

 recommendations. 



There is little doubt that the " Razorback " is a de- 

 generate descendant of pigs brought into the country by 

 the earliest white settlers. Hunger, exposure and the 

 necessity for looking after itself and foraging its own living 

 have been the chief factors in evolving the type. 



The " Razorback " is now found almost exclusively in 

 a comparatively limited area of the South, and this area 

 is becoming more and more restricted as improved agri- 

 culture advances. It is only a question of time until the 

 type entirely disappears. 



