681 



SWINE. 



tire and assimilative powers ; their aptitude (or fat- 

 tening and attaining heavy weights. Their flrsli in 

 the highest quality of pork (.>r nil purposes. Tlioir 

 standard i>f cha anil markiir- 



npoti by American breeders in 1872, was its follows : 

 'Color black, with white on f.-.-t, face, tip of lull, 

 niul an occasional splash of white on the ami. While 

 a small spot of white on sonic other part of the body 

 docs not argne an impurity of lilooil, yet it is to bo 

 discouraged, to the end that uniformity of color may 

 b attained by breeders. White np>:i one car, or ;i 

 bronze or copj>cr spot on some part of the body_,argnai 

 noimpnrity, but rather a raapMMiltgof original col- 

 ors. Markings of white other than tlin.se named above 

 are suspicions, and a pig so marked shonhl l>e reject ctl. 

 Face short, fine, and well-ilishe,l, broad !*>! 

 eyes. Ears generally almost erect, but sometimes 

 inclining forward with advancing age ; small, thin, 

 aoft, and showing veins. Jowl full. Neck short and 

 thick. Shoulder short from neck to middling deep 

 from back down. Back broad and straight, or u very 

 little arched. Ribs long and well sprung, giving 

 rotundity of body; short ribs of good length, giving 

 breadth 'and levelness of loin. Hips good length 

 rom poiut of hips to ramp. Hams thick, round and 



1 England. Jeffries' stock and its progeny continued 

 to be bn-d on and with the original stock of the 

 county, until its hogs attained a wide reputation 

 for lm:h sine iiiul quality. In I'eniisylvniiia and 

 neighboring States the new breed was the favorite. 

 At the fair of the I". S. Agricultural SIM . 



Philadelphia in 1856, at the I] s r a ir nt Hich: 

 Va., in IN"IS, at the Btate fain of Maryland, Virginia, 



and Pennsylvania, they stood almost unriviillcd. 



After 1MI.J lunch attention was given in all parts of 



the Union to luising better stock than had before 



'oiiimon, and the reputation acquired pre- 



vioiisly by tin- Cl;c-ter conniy swine caused them to 



rly sought in greater numbers than could bo 



supplied, but a iciu-tion fi -Honed. 



Thnngh not adapted to all localities, the Chester 

 whites are in many respects MUII<> of superior value. 

 In some portions of the West and Southwest they 

 are considered more liable to skin diseases than 

 black hops. The Chester whites are among tho 

 most docile of swine, and properly classed as be- 

 longing to the large breeds; individuals of it have 

 been fed to the enormous weight of i:>(M) pounds. 

 Tho standard of characteristics adopted for tho 

 breed by the Swine-breeders' Convention in 1872 



Chester White Hogs. 



deep, holding their thickness well back and down to 

 the hocks. Tail fine and small, set on high up. 

 Leg* short and fine, but straight and very strong, 

 with hoofs erect, legs set wide apart. Si/.e medium, 

 length medium ; extremes are to l>e avoided. Bono 

 fine and compact. Offal very light. Hair fine and 

 soft ; no bristles. Skin pliable." Since the prep- 

 aration of this standard great advances have !'. 

 made in developing still heavier hams, deeper sides, 

 broader, straighter backs, and shorter beads. 



American breeders of Berkshire.s were first to 

 adopt a systematic plan for the registration of swine 

 pedigrees, and in 1875 organized, at Springfield, 

 111., the American Berkshire Association for tho 

 purpose of the " collection, preservation, and dis- 

 semination of reliable information on the origin, 

 breeding, and management of Berkshire swine, and 

 the publication of a herd-book or record of Berk- 

 shire pedigrees." Several volumes have already 

 been issued, and the record is considered of great 

 value to breeders. 



The Cheater white takes its name from Chester 

 Co., Pa , where James Jeffries, in 1818, brought a 

 pair of superior white pigs from Bedfordshire, 



was as follows: "Head short, nnd broad between 

 the eyes ; ears thin, and projecting forward ; neck 

 short and thick; jowl large; body lengthy and 

 deep, and broad on the back ; hams full and deep ; 

 legs short and well set under for bearing weight ; 

 hair thinnish, white, straight, without bristles, and 

 if a little wavy not objectionable ; tail small." Since, 

 the adoption of this standard the tendency hn.s 

 steadily been toward reducing somewhat the coarse- 

 f their bones, shortening their heads, and 

 breeding them with smaller, finer cars. The im- 

 provement has been so great that the best speci- 

 mens of the breed are nearly models in form. 

 Large, pendulous ears, coarse heads, long, coarse 

 tails and hair, and coarse, spongy bones, are not, as 

 in times past, characteristics of tho breed, and tho 

 enormous weights to which they were formerly fed 

 are not now considered most desirable or profitable. 

 For farmers who desire white hogs somewhat smaller 

 and quicker-maturing the Chester sows are excellent 

 for crossing with smaller boars, such as the Suffolk 

 breed affords; those who make a specialty of the 

 latter breed claim that such a cross makes " the 

 best Chester white possible." In Pennsylvania they 



