SWINE. 



633 



have always been held in the highest esteem. In 

 form, size, and general characteristics, except color, 

 they are very similar to the Poland-Chinas, but for 

 some cause have not retained their popularity of 



fattening qualities very superior. As breeders,' prolific 

 and fair nurses." 



The swine variously known by the names of " Jersey 

 reds," "red Berkshires," " Dnrocs," or "Saratoga 



former years among the pork-raisers of the corn- j reds," are quite common throughout the United 

 growing States, where the dark-haired hogs now ' States. They are of a reddish, sandy, or bronze 

 largely predominate. Very little attention seems > color, and of widely varying characteristics. For 

 to ha\e been paid to keeping records of the breed- , over sixty rears sandy-colored hogs have been nu- 

 ing of different families or strains of Chester merous in southern New Jersey, especially in Salem 

 whites. and Burlington counties, and highly esteemed ; there 



Tiie Suffolk is a small white breed, originated in is a tradition that they are descendants of early im- 

 England, where pigs essentially the same are also ] portations from England of the unimproved Berk- 

 called Yorkshires, or small Yorkshires. English shires. The National Swine-breeders' Convention in 

 authority says they have been continually intermixed ! 1872 agreed that their positive origin was unknown, 

 with mutual advantage, and pigs of exactly the i but reported the following as characteristics of good 

 same form, the result of crosses, are exhibited t " Jersey reds :" "They should be red in color, wi;h 

 under the name of Yorkshires or Cumberlands ; ; a snout of moderate length, large lop. ears, and 

 also, that the improved Suffolk, the Middlesex, tho small head in proportion to size and length of body ; 

 Coleshill, and the Prince Alberts (or Windsors) of should be long in the body, standing high and rangy 

 Eogland'were all founded ou the Yorkshire-Cumber- on thin legs ; bone coarse ; heavy tail and brush ; 

 laud stock. Though known to some extent in all ' 

 the States since 1855, they have never attained any { 

 general popularity as farmers' hogs, largely due to 



tho fact that they were too small, not wholly satis- 

 factory as breeders and nurses, hud skins too deli- 

 cate to withstand the exposure they encountered, 

 and too nearlv resembled some of their remote 



hair coarse, including the bristles on the back." 



Swine called Cheshires were mentioned by Eng- 

 lish writers subsequent to 1840-45 as " long-legged, 

 long-eared, unprofitable giants, all but extinct." 

 Between 1860 and 1870, in Jefferson Co., N. Y., the 

 favorite swine were of a large white sort known as 

 the Jefferson county or Cheshire breed, or some- 



nncestors, deseril>ed as being "perfect bladders times "improved Cheshire." During those years 

 filled with hog's lard, and nearly of the same size they were exhibited at the fairs of the New York 



and quality.' 



The standard characteristics of the Suffolks are : 

 " Head small, very short ; cheeks prominent and 

 full; face dished ; snout small and very short ; jowl 

 fine ; ears short, small, thin, upright, soft, ami 



State Agricultural Society, and latterly received 

 nearly all the prizes awarded on large breeds. The 

 accepted description of them is that they are pure 

 white, with very thin skin of pink color, and little 

 hair, though not wholly uniform in the latter re- 



silky ; neck very short and thick, the head appear- spect, as pigs in the same litter differ widely in the 

 ing almost as if set on front of shoulders ; no arch- | quantity ot hair; the snout is often long, but very 

 ing of crest ; chest wide and deep elbows standing I Bleeder and fine ; the jowls are plump, arid the ears 

 out ; brisket wide, but not deep ; shoulders thick, I erect, fine, and thin ; shoulders wide and hams full ; 

 rather upright, rounding outward from top to elbow ; 1 their flesh is fine-grained, and they yield an extra 

 crops wide and full. Sides and flanks long ribs quantity of mess pork in proportion to offal. 



well arched out from back, good length between. 

 Shoulders and hams flank well filled out, and com- 

 ing well down at ham ; back broad, level, and 

 straight from crest to tail ; no falling off or down at 

 tail ; hams wide and full all the way down ; legs 

 small and very short, standing wide apart in sows 

 just keeping belly from the ground ; bone fine ; feet 

 small, lioof-i rather spreading ; tail small, long and 

 tapering; skin thin, of a pinkish shade, free from 

 color ; hair fine and silky, not too thick ; color of 

 hair pale yellowish white, perfectly free from any 



spots or other color ; size small to medium." 



The Essex is a long-established breed of English 

 origin, but, though of admitted good qualities, it 



has never become widely disseminated or popular in | kin thin, soft, and elastic ; the flesh fine-grained 

 the United States. It was improved by the intro- | and firm, with thick side pork. They can be made 



An American breed known as Victorias had its 

 origin in Saratoga Co., N. Y., about 1855. They 

 were a combination of the "Grazier," "Bvfield," 

 "Yorkshire or Suffolk," and another hog, white, 

 long in body aud well-ham d, and the best of them 

 are descendants of a sow named (about I860 or 1862) 

 Victoria. They have a good coat of fine, soft, white 

 hair, and fine heads closely set on their shoulders; 

 snout short and face slightly dished ; pars nrrt, 

 small, and thin ; shoulders round and full ; legs 

 short and fine ; back broad, straight, and level, and 



the body long ; hams round and swelling, and high 

 at base of tail, with plaits or folds between tho 

 thighs; tail fine; rosettes common on the bark; 



d action of some Neapolitan hogs into England by 

 L-ml Western. The reputation of the Essex breed 

 w\n established in England in 1840. 



They are classed with the small breeds, but are 

 abont the largest of that class, and frequently grow 

 to weights that would entitle them to consideration 

 among the larger breeds, often weighing 400 to 600 

 ponndo at maturity, though usually most profitably 

 slaughtered young for fresh pork, breakfast bacon, 

 or fan.ily use, for which they are highly esteemed, 

 their meat being well-flavored and fine-grained, 

 and their lard firm and white. When properly 

 dressed they are but little darker than other hogs, 

 even those with white hair. The standard agreed 

 upon for them by the National Convention is as fol- 

 lows : " Color black ; face short and dishing ; ears 

 small, soft, and stand erect while young, but com- 

 ing down somewhat with advanced age; carcass 

 ]<>n^, broad, straight, and deep ; hams heavy and 

 well let down ; bone fine ; cnrcos*, when fat, com- 

 posed mostly of lard ; hair ordinarily rather thin ; 

 VOL. IV. 2 P 



fit for slaughter at almost any age. 



The pig being omnivorous, its highest and most 

 rapid development calls for a generous variety of 

 feed. During the period of growth there should be 

 a smaller percentage of carbonate or fat-formers 

 supplied, and the percentage of phosphates and ni- 

 trogeneous compounds increased. Indian corn is 

 rich in fat ; oats, on the other hand, are especially 

 rich in bone- and muscle-formers. Clover and grass 

 so combine the two that when young hogs are grazed 

 on these they make a good growth of bone and mus- 

 cle, and a development of stomach which enables 

 them to assimilate a greater amount of com at fat- 

 tening-time. 



As a scale of 100 points for judging swine the Na- 

 tional Convention of Breeders agreed upon the fol- 

 lowing : Back, 10; long ribs, 8; short ribs, 7; 

 shoulder, 8 ; ham, 12 ; length of body, 6 ; flank, 6 ; 

 twist, 6 ; snout, 4 ; jowl, 3 ; face, 3 ; ear, 2 ; neck, 



4 ; belly, 4 ; skin, 5 ; hah', 3 

 feot, 2 ; 'tail, 1. 



bone, 3 ; legs, 3 ; 



(F. B. C.) 



