i8 



Australia : The Dairy Country. 



during a period of two years, but when this is done too much is 

 taken out of the mother. 



Another aspect worth considering in the choice of crossing these 

 two breeds is that the Yorkshire sow is a better mother than the 

 Berkshire, and the litters produced are larger. In this case there is 



Typical Dairy Country. 



a lack of uniformity in the colour of the litters, a fact which no 

 doubt must often cause slight depreciation when the marketing of 

 large numbers of pigs is taken into consideration. From experience 

 in the Commonwealth the middle Yorkshire of a pure strain is more 

 favoured for breeding purposes. He is a quicker grower, of hardy 

 constitution, and as a rule a better shaped pig for market require- 

 ments. 



But while there are differences of opinion in the matter of breeds 

 for crossing purposes, it is clear that this subject has never been 

 exhaustively determined. For example, while there are advocates 

 for the maintenance of pure strains, and the crossing of the Tarn- 

 worth with both the black and white pigs, the large white Yorkshire 

 is practically an unknown quantity. Both in Great Britain and 

 in Denmark this breed has done more to establish the bacon 

 industry than any other breed. Its value is indorsed by experience 

 at Dookie College, where the only pure strain of the breed in Vic- 

 toria is located. The Berkshire sow used with the large white boar 

 produces a shapely offspring, which takes on the short snout of the 

 sow with the pure white colouring of the boar. The cross is a longer 

 pig than the Berkshire, cleaner in the shoulder, but with much the 

 same conformation elsewhere. A common plan is to use all the 

 longest and deepest sows of the first cross for breeding baconers- 



