OF THE COUNTY OF DOWN. 207 



when they are dear, fucking pigs are cheap, and vice 

 verfa. Befides thefe, numbers are brought every fpring 

 from the weft of Ireland, to be fattened here : the 

 breed of fwine in that part of the kingdom is much 

 fuperior to ours, having the advantage both in fize and 

 fhape. Our breed, however, is improving, and the 

 long-legged, curvilinear-backed, flat-fided, tottering 

 animal is now giving place to a more compact and 

 robuft creature, that not only takes flefh fafter, but is 

 alfo able to carry its flefh. The ihort-legged Dutch 

 breed is in high fafliion at prefent, and very defervedly 

 fo ; for they certainly have a fupericjr talent of turning 

 the fmallefl quantity of food into the greateft quantity 

 of pork in a given time. I mufl here do juflice to the 

 exertions of two gentlemen, who have lately imported 

 from England, at a confiderable expenfe, a boar and 

 fow each of the true Berkfhire breed; they are very 

 fine animals, in every thing a complete contraft to the 

 old tottering breed above mentioned, which is the 

 higheft encomium, that can be patted on them. 



;V SECT. 5. Rabbits. 



RABBITS, as flock, are moflly confined to the neigh- 

 bourhood of Dundrum; the ground there being fandy 

 is well adapted to them ; in Murtogh they are fo in- 

 termingled with the other flock, it would be difficult 



to 



