THE MEDIUM BREEDS 



LECTURE NO. 7. 



THE BERKSHIRES ORIGIN AND HISTORY, CHARAC- 

 TERISTICS AND STANDARD POINTS. 



ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 



I. Berkshires are one of the oldest of the 

 improved breeds of swine. 



(1) They are so named from the county of Berkshire, 

 England, in which they have been numerously bred, but 



(2) The principal improvement of the breed was rather 

 made in Leicestershire and Staffordshire. 



II. The original Berkshires. 



(1) The original Berkshire was a large animal of similar 

 ancestry, probably, with the Tamworth. 



(2) It was somewhat coarse in body, but not so coarse 

 as the Old White hog of the northern counties, and had large 

 pendent ears. 



(3) The color was tawny, white or reddish brown, spot- 

 ted with black. 



III. When improvement was effected. 



(1) The Berkshires were brought to a considerable 

 degree of perfection in the last century. 



(2) From 1820 to 1830 very marked improvement was 

 effected by Lord Barrington and others. 



(3) They were first given a separate class at the Royal 

 Agricultural Society's show in 1862. 



IV. How improvement was effected. 



(1) The precise steps taken at the first to improve the 

 Berkshires are not very well known, but 



(2) It is now pretty generally conceded that Chinese, 



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