LECTURE NO. 8. 



POLAND-CHINAS ORIGIN AND HISTORY, CHARAC- 

 TERISTICS AND STANDARD POINTS. 



ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 



I. The Poland-China breed of swine origi- 

 nated chiefly in the counties of Warren and Butler, 

 in the Miami valley in the state of Ohio. 



(1) For many years various names were applied to ani- 

 mals of this breed, as: Magie, Butler County, Warren County, 

 Miami Valley, Poland, Poland and China, Great Western, 

 Shaker, Union Village, Dick's Creek, Gregory's Creek, and 

 others. 



(2) It was decided at the National Swine Breeders' con- 

 vention held at Indianapolis in 1872 that the breed should be 

 known as the Poland-China, and this designation is now pretty 

 generally accepted. 



II. Formation of the Poland-China breed. 



(1) The foundation animals were the common stocks of 

 the country, essentially of very mixed breeding. 



(2) These were more or less crossed with the Russia, the 

 Byfield and the Big Chinas, all of which existed in Warren 

 county prior to 1820. 



(3) The Berkshire cross, introduced in 1835 and subse- 

 quently, gave the black color, improved symmetry and increased 

 activity, and imparted additional strength to the limbs. 



(4) The Irish Grazier cross, introduced in 1839, gave 

 improved grazing qualities and increased hardihood. 



(5) No out-crosses have been used since 1845. 



III. The improvers of Poland-Chinas. 



(1) No one person stands out pre-eminently as the 

 founder of the breed, though several have sought that dis- 

 tinction. 



(2) The Shakers of Union Village, Warren county, O., 

 are to be credited with much of the improvement made in the 

 early years of the century. 



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