510 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. XLI. 



the sides of which, when he was killed at somewhat more than two years 

 and a half old, weighed forty one score four pounds — or 103 stone — dead 

 weight, exclusive of the head and feet; but of late years a more delicate 

 species has been brought into vogue, by crosses with smaller kinds, and 

 the native race has now nearly disappeared from the county. 



The Wobur7i breed, reared by the late Duke of Bedford, from some mixed 

 breeds which have not been distinctly stated, is white, mixed with various 

 colours, well formed, round in the carcase, small limbed and headed, hardy, 

 very prolific, and so kindly disposed to fatten, that they are said to have 

 attained to nearly twice the weight of some other hogs within the same 

 given period of time*. 



The Dishley's, which are supposed to be partly descended from crosses 

 of the Berkshire and Chinese, and were at one time as celebrated as any 

 other of Bakewell's stock, are remarkably fine-boned and delicate. They 

 also possess considerable beauty, and are said to lay on a larger quantity of 

 meat in proportion to bone and offal, than any other kind known — being, 

 when fat, nearly equal in height, length, and thickness ; their bellies almost 

 touching the ground, and their eyes scarcely to be seen for fat : the whole 

 carcase, indeed, appearing to be a solid mass of fleshf. To this, however, 

 is to be opposed the defects of being neither very prolific, nor very good 

 nurses ; slow of growth ; tender constitutioned ; and requiring more food in 

 fattening than the larger breedsj. 



Notwithstanding these objections, improvement has been made on several 

 of the native breeds of the different counties by crosses v/ith a Dishley boar ; 

 by which a roundness has been given to the frame with a proportionable 

 depth of body. Their legs have also been shortened ; a finer bone produced, 

 with a better appearance when growing as a store; and a disposition to feed 

 quicker and more kindly in the sty. By a farther cross with the Chinese, 

 these breeds have been considerably reduced in size ; but advantages have 

 arisen in the habits and constitution of the animal, which, when fattened, 

 will, at eighteen months old, generally weigh from 16 to 20 score per hog§. 



PROCREATION. 



The animals, when collectively spoken of, are usually called either swine, 

 hogs, or pigs, but, when distinctively named, the male, when not castrated, 

 is termed a " boar," and the female a " sow ;" their progeny being, while 

 very young, styled " sucking pigs," and, when a little more advanced, 

 " porkers." According to the experiments of M. Teissier, on the gesta- 

 tion of animals — to which we have already alluded — it appears that the ex- 

 treme periods of 25 sows were 109 and 143 days ; from which it might be 

 inferred that, on an average, they go 127 days, from the time of taking the 

 boar until they farrow : experience however proves, that they most commonly 

 farrow within little more than sixteen weeks. M. Teissier, indeed, observes, 

 that the extent of gestation is, in many species, extremely various ; and that 



* Complete Grazier, p. 297, with a portrait of one exhibited at the Cattle Show. 



f Survey of Leicestershire, p. 295. 



+ In consequence of the eucomiumspassed upon this breed, Mr. Knight, of Downton, 

 was induced to try comparative experiments between some of them and hogs of the mixed 

 Shropshire and Berkshire species ; both kinds being fed ahke. The Dishley's kept them- 

 selves in better condition than the others, but grew so slowly, that at the end of twelve 

 months they were greatly inferior in weight to their competitors. 



In another experiment they fattened v/ell, but the quantity of food which they con- 

 sumed, was proportionably greater than a single hog of Mr. Knight's, whose weight was 

 more than equal to that of Bakewell's two. — Herefordshire Rep. p. 133. 



§ Vancouver's Devonshire, p. 355. 



