194 BREED HISTORIES 



The second volume of the Canadian Swine Breeders' Record, 

 published in 1893, has the first recording of Tamworths in America, 

 imported in 1889 by John Bell L'Amoroux, Ont, Canada. The 

 breed became very popular throughout Canada, and the writer at 

 one time while visiting the Toronto Exposition, the great Canadian 

 fair, saw more Tamworths on exhibition than any other one breed 

 of swine. How long previously to this if any there were Tamworths 

 in Canada the writer has been unable to ascertain. 



We find in 1881 Thos. Bennett, Rossville, 111., imported from 

 England some purebred Tamworths. Since this introduction into 

 the United States the Tamworth has been slowly making gains. 

 The appearance of the animal has been against it, and much unjust 

 criticism, both through intent and ignorance, has been cast upon the 

 breed. 



Chief Characteristics. For decades before the introduction of 

 bacon hogs the American people had become fixed admirers of the 

 lard types with their rather short, thick, plump, smooth bodies and 

 short heads, necks and limbs. The Tamworth conformation inclined 

 to the opposite type. The wide divergence from appearance stand- 

 point has undoubtedly militated against them, even in the face of 

 logical reasoning from an economic standpoint. The Tamworths, 

 contrary to the opinion of some, are docile, tractable animals, 

 responding, as all animals do, to the character of the, treatment 

 accorded them. The Tamworth is possessed in an unexcelled degree 

 of the qualities of good motherhood, including ease of conception, 

 large litters, abundant milk supply and attentiveness to young. 

 It is particularly well adapted for the purposes of cross-breeding in 

 the production of intermediate types. 



The Tamworth is pre-eminently a bacon hog. The dressed car- 

 cass may be cut up on the local dealer's block, and retailed with 

 little labor and expense in converting the by-products into market- 

 able goods. The Tamworth products a maximum amount of bacon 

 from its long, lean, deep sides, which are not unduly covered with 

 fat. The hams and shoulders, being devoid of an excess of fat, 

 meet with favor on the market. 



From the standpoint of economic production there is no reliable 

 data on record to prove that it costs more to produce a given weight 

 with the bacon than the lard type of hogs. A number of compara- 

 tive tests have been made by several institutions, and the results go 

 to show that the Tamworth is capable of holding its own. 



Standing of the Breed. The following data were collected by 

 Geo. M. Rommel of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 and published in Bulletin No. 47 of the Department of Agriculture. 

 Experiments were made with six breeds, at eight different experi- 

 ment stations, with reference to the number of pounds of feed con- 

 sumed to make 100 pounds of gain. It appears that the Tamworth 

 is capable of holding its own with the best of the breeds. 



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