THE TAMWORTH PIG. 477 



shown by their exhibits, at the leading exhibitions, that yonng 

 Tamworths will grow and fatten at the same time. The 

 Tarn worth is really a large pig, and, remembering the great 

 improvements which have been recently made by such breeders 

 as Mr. Allender, we shall not be surprised to find, in a few years, 

 sows which will exceed a weight of 8001b., which the Tamworths 

 have reached in the early days. At the same time we would 

 rather see them grow in size than manifest a greater capacity 

 to fatten, for they are above all things a bacon pig, and their 

 flesh is equalled by that of no other variety in the even distri- 

 bution of the fat and lean. Tamworth breeders have to bear in 

 mind that their favourite speciality is in connection with this 

 point — hence great care will need to be exercised both in 

 modifying the type and the size of the pig. The Tamworth has 

 a long body for its size, together with great depth of side, but 

 it does not equal the white pigs in either chops or ham, if 

 regarded from the point of view of size. At the same time the 

 quality of the ham is undeniably good. Mr. Allender has made 

 a step in the right direction in improving the hams, for he has 

 obtained them of the weight of 201b. cured and dried from pigs 

 not seven months old. With regard to the chops, which are 

 decidedly weak, it may be remarked that they undoubtedly 

 accompany the highest type of bacon pig, and we should regard 

 any attempt to improve them, or to materially shorten the snout, 

 as detrimental to the variety, for full chops should be accom- 

 panied, to some extent, by a greater amount of fat with which 

 the lean would be less perfectly interlarded. Tamworths of 

 high type can be made to reach a weight of 3001b. at six months 

 of age with ease, and 5001b. at twelve months, and this alone 

 should show that although they are far from being common 

 out of their special locality, they are a breed which cannot be 

 despised by anyone. The Berkshire has long been claimed as 

 the bacon curer's special variety, but there is plenty of evidence 

 from men who have abandoned the black for the red pig, 

 showing that the latter is superior for conversion into bacon; 

 and a letter which was written by an important bacon curing 

 firm in the West of England at the end of 1886, offering to their 

 customers a premium upon pigs sent to them with a minimum 

 quantity of fat, is sufficiently suggestive of the fact that the 



