Swine 



409 



FIG. 181. Berkshire sow. 



Berkshire. One of the oldest breeds of swine is the Berk- 

 shire (Fig. 181). This is an English breed and the animals are 

 widely distributed in America, where they are very popular. 

 They are blue-black in color and most of them show six 



white points one on 



the face, the tip of the 

 tail, and the four feet. 

 An occasional splash of 

 white is found on the 

 forelegs. A solid black 

 color or white spots on 

 the body are objected 

 to by breeders. In size 

 the animals are a trifle 

 larger than the other 

 lard breeds. A mature 



boar, when fat, should weigh five hundred pounds and a mature 

 sow, four hundred pounds. The conformation is that of the lard- 

 type hog. The face is short and dished and the ears are short, 

 pointed, and usually erect. The Berkshire has been largely used 



for crossing with scrub 

 stock, as the animals work 

 marked improvement in 

 the offspring with what- 

 ever stock they are 

 crossed. In the corn-belt 

 states and in the South, 

 Berkshires are very pop- 

 ular. 



Poland-China. - - This 

 breed (Fig. 182) origi- 

 nated in the Miami Valley in Ohio as a result of crossing native 

 hogs with Berkshires. Careful selection of the offspring followed 

 with the result that to-day the Poland-China is a fixed type. The 

 animals are found in all parts of the country, but more especially 



FIG. 182. Poland-China sow. 



