Book VII. 



VARIETIES OF SWINE. 



1017 



687 



gmaller breeds are most esteemed for pickling, and are, beyond all doubt, most profitable to those 

 farmers who allow them little else than the range of the farm-yard, and the offals of the kitchen 



6541. The Berkshire breed {fig. 687.) is distinguished by being 

 in general of a tawny, white, or reddish color ; sfjotted with 

 black ; large ears hanging over the eyes ; thick, close, and 

 well made in the body ; legs short ; small in the bone ; having 

 a disposition to fatten quickly j and when well fed, the flesh is 

 tine. Berkshire has been long famous for its breed of swine, 

 which, as it now stands, is, in the third class, in point of size, 

 excellent in all respects, but particularly as a cross for heavy, 

 slow-feeding sorts. It has extended itself from the district 

 from which it takes its name, over most parts of Ithe island ; 

 is the sort mostly fattened at the distilleries ; feeds to a great 

 weight ; is good for either pork or bacon ; and is supposed by 

 many as the most hardy, both in respect to their nature and the 

 food on which they are fed. 



6542. The Hampshire breed {fig. 688.) are large, longer in the body and neck, but not of so compact a 

 form as the Berkshire; they are mostly of a white color, or spotted, and are well disposed to fatten, coming 

 up to a great weight when properly managed in respect to food. Law- ggg 



rence says they are generally dark spotted, some black, of a ^longer 

 and flatter make than those of Berks, ears more pointed, head long 

 and sharp, resembling the Essex. 



6543. The Shropshire breeUis another large breed of hogs, which 

 are found valuable where the keep is in sufficient abundance for 

 their support. They are not so well formed as those of the Berk- 

 shire kind, or equal to them in their disposition to fatten, or to be 

 supported on such cheap food. The standard color of this breed is 

 white, or brindled : Shropshire has long bred stores for the supply of . 

 the London feeders, and of the Essex farmers, who thus turn their ' 

 clovers to the most profitable account. 



6544. The Gloucestershire breed is likewise a larger breed, but inferior to either of the above, being tall 

 and long in shape, and by no means so well formed. The color is in general white. It has two wattles 

 hanging from the throat, 



689 6545. The Herefordshire breed {fig. 689.) is also a large useful breed, 



but perhaps without possessing any advantage over those that have 

 been described above. 



6546. The Rudgwick breed is a large kind of swine, which the au- 

 thor of the Survey of Middlesex says, is the largest in the island, met 

 with at the village of that name, on the borders of Sussex and Surrey. 

 They feed to an extraordinary size, and weigh, at two years old, 

 nearly double or triple the usual weight of other sorts of hogs of that 

 age. As large breeds pay the farmers best in many cases, such a 

 breed deserves to be attended to in the system of hog manage- 

 ment. 



6547. The large spotted Woburn breed is a breed introduced by the 

 late Duke of Bedford, being large in size and of various colors. It is a hard, well formed prolific sort, 

 rising quickly to a large weight. 



6548. The Wiltshire breed is a long-bodied, low hog, hollow about the shoulder, and high on the rump, 

 middling large pointed ears, round bone, light in color. 



6549. Yorkshire breed. This, in the old breed, was probably the worst large variety we had ; extremely 

 long-legged and weak-loined, their constitution not of the soundest ; and bad stye .pigs in the winter sea- 

 son ; they were yet quicker feeders than some of the superior breeds. They have been improving some 

 years from the Berkshire cross, but are still inferior to the north-western stock, rendering a less price at 

 market. 



65.70. The Northainptonshire breed was formerly a handsome, light-eared, white, deep-sided pig, with 

 middling bone, and quick of proof: the breeders have since tried the new Leicester. 



6551. The Leicestershire breed is, in the original stock, large, deep, and flat-sided, light-spotted, with 

 rather handsome head and ear. The Bakewell variety has much merit 



6552. The Lincolnshire breed was formerly light-colored and white, like those of Northamptonshire, 

 many of them having curled and wooly coats. They are middle-sized, quick-proving pigs. 



655.'3. The Norfolk breed is, a small, short, up-eared porking sort, various in color, white, bluish, 

 striated; generally an inferior kind, which it would be to the interest of that great corn county to im- 

 prove ; they are, however, of a thin-skinned, quick proving kind. Butin the vicinity of Lynn, and ge- 

 nerally on the Lincoln side of the county, there is a larger spotted variety of very good form and quality, 

 which should be encouraged. 



goQ 6554. Suffolk breed {fig. 690.). This is a small delicate white pig, which 



has for many years had'great reputation, and at this time there is not 

 only a strong prejudice in their favor in their own county, but they 

 have many advocates out of it. They are shorter, and more pug-form- 

 ed than the Norfolks, and by their dish-face, and pendent belly, it may 

 be supposed, that the variety proceeded originally from the white Chi- 

 nese. Some of the Suffolks are very handsome, and very regularly shaped ; 

 their defects are, that they are great consumers in proportion to their 

 small bulk, and that they produce little flesh. 



Ci555. The Essex breed arc? up-eared, with long sharp heads, roach, 

 backed, carcases flat, long, and generally high upon the leg, bone not 

 large, color .vhite, or black and white, bare of hair, quick feeders, but 

 great consumers, and of an unquiet disposition. 



6556 The small white English breed is met with m many districts ; it is of a white color, thick, com- 

 pact and well made in the body ; short in the leg ; the head and neck well formed, and the ears slouch- 

 ing a little downwards. It is well disposed to fatten, and perfectly hardy. It prevails much in the nor- 

 thern districts. ,.,, . , 



6557. Swing-tailed breed . This is an useful sort of the smaller kind of hogs, hardy m its nature, and ot 

 considerable weight in projwrtion to its size. 



6558. There are many other varieties and subvarieties in England which it is unne- 

 cessary to notice here. Donaldson remurks, that the Berkshire and Hampshire hogs are 

 the largest ; but that it is most probably from the Berksliire stock, that the greatest num- 

 ber of the varieties of the country have sprung. 



6559. Of the Highland breeds^ that of the Hebrides, supposed by Dr. Walker to be the 

 original, is of the smallest size, neither white nor yellow, but of a uniform grey color 



