ESSEX. 



321 



excused from close acquaintance with a hog that gets too lean ; ten- 

 dency to fatten quickly means giving a greater return for food invested. 

 In an experiment conducted under the direction of the Author, 1884, it 

 was found that it took the following weights of food to produce 100 

 pounds of gain live weight with representatives of four different 

 breeds : 



Essex 285 pounds to produce 100 pounds gain. 



Duroc-Jersey 296 



Poland-China 300 



Berkshire 485 



The Duroc-Jerseys were not quite pure-bred, having a strain of 

 Poland-China in their veins ; the Berkshires were placed at a disadvan- 

 tage by reason of a slight indisposition, so that really they should be 

 thrown out of the experiment altogether, but the Essex thoroughbreds 

 showed the high assimilating power of the breed in a very substantial 

 manner. For the Southern farmer, we cannot recommend a better hog 

 than the Essex, unless the Duroc-Jerseys shall, as they promise, still 



ESSEX SOW. 



Property of FRANK WILSON, Jackson, Mich. 



further improve. An American-Essex Breeders' Association has been 

 organized, F. M. Srout, of McLean, 111., secretary, and the following 

 Scale of Points has been adopted : 



Color 2 



Head 3 



Ears 2 



Jowl i 



Neck 3 



Shoulders 7 



Girth around heart 6 



Back 12 



Sides 6 



Ribs 7 



Forward 

 21 



49 



Forward 49 



Loin 12 



Flank 2 



Ham 12 



Tail 2 



Legs 3 



Feet 3 



Hair 3 



Symmetry 10 



Action 4 



Perfection . . 100 



