THE PIG 



203 



is not driven but carried from place to place 

 in a kind of cradle, or basket hung on a pole 

 between two men ; and as swine are often ob- 

 stinate when about to enter these cradles, "the 

 heathen Chinee," it is said, sometimes adopts a 

 peculiar mode of loading. This is accomplished 

 by placing the pig in front of the pen, when the 

 owner vigorously pulls at the pig's tail and in 

 the spirit of opposition the animal darts into 

 the desired place. At the end of the journey 

 he is driven out by spitting in his face. 



Turkey, Syria, Persia, and Arabia have 

 each different varieties of pigs, iron-gray, black, 

 or brown in color, the bodies small and round 

 in shape and of no great size. They are not 

 raised in any great numbers, however, 

 because of the nature of the soil and of 

 the prevalence of the Mohammedan reli- 

 gion, which forbids the use of swine flesh. 



Swine are scarce in Africa and of little 

 value e.xcept in the northern part, where 

 there is bred a reddish hog of good size 

 and of rather square form. This breed, 

 known as "Guinea," has been imported 

 into Brazil and into other countries. 



The Malta pig is black and of small 

 stature ; the skin is smooth, the hair fine 

 and almost wanting. The quality of the 

 flesh is good and of delicate taste. Spain has 

 but few varieties, and these are somewhat 

 similar to the Chinese, from which stock they 

 have probably sprung. Italy is noted for her 

 pigs. The Maltese and Neapolitan are both 

 of rather small size, but are of good quality 

 and flavor. These breeds are small and nearly 

 destitute of hair; they are easily fattened, and 

 because of their quality they have been sought 

 in other countries, where they are used in the 

 creation of other breeds. 



The hog stock of France and Germany is 

 much inferior to our own or the English breeds, 

 the common stock being long-legged, gaunt, 

 coarse, and uncouth, resembling the wild boar 

 in form, but lacking the flavor and quality of 

 the latter. Improved varieties, however, are 

 found in both countries. 



England ranks first in the improvement of 

 swine. Our best breeds have come from 



England, or have been built uj) from the old 

 English stock. Foreign and native breeds 

 entered into the formation of noted English 

 breeds of hogs, but the improvement has been 

 effected there by careful, painstaking breeders. 

 Of present English breeds the Yorkshire, large 

 and small, has many admirers and is gain- 

 ing constantly in favor. The large breed was 

 improved by an introduction of blood of the 

 white Leicester, an old slab-sided but large 

 native hog ; and further improved by the 

 introduction of blood of the improved white 

 hogs at "Castle Howard." The improved 

 Esse.x is at present a popular breed both in 

 England and America. It is the product of a 



FiCS .AT HoMlC 



cross between the old Essex and the Neapoli- 

 tan, which was commenced by Lord Western 

 in 1839. 



III. The Pig in America 



It naturally follows, since the hog is not a 

 native of this continent, that the ancestors of 

 our many families and breeds must have been 

 imported. They found here a land of corn and 

 clover, two foods which the hog likes and which 

 when fed to him produce quick and profitable 

 returns. 



The first pigs that influenced the earlier 

 inferior stock in way of improvement were a 

 pair sent by the Duke of Bedford to General 

 Washington. This pair was never delivered, 

 however, but kept by the English farmer who 

 brought them over, who leased a farm and be- 

 gan the breeding of these choice animals. De- 

 scendants of this pair were used largely in the 



