Boo* VII. BREEDING AND REARING OF SWINE. \or>9 



729'5. 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 colour. 



7:"+. 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 sty-pigs in the winter 

 season -"they were vet quicker f\ eders than some of the superior breeds. They have beer, improving some 

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



7295. The Xorthamptonshire 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. 



7 l 296. The Leicestershire breed is, in the original stock, large, deep, and flat-s.ded, light-spotted, with 

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



7-97. The Lincolnshire breed was formerly light-coloured and white, like those of Northamptonshire, 

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



7298. The Xo>fo/k breed is a small, short, up-eared porking sort, various in colour, white, bluish, 

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

 prove ; they are,'however, of a thin-skinned, quick-proving kind. But in the vicinity of Lynn, and 

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

 which should be encouraged. 



7299. Suffolk breed. (Jig. 904.) This is a small, delicate, white pig, which has for many years had great 



qq4 reputation ; and at this time there is not only a strong prejudice in 



their favour in their own county, but they have many advocates out 

 of it. They are shorter and more pug-formed than the Norfolks, and 

 by their dish-face, and pendent belly, it may be supposed that the 

 variety proceeded originally from the white Chinese. Some of the 

 Suffolks are very handsome, and very regularly shaped. 



7300. The Essex breed are up-eared, with long sharp heads, roach- 

 ba< ked, carcasses flat, long, and generally high upon the leg, bone not 

 large, colour white, or black and white, bare of hair, quick feeders, 

 but great consumers, and of an unquiet disposition. 



7301. The small, white, English breed is met with in many districts ; 



it is of a white colour, thick, compact, 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 

 northern districts. 



7302. Siring-tailed breed. This is a useful sort of the smaller kind of hogs, hardy in its nature, and of 

 considerable weight in proportion to its size. 



7:303. There are many other varieties and subvarieties in England which it is unnecessary to notice here. 

 Donaldson remarks, that the Berkshire and Hampshire hogs are the largest; but that it is most probably 

 from the Berkshire stock that the greatest number of the varieties of the country have sprung. 



7304. 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 colour, and shaggy, with long hair and 

 bristles ; they graze on the hills like sheep ; their sole food is herbage and roots, and on these they live 

 the whole year round, without shelter, and without receiving any other sustenance. In autumn, when 

 they are in the best order, their meat is excellent, and without any artificial feeding ; but when driven to 

 the low country, they fatten readily, and rise to a considerable bulk. {Walker's Hebrides, vol. ii. p. 17.) 

 In the Orkney islands they are commonly of a dark red or nearly black colour, and have long bristles, with 

 a sort of coarse wool beneath them. 



7305. The old Lrisli breed are a long-legged, thin-sided, lank, haggard, unprofitable sort of swine; but 

 where they have been crossed with the Berkshire, they are considerably improved. 



Sect. II. Breeding and Rearing of Swine. 

 7:506. In the breeding of swine, whatever be the variety, the most perfect and best 

 formed boar and sow should be chosen, and a due regard paid to their age, time of 

 copulation, period of gestation, farrowing, castrating or spaying, and weaning. 



7307. In choosing the boar and sow, regard must be had to their size, as well as perfection of form. 

 Where food is abundant, or the object of the progeny is the production of bacon and flitches, the larger 

 breeds, as already observed, are to be preferred : but where food is scarce or uncertain, as in the case of 

 the cottager's stock, or rearing for suckled pork, fresh pork, or pickled pork, the smaller breeds, as the 

 Berkshire, are to be preferred. A breeding sow ought to have a large capacious belly, and not to be too 

 much inclined to obesity. To check this tendency, some allow them to breed five times in two years. 



7308. The age of the boar should not be less than a year, as he will then be at his full growth ; nor that 

 of the female less than ten months. They may be used in breeding for three or five years, and then fed 

 off for the shambles. 



7309. The period of gestation in swine is about four months, so that two litters may be easily produced 

 in a year, five in two years, or ten in four years. 



7310 The best times for copulation are November and May ; because then the progeny are brought 

 forth in mild weather, and when green food is to be had. They should not be allowed to (arrow in winter, 

 as young pigs are exceedingly tender, and can with difficulty be preserved in very cold weather ; nor at a 

 time when food is scarce, as is generally the case upon corn farms in summer, if the stock of them is 

 large. When the object is suckled pigs for the shambles, copulation should be so contrived as to produce 

 parturition at all seasons. 



7311. The usual produce is from about eight to ten or twelve pigs in the large but more in the smaller 

 breeds, which in general bring the greatest number, and the most early. Twenty swine are estimated to 

 bring at an average seven pigs and a half each for their first litter ; "but the number varies much, and 

 many young pigs are lost soon after their birth by the unkindness of their dam, and b\ casualties, to which 

 they are more exposed than most other young animals. 



7312. The pregnant suine should be separated from the herd some time before she is expected to farrow- 

 carefully watched, and littered with a small quantity of dry short straw. Too much straw is improper) 

 both at the time of farrowing, and for a week or two afterwards, as the pigs are apt to nestle beneath it 

 unperceived by the sow, and are thus in danger of being smothered when she lies down. A breeding sow 

 should be well fed, particularly when nursing ; and it is advantageous earlv to accustom the pigs to feed 

 from a low trough on milk or other liquid food, mixed with meil or bran. Such of the pigs of both sexes 

 as are not to be kept for breeding are usually castrated or spayed when about a month old" and the whole 

 may be weaned at the end of six or seven weeks. 



7313. The food a/lowed to growing swine depends in almost every case upon the circumstances of their 

 owners; for, as already observed, it is a doubtful point whether swine will pay when all their food loth in 

 rearing and fatting is to be purchased. The cottager's pig must be contented with the scantv offals of his 

 kitchen and of his dairy, the produce generally of a single cow ; towards the end of autumn a few potatoes 

 are added for the purpose of preparing it for the slaughter, and perhaps a little meal is mixed with boiled 

 potatoes for a week or two before Such pigs, however, often thrive amazingly, make themselves mode- 

 rately fat, and form a most valuable addition to the winter stores of their owners. In the south-eastern 



