TUK BKUKSHTKE iioQ.; AND TIIKIR VAKIOUS BUEEDS. tiik ueuksiiihe iiuo. 



produces a most valuable stock. A cross be- 

 twceu tlio NoapolitfUi niul iKM-kshire breed is 

 also in his^li esteem. A breed between the 

 Berkshire, Chiueae, and Neapolitan, may, by 

 careful eeleetion, produce every quality wliicii 

 can bo desireil — •'reat tecundity, an early ac- 

 quisition of fat, and moderato size, with ad- 

 mirable form and proportions. Mr. Cully 

 asserts, that there are, in this country, only 

 three true varieties of the domesticated lion; — 

 the Berkshire, the Chinese, and the lii<j;hland, 

 or Irish ; and that all other breeds, altlioufjh 

 they have a separate description, are nothing 

 more than ofl'-shoots from one or other of these 

 three main stocks. In some degree this may 

 be true ; but these themselves, must, at the 

 same time, be regarded as only oft'-ahoots 

 from the great original wild stock. To dis- 

 tinguish these, therefore, as the primitive 

 breeds to which we are indebted for all the i 

 other breeds now grown in Britain, is to i 

 give them a distinction which can hardly be | 

 said to belong to them. Indeed, the fact of j 

 the matter is, that we are not only indebted 

 to these breeds for the numerous varieties 

 amongst us, but to the Spanish, Portuguese, 

 Italian, and African hogs, as well as to the 

 wild boar of the large forests of Europe. 



THE BERKSHIRE HOG. 



Berkshire was the first county to avail itself 

 of the opportunity of improvement afforded by 

 the introduction of foreign stock ; and among 

 the black breeds, the improved Berkshire 

 stands at the top of the list, either for breed- 

 ing pure, or crossing with other breeds of in- 

 ferior qualities. The old breed is said to be 

 now extinct ; but, for a long period, it had a high 

 reputation, and held a prominent place among 

 breeders or rearers of swine. The improved 

 Berkshires are almost all traced back to the 

 herd of Lord Barrington, who died in 1S29. 

 In Mr. Touatt's treatise on the pig, we find it 

 remarked, that the improved race is now con- 

 sidered, by the Berkshire farmers, to have de- 

 viated into a middle-sized and a small-sized 

 breed. To rank in the first class, they should be 

 well covered with long, black, silky hair ; whilst 

 the white should have only four white feet, a 

 white spot between the eyes, and a few white 

 hairs behind each shoulder. 



The old race of Berkshires had' a long and 



crooked snout, witli tiio muzzle taking; an up> 

 ward turn ; tlio cars were large and heavy, with 

 u 8lii,'lit inelination to be pendulous ; the body 

 was not deep, but long and thick ; whilttt tho 

 legs were short, the bono largo, and tho sizo 

 enormous. Tho modern improved Berkahiro 

 is an animal of large size, wi»ich, to bo fully 

 developed, should not be allowed to breed 

 until it is over a year old. Mr. Sadler, one of 

 tho most successful improvers of Berkshires, 

 considers the improved breed superior to anj" 

 other black breed for size, quality, hardness o^ 

 constitution, Iruitfulness, early maturity, and 

 aptitude to fatten. Tho Kev. T. C. James, 

 one of the judges of pigs at the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society's show at Warwick, in 18-39. 

 says, that "the improved Berkshire is a good 

 big animal, well calculated to produce a pro- 

 fitable llitch. A good little pig is very well, 

 but a good big pig is better, if with aptitude 

 to fatten. Two exhibited at Chelmsford, in 

 1856 (of Sadler's breed), weighed each twelve 

 score at seven months old ; and, with that 

 weight, were of such good constitution, that 

 tiiey were well upon their legs. They had 

 walking exercise in an orchard every day while 

 fattening." The Mr. Sadler alluded to in this 

 passage, resides at Bentham, near Crickdalc, 

 and is one of the most successful improvers ot 

 Berkshires: his original stock all came from 

 the herd of Lord Barrington. Speaking of 

 the Berkshire breed, Mr. Loudon says, "that 

 they are, in general, of a tawny, white, or 

 reddish colour, spotted with black ; large ears 

 hanging over the eyes ; thick, close, and well- 

 made in the body ; short legs ; small in the 

 bone, with a disposition quickly to fatten, and, 

 when well fed, producing fine flesh. This 

 county has long been famous for its breed of 

 swine, which are excellent in all respects, but 

 particularly so as a cross for heavy, slow-feed- 

 ing sorts. It has extended itself from tho 

 district from which it takes its name, over 

 most parts of the island ; is the sort mostly 

 fattened at the distilleries ; feeds to a great 

 weight ; is good either for pork or bacon ; and 

 is supposed by many to be the most hardy, 

 botli in respect to its nature and the food 

 on which it is fed." Mr. Bakewell, the founder 

 of the new Leicester sheep, was a great im- 

 prover of domestic swine. 



"Before his time," says Mr. Martin, "tho 



763 



