suffole: noG.j 



PIGS, 



[tokkshire ho a. 



has been greatly the means of preserving its 

 high reputation. 



THE SUFFOLK HOG. 



Mr. Eichardson, with some other writers, 

 thinks that the Suffolk hog is the most nearly 

 allied to the Chinese; and Mr. Loudon de- 

 scribes it as a small, delicate, white pig, which, 

 lor many years, has enjoyed a great reputa- 

 lion. It is shorter, he says, and more pug- 

 Tormed than the Norfolks; and, by its dish- 

 face and pendent belly, it may be supposed 

 that the variety proceeded originally from the 

 white Chinese. Some of tliem are extremely 

 handsome, and very regularly shaped. Otliers 

 Jiave observed, that the Suffolk is the best 

 bred race in England; but whether such be 

 the case or not, is a matter of opinion. " The 

 present breed of Suflblk," says Mr. Eichard- 

 son, " or, at least, that which existed in that 

 county within the last few years, is a long, 

 straight-backed pig, with a broad forehead, 

 and short, bristly hair; appearing large and 

 heavy from its extreme length." Prince Albert 

 was very successful with a cross of the Suffolk 

 and Bedford. 



The improvement in the Suffolk breed con- 

 sists in small and light oftals, with greater 

 length being obtained. It is a white pig, and, 

 on several occasions, has figured popularly in 

 the Smithfield Club Show; but the most cele- 

 brated pigs are quite black. Mr. Crisp, of 

 Butly Abbey, a distinguished Suflblk breeder, 

 reared both black and white pigs. The best 

 Suffolks now, however, are Torkshire-C umber- 

 lands, which have settled in the county, and 

 have found their way to Windsor. 



THE YORKSHIRE HOG. 



The old Yorkshire pig was a large, narrow 

 animal, having a strong coat of white hair, and 

 a few pale-blue spots on the skin, the hair 

 on these being white. It was long-headed, 

 great-eared, long-logged, and strong in the 

 bone. A long period elapsed before it attained 

 its full growth, when it could bo fr.ttcucJ up 

 to 800 lbs. ; but it is doubtful if this could be 

 done with profit. The first step taken for the 

 improvement of this breed, was the introduc- 

 tion of tlie white Leicesters to Yorkshire. 

 These were a large species; but their heads 

 were smaller than the old sort ; their ears erect ; 

 7UU 



their hair finer ; their bone smaller, but with a 

 carcass less deep, and not so full in fiesh. The 

 white Leicesters were the great improvers of 

 the Yorkshire large breed, which is now prin- 

 cipally confined to the northern part of the 

 county. On the introduction of the Leices- 

 ters, in the early part of the present century, 

 they were carefully bred from until several 

 admirable qualities were obtained — viz., early 

 maturity, beautiful proportion, and a constant 

 fatness, even from the time of their birth. 

 The difficulty with this breed is, how to keep 

 them poor, as the sows have enough to breed 

 and suckle their offspring. This species is 

 denominated the swjfl^Z treed; and the spinners 

 and artisans of the large towns, more particu- 

 larly those of Bradford and Leeds, discover 

 great skill in breeding them. In a new edition 

 of Mr. Youatt's work, we find it stated, that 

 in the "West Eiding, the competition in pigs 

 is keener than in any other part of England. 

 There is scarcely a town which has not its pig 

 and pouitry show, where prizes are presented 

 for pigs reared by working-men, with rules 

 that entirely exclude shopkeepers and small 

 tradesmen. The breed of these competitors 

 is usually of the large or middle-size; and 

 the prizes contended for are — for the first, 

 £4; second, £3; third, £2; fourth, £1. 

 The Keighley Agricultural Association keep 

 a van for conveying the pigs of the exhibi- 

 tors to their shows; and the following de- 

 tails from Mr. Youatt's work, edited by Mr. 

 Samuel Sydney, places, in a graphic point 

 of view, the enthusiasm which pervades the 

 minds of some of the small pig-breeding fan- 

 ciers of Yorkshire. "One evening in August, 

 1858, a stout labouring woman left her home 

 iu Airedale, accompanied by her only sow and. 

 her litter of pigs, on a journey (by rail) of 

 sixty-five miles, to the city of York, where the 

 Yorkshire Agricultural Society held its show 

 that year. She bore with her the wliite 

 rosettes of several previous victories of her 

 treasure, 'Lady Kate;' but on this occasion 

 fortune did not smile on her, and ' hwAy Kale' 

 suffered her first defeat. Although, however, 

 she did not win the prize, she carried tiie 

 public pig-breeding opinion so far witli her, 

 that she was able to sell all * Lady Kate's' 

 suckers at £5 a-head. When, next month, 

 the Keighley and Shipton shows arrived, * Lady 



