20 HAKKIS ON THE PIG. 



larger scale than the generality of farmers. What I 

 wanted, and what my farm required, was a quantity of 

 good manure. I first tried buying stores in the neighbor- 

 hood, but soon gave that up, as they were chiefly of the 

 large breed, and required too much food and liberty. I 

 had no alternative but to breed my own stores. With a 

 view to find a profitable sort, I purchased a few of the 

 best from different breeders of note, and kept them sepa- 

 rate, and also a few stores of each sort together, living on 

 the same kind of food. I also tried the different crosses ; 

 but, to get the cross, I must have pure stock at first ; so I 

 considered it best to keep to a pure breed. I tried the 

 Essex, the black Leicester, the Berkshire, the large York- 

 shire, the small Yorkshire, and lastly the Cumberland 

 small breed. I must confess that at the outset I had but 

 little experience to guide me ; not understanding the prin- 

 ciples of breeding, I committed many foolish mistakes, 

 which I paid dearly enough for ; and if these few lines 

 should meet the eye of any one wishful to form and keep 

 a breed of pigs, I shall be glad for such a man to profit 

 by the experience of another. I never expected pigs to 

 live on nothing : because the manure made from pigs liv- 

 ing on nothing would be worth nothing, and it was good 

 manure I was aiming at. I found any breed pay, except 

 the large breeds. All the crosses having the small breed 

 for the sire always paid : whichever breed is intended to 

 be kept, the best bred ones should be obtained. I do not 

 advocate breeding in-and-in ; but I do advocate, if you 

 want to maintain the same style of animal, generation after 

 generation, to cross with the same blood, but as far dis- 

 tant as you can get it. I do not know a better sign of 

 pure breeding than a litter of pigs all alike, or three or 

 four sisters breeding alike to the same boar. "When the 

 breed is obtained, one thing must always be kept in mind, 

 the first boar a sow is put to, influences the succeeding lit- 

 ters for three or four times. 



