THE MODERN ENGLISH BREEDS OF PIGS. 97 



the York-Cumberlands bred at Coleshill, by the Earl of 

 Radnor, who had stock from Earl Ducie, who had stock 

 from Mr. Wyley, of Bransby, Yorkshire, and Mr. Brown, 

 of Cumberland, for more than twenty years. The Coles- 

 hills, between 1847 and 1850, had great success at the 

 Smithfield Club Shows ; since that time, they seem to 

 have somewhat lost their reputation, and two of my York- 

 shire correspondents describe them as * toys.' ' At one 

 time they were of a good size, but they have by no means 

 maintained the even character that would entitle them to 

 the name of a breed." When any of Lord Radnor's stock 

 pass into other hands in England, the produce generally 

 ceases to be called Coleshill s. They become Suffolks, 

 Yorkshires, Middlesex, according to the fancy of the 

 breeder. They are esteemed, and much better known 

 among the fashionable pig-breeders in France than in 

 England, and there their opponents term them ' drawing- 

 room pigs ' (cochons de salon). The Coleshills carried 

 off first prizes and gold medals at the Smithfield Shows 

 in 1846 and 1847, and second prizes in 1844, 1845, 1847, 

 and 1850. 



" The BUSHEY BREED are white, bred by the wealthy 

 banker, Mr. Majoribanks, and were long called York- 

 shires, and have recently been named after their place of 

 birth. They have no distinctive character to distinguish 

 them from their competitors. 



" The BUCKINGHAMSHIRE took the first Smithfield prize 

 in 1840, but in these and many other names it is difficult 

 to find any distinctive character." 



This is additional evidence, if any were needed, that 

 the most successful prize-winners resort to crossing. The 

 whole system of awarding prizes to pigs needs a thorough 

 revision. As it now stands, it is simply a means of ena- 

 bling breeders to sell highly fed, cross-bred " toys " at 

 high prices. The " Prince Albert Suffolks," which we now 

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