98 HARRIS ON THE PIG. 



learn are nothing but high-bred grades, have been intro- 

 duced into the United States. Perhaps the writer has 

 less cause than he supposed, to regret that one which he 

 kept until four years old, finally found her way to the 

 pork barrel without ever breeding a single pig. 



CHAPTER XI. 



BREEDS OF PIGS IN THE UNITED STATES. 



We have no " native " American pig. Our stock origin- 

 ally came from Europe, and principally from Great 

 Britain. And it is highly probable that the largest and 

 best specimens of the period were brought over by the 

 colonists ; and as improvements were afterwards effected 

 in England, good animals of the improved breeds were 

 imported. 



Attempts have also been made to improve our pigs by 

 using Chinese boars and their crosses ; and there can be 

 no doubt that individual breeders in this way succeeded 

 in effecting a great improvement in the early maturity and 

 fattening qualities of their stock. But although these 

 attempts attracted considerable attention at the time, the 

 pigs so obtained were never generally popular. They 

 were too small and delicate for the prevailing taste of the 

 period. 



In 1832, the Improved Berkshires were introduced into 

 the United States, and soon attracted the attention they 

 so well deserved. In the course of half a dozen years, 

 they were introduced into nearly every State in the 

 Union. Breeders became excited. The agricultural pa- 

 pers were filled with communications extolling the merits 

 of the Berkshires and after a careful perusal of these 



