HARRIS ON THE PIG. 



giants are now almost extinct." A Cheshire (England) 

 correspondent of this author writes, under date March 17, 

 1860, as follows : " The old gigantic, long-legged, long- 

 eared pig, of a large patched black and white color, is all 

 but extinct. My son met with a fine specimen last year 

 in a sow which he brought to breed with our boar of the 

 Berkshire small breed, but changed his mind and fed her. 

 She showed no propensity for fattening at two years old. 

 She weighed, when killed, 42 score, 12 Ibs. 852 Ibs; 

 but as 3'| 4 d. per pound was the best we could get for 

 her, we took her for the family, and the meat was surpris- 

 ingly good. She was lean fleshed. The hams weighed 

 77 Ibs each." 



It is said that a large sow of the old Cheshire breed 

 was taken from Albany to Jefferson County, and about 

 the same time some thorough-bred Yorkshires were intro- 

 duced into the same neighborhood from England. We 

 have not been able to definitely establish the fact, but it 

 is highly probable that the pigs which were first exhibited 

 at the N. Y. State Fair as " Cheshire and Yorkshire " 

 were from Yorkshire boars, crossed with the descendants 

 of this sow. The pigs, as we recollect them when first 

 exhibited, were very large, rather coarse, but well shaped. 

 Since then, they have, from year to year, approximated 

 more closely to the Yorkshires. They are still large, but 

 have finer bones and ears. The best specimens, as shown 

 by the leading breeders, are as handsome pigs as can be 

 desired. Color, white ; small, fine ears, short snout, with 

 a well-developed cheek ; long and square bodied ; good 

 shoulders and hams, and very small bones for such large 

 hogs. 



As compared with the Chester County breed, they are 

 nearly or quite as large, have finer bones, ears, and snout, 

 and are altogether superior in form, beauty, and refine- 

 ment to any Chester Whites we have ever happened to 

 see. They have doubtless obtained this refinement from 



