THE POLAND-CHINA 27 



them with the then prevaiUng Warren County stock. The new 

 Berkshire cross, by their greater size, styUsh appearance, and 

 powerful build, added greatly to the improvement of the native 

 stock. Others soon followed suit, and for a number of years 

 the Berkshires were extensively used as a cross for the War- 

 ren County herds. This developed a type which was more sym- 

 metric in appearance, perfected more quality, and had greater 

 activity. 



Most writers attribute to this Berkshire cross the development 

 of the black color which is such an important prominent charac- 

 teristic of the breed as it is known to-day. This is unquestionably 

 an erroneous beUef. In fact, it has been practically conclusively 

 shown that these Berkshire hogs brought from New York State 

 were not black hogs at all, but were red. Further than this, any 

 of the older breeders of the Poland-China will bear witness to the 

 fact that the development of the black-colored Poland-China did 

 not take place until nearly fifty years later. 



The Old Harkrader sow, which was one of the most prominent 

 animals of the breed in 1870, was a pure white hog. The most 

 noteworthy animals of the breed for twenty years after this date 

 traced their ancestry to the Old Harkrader sow. She was by all 

 means the most prominent animal of the breed, and lived practi- 

 cally fifty years after the change in color is generally supposed to 

 have taken place. Other prominent Poland-Chinas of this date 

 are described as white hogs, or white with some black points. 



The true origin of the black color in the breed probably traces 

 to the boar Tom Corwin. This animal was entered in the original 

 Ohio Record Association herd book, and became one of the most 

 famous animals of the breed. So great was the popularity of the 

 get of this boar that it was only a few years until almost every 

 prominent Poland-China herd traced their ancestry to the Corwin 

 boar. This animal was nearly black, and was a very prepotent 

 boar. His color was prominent in his get, and about this time 

 breeders of the Poland began to select for breeding purposes those 

 animals that were more black in color. 



As late as the middle 80's show animals of the breed were 

 spotted or even white in color, and it is only in the past twenty- 

 five years that a truly black Poland-China breed has been de- 



