THE BERKSHIRE 



51 



this time crossed with Chinese and Siamese blood, and also 

 probably with some of the Neapolitian blood introduced into 

 England about the commencement of the last century from Italy. 

 These crosses in the breed resulted in decreasing the weight, and 

 produced a type of smaller size and finer bone than the original 

 Berkshire. As writers disagree on the characteristics of this early 

 period, it would seem that no definite standard was in force at 

 that time. 



In the early part of the 18th century the most prominent breed- 

 ers of the Berkshire type were Lord Barrington and Mr. Richard 

 Astley. Later in the century many breeders of central England 



Fig. 15. 



-Model Duke, No. 17,397, at six years and eight months. 



$750. Note "six white points." 



Sold for 



became interested in the development of the Berkshire, and kept 

 up the improvement of the breed. 



Prominent Breeders. — Importation into the United States was 

 first made in 1823 by John Brentnall, of New Jersey. Sidney 

 Hawes arrived from England in 1832 and settled near Albany, N. 

 Y. He brought over with him a number of Berkshire hogs. A 

 large importation was made from England in 1839 to Orange 

 County, N. Y., by two English farmers of that county, named 

 Bagg and Wait. These hogs were afterward sold largely to breed- 

 ers in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Among the more import- 

 ant breeders of the Berkshire in recent years are N. H. Gentry, of 



