60 



DISEASES OF SWINE 



in the British Islands, and the Tamworth hog is beheved to have 

 run wild in the Stafford woods for years. It has been claimed, also, 

 that the first swine of this type were imported from Ireland by 

 Sir Robert Pell, about 1812. This statement does not seem to be 

 substantiated by any official records. 



In the early part of the last century the Tamworth was a very 

 rough, long-legged, narrow-backed, long-nosed, red hog, noted for its 

 long, narrow body, slow maturing qualities, activity, and hardiness. 

 Improvement in the breed appears to have been by selective breed- 

 in, <i, rather than due to crossing of the Tamworth with other 



Fig. 25. — "Oak Ridge Chief II." Winner of first prize at Virginia State 

 Fair, 1913. Property of Oak Ridge Farm, Oak Ridge, Va. (Photo loaned by 

 C. H. Yates, Mgr.) 



strains. The older type of the breed was of a darker color than 

 the Tamworth of to-day, and this suggests the possibilitiy that there 

 may have been some crossing with the white breeds of Essex and 

 Suffolk, or perhaps with the Italian Neapolitan type. 



As early as 1847 the Tamworths were prize winners in the 

 English show ring, but after that date their popularity seems to 

 have markedly (kvlined, and it was not until the early 80's that 

 the breed again came into prominence. 



The first impcjrtation of Tamworths into the United States was 

 made bv Mr. Thomas Rennet, of Rossville, 111., in 1882. Follow- 



