SWINE. 



SWINE. 



cidents and diseases in a new situation, and 

 therefore best repaid any portion of attention 

 bestowed on the breeding and rearing it. 



Their widely extended foreign commerce af- 

 forded the Americans opportunitiesof procuring 

 the varieties from China, Africa, and other coun- 

 tries. The large consumption of pork in the 

 United States, far exceeding the consumption 

 of any other country, has also contributed 

 mainly to the improvement of the breeds, by 

 causing the Americans to pay considerable at- 

 tention to the rearing of swine, which have 

 thus become one of the most important articles 

 of commerce, and a source of considerable 

 profit to the breeder on a large scale. 



Breeds. The various breeds which have 

 been reared by crosses between those procured 

 from different countries are so numerous, that 

 to give any thing like a detailed description of 

 all would fill a volume instead of an essay. I 

 shall, therefore, confine myself to a short no- 

 tice of those which are either considered as 

 the origin of some peculiar race, or most gene- 

 rally bred for their fattening or other profitable 

 qualities. The celebrated English breeder, Cul- 

 ley, only distinguishes four breeds, the Berk- 

 shire, the Chinese, the Highland, and the Irish 

 species. 



The principal breeds of England have been 

 usually named after the particular counties or 

 localities where they have been, for the most 

 part, reared. Thus, we have the Berkshire, the 

 Hampshire, the Essex, the Suffolk, and a dozen 

 others, each supposed to be distinguished by a 

 certain set of common characters. Those ap- 

 proved on account of their superior size, and 

 therefore usually reared for the purpose of 

 making bacon, are the Berks, Hants, Hereford, 

 Salop, Norfolk, and Chester breeds. The 

 breed best adapted for table pork is the small 

 white Chinese. There are, however, particu- 

 lar breeds preferred by individuals. 



The Berkshire Breed. This was one of the 

 earliest improved of the English breeds, and 

 it is now the most widely distributed, as it 

 is the most superior, of the numerous varieties 

 of England. It is a breed which is distinguished 

 by being, in general, of a tawny white, or 

 rufous-brown colour, spotted with black or 

 brown; head well placed, large ears, generally 

 standing forward, though sometimes hanging 

 over the eyes; body thick, close, and well 

 made; legs short, small in the bone; coat 

 rough and curly, wearing the appearance of 

 indicating both skin and flesh of a coarse qua- 

 lity. Such, however, is not the case, for they 

 have a disposition to fatten quickly: nothing 

 can be fijier than the bacon, and the animals 

 attain to a very great size, averaging from 50 

 to 60 stone, although they have not uncom- 

 monly reached to the prodigious weight of 100 

 stone and upwards. 



The county of Berkshire has long been cele- 

 brated for its famous breed of swine, and the 

 breed has, by frequent and judicious crossing, 

 been much altered for the better. The original 

 breed was of the larger race of swine, and is 

 described as being long, and rather crooked- 

 snouted, with uncouth, heavy ears; body long 

 and thick, though not very deep; legs short, 

 with much bone; although slow feeders, they 

 1024 



always made great weights. The character of 

 the true Berkshire seems to indicate that one 

 of the earliest means employed to improve 

 them was a cross with the wild boar. The 

 improved breed is lighter in the head and ear, 

 shorter in the carcass, with somewhat less 

 bone, and higher in the leg: in colour gene- 

 rally dark spotted. They have little offal, thin 

 rind and hair, and few or no stout bristles. 

 The native breed is still occasionally crossed, 

 e^her with the pure Chinese or the Tonquin 

 race; and it is asserted, on good authority, that 

 if not crossed once in 6 or 7 years with the 

 Asiatic breed, they will degenerate in shape 

 and quality. The improved Berkshires will 

 be found excellent in all respects, but particu- 

 larly as a cross for heavy, slow-feeding hogs. 

 The unqualified approbation which this breed 

 has obtained, renders it incumbent on every 

 breeder who wishes to improve his stock of 

 swine to obtain a cross with that race. Al- 

 though hardy and thrifty in its nature, the 

 Berkshire hog requires constant good keep, or 

 it will decline fast. 



The old English Breed. The original native 

 breeds of Great Britain may be arranged into 

 two general classes ; but between these ex- 

 tremes there are so many varieties, that num- 

 bers cannot be reduced to either class. 



1. Those of small size, with the ears erect, or 

 partly so, of which the most marked are those 

 of the Highlands and islands of Scotland. They 

 are hardy creatures, usually of a dusky-brown 

 colour, having an arched back, with coarse 

 bristles on the neck and spine; and approxi- 

 mate closely in character and habits to the 

 wild hog. They are, for the most part, left to 

 provide for themselves, ranging at large over 

 the heaths and moors, grubbing up roots and 

 destroying the eggs of birds, and even newly- 

 born iambs, when they come in their way. 

 These hogs are usually very meager and thin; 

 flesh coarse and fibrous ; but it is greatly im- 

 proved when the animals are confined and 

 properly fed. When ronming at large on the 

 sea-coast, their flesh, from feeding on shell- 

 fish, sea-weed, and the bodies of fish which 

 are cast up by the tide, acquires a rank and 

 unctuous taste. 



2. The second class comprises those of a 

 larger body, with long, pendent ears. 



Although their colour varies considerably, 

 they are, for the most part, white, or white 

 spotted with black. The characteristics of this 

 old race, where it exists without intermixture 

 with foreign blood (which is not often the case 

 in the present day), are a huge, uncouth form, 

 large bones, long limbs, arched and narrow 

 back, low shoulder, and Ion-,* snout, with the 

 ears large and flapping, covering the greater 

 part of the face. They consume much food, 

 are slow feeders, and their only recommenda- 

 tion is that of being prolific breeders, and at- 

 taining to a large size when fattened at the age 

 of two or three years. The old English breed, 

 and many other once celebrated local races of 

 that country, have all had their distinctive cha- 

 racters more or less effaced by crossing. 



The Chinese or framefe breed. The varieties 

 of this widely-extended race which are the 

 most common in England, were brought to 



