316 



Swine — JV*o, 2, 



Vol. n. 



general size when full grown seldom exceed- 

 ing eighteen or twenty stone, of fourteen 

 pounds. The bone is not particularly small, 

 but it is clean; the animal is of a kindly dis- 

 position to fatten, and arrives at maturity 

 sooner than any other kind. 



The Dishley Breed, which were at one 

 time as celebrated as all the other kinds of 

 Mr. Bakewell's stock, are remarkably fine 

 boned and delicate, and are supposed to be 

 partly descended from crosses of tlie Berk- 

 shire and Chinese. They were certainly 

 carried to great perfection, and have reached 

 to considerable weight in a very small com- 

 pass, being, when fat, nearly equal in height, 

 length, and tliickness; their bellies nearly 

 touching the ground, and their eyes scarcely 

 to be seen for fat ; the whol.e carcass appear- 

 ing a solid mass of flesh. The form of these 

 pigs possesses considerable beauty, and is 

 well calculated to lay on a large quantity of 

 meat, compared with their bone and offal. [ 

 They also keep themselves in good condition 



on a moderate quantity of food, and are 

 easily fattened. 



Such are their general characteristics ; but 

 to these merits there are said to be opposed 

 very considerable defects. They have been 

 found slow of growth, tender constitutioned, 

 and to require proportionably more food in 

 fattening than the large breeds. It should, 

 however, be remarked, that the experiment 

 upon which the latter assertion is founded, 

 was made by feeding two Dishley hogs 

 against one from a cross between a Berk- 

 shire and a large white Shropshire hog; and 

 that while the Dishleys consumed jointly 

 the most food, the other weighed singly 

 more than the two. This, however, is not 

 alone decisive of their respective merits; 

 which could only be accurately ascertained 

 by a reference to the butcher ; as a materia] 

 difference would no doubt arise in I'avor ot 

 the sale of two small animals, when opposed 

 to that of a single large one. 



IV. The WoBiiRN Breed — of which the 

 animal portrayed above was e.xhibited at 

 Lord Somervillc's cattle show% in 1606 — is 

 a new variety, introduced vby the Duke of 

 Bedford. They are of various colors, well- 

 formed, hardy, very prolific, kindly disposed 

 to fatten, and have attained to nearly twice 

 the weight of some other hogs within the 

 same given period of time. 



Besides these there are: — 



The Hampshire, the specific characters 

 of which are — color chiefly white ; neck and 

 carcass long, and the body not so well formed 

 as the Berkshire pigs; but they fatten 

 kindly to a very great size and weight, and 

 make excellent bacon. 



The Northampton, which are also white, 

 with very short legs, ears enormously large, 

 oflen sweeping the ground ; size large, with 

 coarse bone and hair, and many bristles. 

 They fatten to a great size, but not very 

 kindly, and are reared chiefly in the county 

 of Northampton. 



The Shropshire, which appear to be a 





variety of the Northampton race, to whose 

 characteristics they bear a great resemblance ; 

 fattening to a large size, but not so kindly 

 disposed as the Berkshire; yet they are 

 both favorites with the distillers who seem 

 to require a coarse heavy pig to consum* 

 their wash and grains with advantage. 



The Yorkshire, wliich are similar in co- 

 lor to the Berkshire but with longer ears 

 and coarser hair. They have long legs, flat 

 sides, and are coarse in the bone; they are 

 also slow feeders ; but, for the reasons al- 

 ready assigned, they, as well as the North- 

 ampton and Shropshire, are in esteem with 

 the distillers. 



The Lincolnshire, with well-formed heads, 

 and ears of a medium size pointing forwards, 

 and curled at the lips ; they are long and 

 straight from the head to the tail, and ot 

 sufficient breadth ; round in the carcass and 

 deep in the sides; the skin and hair thin. 

 The true bred pigs of this race are white, and 

 rather tender; but they reach to thirty stone, 

 of fourteen pounds, and in point ef" profit 



