No. 6. 



Siamese Sow. 



185 



SIAMESE SOW, 



Three years old. Imported from Singapore by Messrs. Dngdale of Manchester. The 

 pigs by a half-bred Chinese Male. 



This race, supposed to be the most typical of the domestic hotjs of those countries, has 

 been termed the Siamese breed, from the kinfrdom of Siam ; but the terms Birman, Cambo- 

 dian and Malaccan would be equally applicable; therefore, by the desirrnation Siamese, 

 must be understood, not a race proper to Siam only, but to a vast extent of country situated 

 in this part of Asia, 



They are of small size, and have a cylindrical body, with the back somewhat hollow, and 

 the belly trailinof near the ground, in consequence of the shortness of the limbs; the bristles 

 are soft; the colour usually black, and externally of a rich copper-colour: the ears short, 

 Email and somewhat erect: less hardy and prolific than the native races of Europe, but 

 arriving very soon at maturity; fatteninjr on a small quantity of food, their flesh white and 

 delicate. The varieties of this race, broug'ht from China as sea-stock or otherwise by ves- 

 sels, have usually the dark colour characteristic of the race, but are often also white, and 

 of a size exceeding the medium — for there are in China, as in other countries, varieties of 

 breeds. Some of these, kept in the temples, attain, in consequence of age and long fatten- 

 ing, to enormous magnitude, but it does not appear that these sacred pigs are any otherwise 

 distinguished from the common breeds. The hosr is almost the only large animal which is 

 reared by the Chinese for human subsistence; they use also the milk of the sow as an 

 article of food. The most minute care is paid to the rearing and feeding, extreme attention 

 being paid to cleanliness and regular feeding, far beyond what is practised in Europe ! The 

 hogs of China, which have been introduced into England, are delicate and sensible of cold, 

 and are rarely maintained, therefore, in a state of purity ; it is chiefly by intermixture with 

 the English races that their value is recognised, or their introduction attended with benefi- 

 cial results — by them the coarseness of form, and the inaptitude to fatten, of the old English 

 breeds have been corrected, probably, however, at the expense of the size of the native 

 races, and their power to produce numerous young. — Professor Low. 



It is a question of importance, how far it is expedient to continue the introduction of this 

 race ; many persons believe that the admixture has already been carried far enough, while 

 others conceive that the thing has already been overdone. The flesh of the Eastern hog is 

 tender and good, but better suited for pork for the table than bacon. 



