No. 11. 



Improved Breed of Hogs. 



365 



other mode of indulging a propensity fur ! 

 essences. i 



Your correspondent Homer Eachus's ac- 

 count of the weiirht of the Delaware County 

 hogs, at page 3'2'J of your last number of the 

 Cabinet, proves that in our own breeds we 

 have as much in qnanlily as we need, and in 

 the opinion of many w!io saw these splendid 

 animals there was no lack of qit/ilily ; indeed 

 it would seem to be a question what more is 

 requisite] Now, it is readily admitted that 

 many of our breeds need improvement, but it 

 is contended that a cross with tlie best of our 

 own varieties would give us all that is neces- 

 sary for every good purpose, without the ex- 

 travagant cost and rage for speculation which 

 is so freely indulged, even by the soberly dis- 

 creet amongst our hog-breeding friends. 



In looking over that very interesting work, 

 "A General Treatise on Cattle," by John 

 Lawrence, T find some excellent observations 

 on this subject, which, although they were 

 written many years ago, are as applicable at 

 this time and in this country, as they were 

 at that time and in England, and go to show 

 the truth of the adage, " there is reason in all 

 things" — even in the breeding of hogs : the 

 author says, " when I formerly asserted that 

 the southern cross had not improved our breed 

 of hogs, it is probable that prejudice had some 

 share in the assertion ; but my reader is 

 aware that I do not love all fat, even in ba- 

 con ; and surely good shape and growth liave 

 been too much sacrificed to that 77ionld which 

 produces only fat. Amongst our native 

 breeds there were, doubtless, a small breed 

 improvcable in itself, an excellent cross to 

 reduce the size and amend the coarseness of 

 our largest stock, by which, independent of 

 any external assistance, we might have ob- 

 tained our pork equally delicate, and have 

 derived as great a weigiit of it from a bushel 

 of corn and a given quantity of milk ; I will, 

 however, freely acknowledge the beauty and 

 excellence of various small breeds which 

 have originated in the China cross, and sub- 

 scribe fully to the merits of the present Berk- 

 shire stock: but est modus in rebus, and 

 whilst a cross or tioo of the round, waddling, 

 shapeless, small-boned stock in question may 

 give the fattening principle to our leggy and 

 flat-sided breeds, reducing and improving 

 their huge heads and ears, a farther repeti- 

 tion goes to destroy symmetry and power of 

 growth in the animal, and tends solely to the 

 production of blubber: and another conse- 

 quence is, a reduction of the procreative 

 power, apportionate to the acquisition of that 

 tendency to over-fattening, the new variety 

 of sows having k\v pigs at a birth, and being 

 generally bad nurses; at the same time that 

 the pure foreign breed, and perhaps the pro- 

 duce of the first cross, may be prolific. And 



I siibmit it to improvers, whether regularity 

 of form and just proportions are, or are not 

 of consequence in swine! If they are, whe- 

 ther a thorough-shaped hog of one of our best 

 reputed breeds — ages equal — would not pro- 

 duce a greater weight of pork in return for 

 a given quantity of food than one of our 

 fashionable breed ! The former would, in all 

 probability, he worth more per pound th;m 

 the latter, allowing the predilection of a mi- 

 nority for all fat: at the same time there is a 

 class of our citizens whose relish it might 

 not suit — I mean tiie cooks — whose perqui- 

 sites might suffer to an extent which few 

 would imagine, of which I give an example. 

 A lady, succeeding to a boarding school, told 

 her cook it was her determination not to al- 

 low the perquisite of kitchen stuff" but a sum 

 in lieu thereof, inquiring what would be the 

 annual amount? The cook reluctantly re- 

 plied, about five or six pounds, she believed ; 

 well then, said her mistress, I will allow you 

 seven guineas — the kitchen stufl^ was sold 

 for thirty-five guineas the first year! 



As to the form of a pig, the improving 

 reader will advert to those general ideas of 

 proportion and symmetry already so repeat- 

 edly and everywhere insisted on, and they 

 are of equal validity and consequence, be the 

 animal hog, sheep or ox : depth of carcass, 

 lateral extension, breadth of loin and breast, 

 proportional length, moderate shortness of 

 leg, and substance of the gammons and fore- 

 arm being essentials; these being qualities 

 to produce a favourable balance in account of 

 keep, and a mass of weight which will pull 

 down the scale ; and in proportion to the ca- 

 paciousness of the loin and breast will be the 

 general vigour of constitution. To be sure, 

 even a good liog may have a heavy, coarse 

 head and long ear — but he carries them hiiu- 

 self — although it is conceded that a hand- 

 some sprightly head, with light, pointed ears, 

 are pleasing to the view, and may have a fa- 

 vourable effect in the market. If colour de- 

 serve any consideration, I should prefer the 

 light and sandy spotted ; such skins appear 

 the most delicate when dead, and in respect 

 to the skin or rind of pork, I have elsewhere 

 stated my preference of the thick to the thin 

 skin, assigning reasons for it ; our best-bred 

 pigs are often thick-skinned, but such skin is 

 tender, gelatinous, shining, easy to masticate 

 even in the shape of crackling, and very nu- 

 tritious, whereas, to eat the crackling of thin- 

 skinned pork, case-hardened by l!ie action of 

 fire, requires teeth equal to the division of 

 block tin." M. 



With the gratification of the present pro- 

 fit, comes the pleasure of anticipating the 

 belter crop in succeeding years. 



