THE GENESEE FARMER. 



43 



PIGS-WHAT IS A BKEED? 



Eds. Gen. Farmer:— I feel very anxious to know 

 what constitutes a breed— for instance, a breed of 

 swine. Fanners are too illiterate (judging others 

 by myself), yet I am very thankful they are in the 

 Way of progress and improvement. In our vicin- 

 ity there are, or have been, various kinds of swine, 

 viz., Suffolk, Essex, Berkshire, Middlesex, Neapol- 

 itan, Chinese, Yorkshire, Leicester, Byfield, Tusca- 

 rora, Mackay, Russia, etc., and in the last issue of 

 the Rural New Yorker mention is made of the 

 White Berkshire breed. Now, I wish to know if 

 there is any peculiar identity to each of the above- 

 named " breeds." For pity sake, please define and 

 particularly describe the "breed" called White 

 Berkshire ; or, if it can not be done, do tell us 

 through the Genesee Farmer what constitutes a 

 "breed." I feel interested, and anxiously wait for 

 an answer. bela dunbar. 



North, Chili, K F. 



Remarks.— We shall be glad to hear from our 

 readers on this point. It is not easy to define 

 what constitutes a breed. Some people seem to 

 think that breeds, like poets, "are born, not made," 

 but we never could see any good foundation for 

 this opinion. In the case of hogs, certainly, our 

 best breeds are the result of crossing. The fine- 

 ness of bone, early maturity and fattening qualities 

 of the English "small breeds" were derived, at no 

 very distant period, directly or indirectly from the 

 Chinese hogs. Such a cross, when it is firmly es- 

 tablished and the characteristics have become con- 

 stant, is denominated a " breed." If the pigs breed 

 t rue — if they have definite qualities, always the 

 same, they are a distinct breed, no matter how fre- 

 quently they have been crossed before the desirable 

 qualities have been obtained. 



It is, however, not easy to establish a breed. 

 There is for many generations a tendency to breed 

 back, and constant attention and the most careful se- 

 lection are needed to correct this tendency before we 

 can obtain fixity of type. But when once ob- 

 tained, it can be preserved by simply using none 

 but thorough bred animals. 



Our correspondent, or any other man with suf- 

 ficient intelligence and patience, can originate a 

 "breed" of pigs. Generally, however, it is more 

 profitable to procure those which are already estab- 

 lished, and which possess the qualities that are 

 desired. In this way, we avail ourselves of the 

 labors of the past. If, however, we wish to im- 

 prove these breeds and cross them for that purpose, 

 the progeny, whatever desirable qualities it may 

 possess, is not a breed. To make it such, it must 

 be bred pure for a sufficient length of time to es- 

 tablish the new characteristics. This is a labor of 

 years. 

 We can not think that the " breeds " named by 



our correspondent can be found among the gener- 

 ality of farmers in his neighborhood. Some traces 

 of these breeds may exist, but farmers as a rule do 

 not take sufficient care to keep their stock thorough- 

 bred. We know farmers in this vicinity, who pro- 

 cured thoroughbred Suffolk pigs, and kept thdui pure 

 for a few years, but who to day have not a thor- 

 ough-bred Suffolk on their premises. They have 

 not taken the trouble to keep them pure. We do 

 not believe there is a thorough-bred Middlesex or 

 Neapolitan hog in Monroe county. 



We have not seen the article in the Rural New 

 Yorlcer to which our correspondent alludes. Bnt 

 there is a "breed" of White Berkshire pigs. In 

 fact, it is not at all uncommon to find Berkshires 

 entirely white. The most celebrated variety of 

 White Berkshires is known as the Coleshill — bred 

 by the Earl of Radnor, on his estate of Coleshill, 

 Berkshire, Eng. Their color is white; their hair 

 rather strong and thinly set; bone fine, in propor- 

 tion to their size*; head small and pleasing; general 

 form very good, being square, compact, broad and 

 proportionate, though large in frame; their fatten- 

 ing propensities almost unequalled. 



It may be safely asserted that the modern breeds 

 of English pigs are pretty well mixed vp. So much 

 so, indeed, that .they are shown at the fairs of the 

 various agricultural societies, not a9 distiact breeds, 

 but under the accommodating title of " Large 

 Breeds " and " Small Breeds." We believe this is 

 the only classification. 



Breaking in Mules for the Armt. — The train- 

 ing of animals to work in harness is an important 

 matter in the army, as may be judged from the 

 fact that there were lately at one time, according 

 to the New York World, about seven thousand 

 mules, as well as a large number of horses, at the 

 depot at Perry ville, on the Susquebannah. Samuel 

 Emmons, of Philadelphia, a noted mule tamer, is 

 training and organizing them into four and six 

 mule teams. The breaking-in attracts much atten- 

 tion. Thirty-two negroes assist him, and over 

 thirty-four mule teams are trained and organized 

 in a day. The mules are driven into a small pen, 

 from which they are decoyed, by a trained mule, 

 into the stocks, where they have a bridle and col- 

 lar put on, a i*>pe to each front leg, one of which 

 is passed through a rope round the animal's girth. 

 Thus .secured, he is let into another apartment, to 

 receive the rest of the harness. Some "ground 

 and lofty tumbling" generally takes place. He is 

 then taken to the wagon where broken mules are 

 hitched in the lead and under the saddle. 



