CHAPTER LXX 

 THE HAMPSHIRE 



The early history of the Hampshire breed of swine is veiled in 

 obscurity. This breed was known for many years in the United 

 States as the Thin Rind, and this name was made use of by the 

 author in the first edition of this book. In 1904 the American 

 Thin Rind Record Association changed its name and the name of 

 the breed to that of " Hampshire." With absolutely no prejudice in 

 the matter, the author expressed the opinion that the use of this 

 name was ill-advised, for the reason that " quite a different breed 

 of pigs exists at present under that name in England." In fact, 

 all of the historical and other information available to the writer 

 seems to support the opinion that there never did exist in Hamp- 

 shire, England, a recognized breed of belted swine. George Culley, 

 an authority on the breeds in his time, in 1 789 refers 1 neither to the 

 Hampshire nor to a belted breed. In 1807 a " Lincolnshire grazier" 

 describes 2 the Hampshire as "chiefly white; neck and carcass 

 long ; body not so well formed as the Berkshire pigs ; size large." 

 In 1842 Professor Low wrote 3 that "the Hampshire hogs were a 

 very noted breed, from their being of large size, and well suited 

 for bacon," but he made no reference to the color. In 1846 

 William Youatt, the greatest of the early authors on the subject 

 of breeds, wrote : 4 "Here there are two varieties, the one larger than 

 the other ; in color they are either white or black and white with 

 long necks and bodies, flat sides, and large bones." Further, he 

 writes that there is also a third variety found in Hampshire, 

 " in many points strongly resembling the wild boar," which he 

 states "is of a dark or blackish color" and is no favorite in 

 Hampshire. In 1871 Samuel Sidney refers 5 to the Hampshire 



1 Observations on Live Stock. Dublin, 1789. 



2 The Complete Grazier (second edition). London, 1807. 



3 David Low, Domesticated Animals of the British Islands. London, 1842. 



4 William Youatt, The Pig. Philadelphia, 1847. 



5 The Pig. London, 1871. 



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