772 SWINE 



breeding the Small White pig the breeder should make it his aim to 

 maintain the characteristic points of the variety, the chief of which 

 are form (much in little), fineness of bone, quantity and quality of 

 hair, shortness of snout, and aptitude to fatten." As a whole pigs 

 of this breed have great breadth and depth for their size. 



The size of the Small Yorkshire ranks it as the smallest of the 

 breeds kept in this country. The matured pig will usually weigh from 

 1 80 to 200 pounds, although Mr. Sanders Spencer has had them 

 weigh nearly 300 pounds at fifteen months of age. Owing to the 

 very compact form individuals weigh more than might be anticipated. 



The early-maturing qualities of the Small Yorkshire are of a 

 high order, so that the pigs may be fattened at almost any stage 

 of development. 



The Small Yorkshire as a. feeder is easily fattened, but does not 

 make large gains. This has been regarded as a superior sort for 

 making small roasting pigs, as the young things finish off early 

 for this purpose. Some British authorities on swine claim that pigs 

 of this breed can be brought to excessive fatness on less food by 

 half than any other breed. It will not, however, increase as rapidly 

 in actual gains as the larger breeds. At the Vermont Experiment 

 Station Small Yorkshires made an average daily gain of 1.04 

 pound live weight, having an average weight of 201 pounds after 

 one hundred and eighty-four days of feeding, starting at 23 pounds. 

 It required 353 pounds of feed for 100 pounds gain, and the car- 

 casses dressed 84.1 per cent. This record somewhat excelled that 

 of the Berkshire. 



The quality of Small Yorkshire meat, while of fine grain and 

 sweet, is not in favor to-day in Great Britain, containing as it does 

 a high percentage of fat. Mr. John Walker, writing in 1905 in 

 "Pigs for Profit," says: "As far as quality goes these pigs are 

 despised by the butcher because they give such a very small pro- 

 portion of lean to fat that the public leaves the joints of pork on 

 the butcher's slab, it being so leanless, while the bacon curer will 

 have naught to do with the fat little animals." 



The crossbred or grade Small Yorkshire pig is in general an 

 improvement over the pure-bred, if mated to a larger breed, for 

 thereby a better grade of pork is produced and a more hardy and 

 prolific stock results. 



