392 



REARING AND FEEDING OF ANIMALS. 



others, and to all the islands of the South Seas. The true Siamese breed has 

 the skin of a rich copper colour, but, like all the domesticated animals, the 

 colour varies \vith conditions of climate, food, and culture. In China the 

 colour is often white, and it is with the varieties derived from China, that we 

 are the most familiar in this country. 



The Chinese hog is for the most part less than the common swine of Eu- 

 rope and America, but it is distinguished by its peculiar aptitude to fatten. Its 

 bones are small, its limbs short, its ears erect, its skin and bristles soft, and its 

 general aspect delicate. 



The introduction of this race has insensibly produced a great change in 

 the character of all the breeds now cultivated. It has been made to cross 

 the greater number of them. It has diminished the size, but removed the for- 

 mer coarseness of form, and increased the aptitude to fatten. The pure breed 

 is little cultivated, and it is through the medium therefore of its crosses with 

 the native stock, that its value is chiefly known. In this respect, the introduc- 

 tion of the eastern hog into other countries has been singularly beneficial. 



THE BERKSHIRE BREED. 



The animals from which the above figures were drawn, were bred by the late 

 Sir WILLIAM CURTIS, and attracted univeral admiration. They were of the 

 BERKSHIRE BREED; the specific characters of which are a reddish colour, with 

 brown or black spots; sides very broad; body thick, close, and well formed; 

 short legs; the head well placed, and the ears large, and generally standing 

 forward; but sometimes pendant over the eyes. Another distinctive mark of 

 this breed is, that the best are without bristles; their hair is long and curly, 

 and from its rough appearance, seems to indicate coarse skin and flesh; but 

 in fact, both are fine, and the bacon is of very superior quality. The hogs 

 arrive at a very large size, and have been reared even to the weight of nine 

 hundred pounds. The Berkshire was the earliest of the improved breeds of 

 England, and is now the most generally diffused of all others, in that country 

 and in the United States; in both of which it is very justly regarded as one 

 of the superior breeds, combining good size with an aptitude to fatten.. This 

 improved and valuable breed has been undoubtedly formed by a judicious mix- 

 ture of the blood of the Chinese or Eastern hog with the native breed of Eng- 

 land. The. great improver was a gentleman of the name of ASTLEY, of Old- 

 stone-hall. The importation of this breed into the United States, within a 

 few years past, has been quite extensive it still continues and as the Berk- 

 shire has become a general favourite among many of our farmers, we may 

 anticipate the best results from their wide diffusion and amalgamation with 

 the best of our present breeds.* 



* Indeed, a great change has taken place in this particular, and it is a rare 

 circumstance indeed, to meet with, at the present day, in our improved agri- 

 cultural districts, even a remnant of the "old fashioned, thin, long-legged, 

 long-nosed, gaunt-bodies, ugly race of hogs of former days." Pennsylvania 

 has ever been noted for the peculiar excellence of her swine; but other states, 

 it would seem are now in a fair wav to take the lead. 



