78 1HE HOG. 



less have iheir guod qualities, although aptitude to fatten does not 

 rank among the number, for they consume a proportionally much 

 larger quantity of food than they repay ; but the females produce 

 large litters, and are far better nurses than those of the smaller breeds. 

 They are, however, now nearly extinct, disappearing before the pre- 

 sent rage for diminishing the size of the hog and rendering his flesh 

 more delicate ; points which, however desirable to a certain extent, 

 may easily be carried too far. Low judiciously observes : " While 

 we should improve the larger breeds that are left us, by every means 

 in our power, we ought to take care that we do not sacrifice them 

 altogether. We should remember that an ample supply of pork is 

 of immense importance to the support of the inhabitants of this 

 country. England may one day have cause to regret that this over- 

 refinement has been practised, and future improvers vainly exert 

 themselves to recover those fine old races which the present breeders 

 seem aiming to efface." 



It would be vain to attempt to particularize the breeds of swine 

 at present kept in this country, for they are daily altering their char- 

 acteristics, under the influence of some fresh cross ; we will there- 

 fore content ourselves with enumerating those which are allowed to 

 have been the chief and best breeds, and pointing out some of the 

 alterations which have latterly taken place in them. 



YORKSHIRE. 



The old Yorkshire breed was one of the very large varieties, and 

 one of the most unprofitable for a farmer, being greedy feeders, 

 difficult to fatten, and unsound in constitution. They were of a 

 dirty white or yellow color, spotted with black, had long legs, flat 

 sides, narrow backs, weak loins, and large bones. Their hair was 

 short and wiry, and intermingled with numerous bristles about the 

 head and neck, and their ears long. When full grown and fat they 

 seldom weighed more than from 350 to 400 Ibs. 



These have of late years been crossed with pigs of the new 

 Leicester breed; and where the crossings have been judiciously 

 managed and not carried too far, a fine race of deep-sided, short- 

 legged, thin-haired animals have been obtained, fattening kindly, and 

 rising to a weight of from 250 to 400 Ibs., when killed between one 

 and two years old, and when kept over two years reaching even 500 

 to 700 Ibs. 



Mr. Samuel Wiley, of Bransby, to whose courtesy we are in- 

 debted for the information, and who has paid much attention to the 

 breeding of swine, keeps only the pure improved Leicester breed, 

 which with ordinary feeding will, at sixteen or eighteen months old, 

 weigh from 250 to 300 Ibs. ; and, when put up to fatten, attain tho 



