86 



THE HOG. 



than two bushels and three pecks of ground oats, peas, and barley 

 per week. 



Parkinson, in his Live Stock, vol. ii., gives some extraordinary 

 accounts of the size and weight attained by individuals of this breed, 

 and the profit yielded by them, and also of their aptitude to fatten 

 at grass. 



They are not, however, generally of an enormous size, being much 

 smaller than several of the older breeds; their ordinary weight 

 averages from 250 to 300 pounds, and some will at two years old 

 weigh 400 pounds. 



BERKSHIRE SOW. 



It would be impossible to give an account of the numerous crosses 

 from this breed ; the principal foreign ones are those with the Chi- 

 nese and Neapolitan swine, made with the view of decreasing the 

 size of the animal, and improving the flavor of the flesh, and render- 

 ing it more delicate ; and the animals thus obtained are superior 

 to almost any others in their aptitude to fatten, but are very sus- 

 ceptible of cold from being almost entirely without hair. A cross 

 of the Berkshire with the Suffolk and Norfolk pigs also is much 

 approved in some parts of the country. A hardy kind is thus pro- 

 duced, which yields well when sent to the butcher ; but even the 

 advocates of this cross allow that, under most circumstances, the 

 pure Berkshire is the best. 



