Essex sow, a prize wrnner at Toronto Industrial Exhibition, owned by 

 Jos. Featherstone, Ontario, Canada. A sow very typical of the breed, being 

 exceptionally smooth and possessed of unusual quality. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ES.SEX .S-WINE 

 ^HIS BREED of swine originated in the county of Essex. England, and from this 

 it talves its name. Loudon, writing in lH2,'i, described the old Essex as being 

 " up-eared with long, sharp head, roach bacli ; flat, long carcass and long in the legs." 

 They were improved by Lord Weston who, in 1830, purcliased in Italy a Neapolitan 

 boar and two sows and these were crossed on the native Essex. Extreme refinement 

 resulted with loss of size, constitution and fecundity, but through the after worlc of 

 Kisher Ilobbs these defects have been largely overcome. Some autliorities (Long) 

 claim that the black Suffolk pig l)red in England at tlie present time is but an im- 

 proved Essex; otliors ( Ooleman) assert that the Suffolk is adistinct breed. However, 

 the two now are recognized as separatebreeds. According to the standard agreed upon 

 by file American association, the characteristics of tlie Essex are as follows: "Color, 

 l)la,ck without any white wliatever; face short and dishing; ears small, soft and 

 standing erect while young but drooping slightly witli increasing age; carcass long, 

 broad, straight and deep; hams heavy and well let down; bone flue; hair ordinarily 

 ratlier thin, fattening qualities very superior. The typo of the Essex represents a 

 very compact hog of fine (|uality and very stoutly built; a type which is considered 

 to mature early aud fatten easily. See official scale of points, page 170. 



