Book VII. BREEDING AND REARING OF SWINE. 1069 



7293. The Wiltshire breed is a long-bodied, low hog, hollow about the shoulder, and high on the rump, 

 middling large pointed ears, round bone, light in colour. 



7994 Yorkshire breed. This, in the old breed, was probably the worst large variety we had ; extremely 

 lone leeged and weak-loined, their constitution not of the soundest, and bad sty-pigs m the winter 

 season -they were yet quicker feeders than some of the superior breeds. They have been improving some 

 years from the Berksliire cross, but are still inferior to the norUi-western stock, rendering a less price at 



^mf' The Northamptonshire breed was formerly a handsome, light-eared, white, deep-sided pig. with 

 middling bone, and quick of proof: the breeders have since tried the new Leicester 



7296 The Leicestershire breed is, in the original stock, large, deep, and flat-s.ded, light-spotted, with 

 rather handsome head and ears. The Bakewell variety has much merit r x: fu . u- 



7297 The lincolnshire breed was formerly light-coloured and white, like those of ><orthamptOD8mrc, 

 manvofthem' having curled and wooly coats. They are middle-sized, quick-proving pigs. 



7298 The Norfolk breed is a small, short, up-eared porking sort, various in colour, white, bluish, 

 striated, generally an inferior kind, which it would be to the interest of that great corn county to im- 

 prove they are, however, of a thin-skinned, quick-proving kind. But in the vicinity of I.ymi, and 

 generally on the Lincoln side of the county, there is a larger spotted variety of very good form and quality, 

 which should be encouraged. , ,. , ., . ,. i. , .- i , ^ 



7299 Suffolk breed, ifia. 904.) This is a small, delicate, white pig, which has for many years had great 

 - qn4 reputation; and at this time there is not only a strong prejudice in 



I ^^^ their favour in their own county, but they have maiiy advocates out 



of it They are shorter and more pus-formetl tlian the Norfolks, and 

 by their dish-face, and pendent belly, it may be supposed that the 

 variety proceeded originally from the white Chinese. Some of the 

 Suffolks are very handsome, and very regularly shaped. 



7300. The Essex breed are up-eared, with long sharp heads, roachr 

 backed, carcasses flat, long, and generally high upon the leg, bone not 

 large, colour white, or black and white, bare of hair, quick feeders, 

 but great consumers, and of an unquiet disposition, 



7301. The small, white, English breed is met with in many districts j 

 it is of a white colour, thick, compact, and well made in the body j 

 short in the leg; the head and neck well formed, and the ears slouch- 

 ing a little downwards. It is well disposed to fatten, and perfectly hardy. It prevails much in the 

 northern districts. ,,.,,,,.,-. , 



7302. Swing-tailed breed. This is a useful sort of the smaller kind of hogs, hardy in its nature, and of 

 considerable weight in proportion to its size. . 



7303. There are many other varieties and subvarieties in England which it is unnecessary to notice here. 

 Donaldson remarks, that the Berkshire and Hampshire hogs are the largest; but that it is most probably 

 from the Berkshire stock that the greatest number of the varieties of the country have sprung. 



7304. Of the Highland breeds, that of the Hebrides, supposed by Dr. Walker to be the original, is of the 

 smallest size, neither white nor yellow, but of a uniform grey colour, and shaggy, with long hair and 

 bristles ; they graze on the hills like sheep ; their sole food is herbage and roots, and on these they live 

 the whole year round, witliout shelter, and without receiving any other sustenance. In autumn, when 

 they are in the best order, their meat is excellent, and without any artificial feeding ; but when driven to 

 the low country, they fatten readily, and rise to a considerable bulk. [Walker's Hebrides, vol. ii. p. 17.) 

 In the Orkney islands they are commonly of a dark red or nearly black colour, and have long bristles, with 

 a sort of coarse wool beneath them. .;,.:'.;., i;.!. ; \. u* 



730.5, The old Irish breed are a long-legged, thin-sided, lank, haggard, unprofitable (MfeifdWtairfbw| 

 where they have been crossed with the Berkshire, they are considerably improved. /!-,r-.f.>\ .,'it 



Sect.il Breeding a?id Rearing of Sivine. 

 7306. In the breeding of swine, whatever be the variety, the most perfect and best 

 formed boar and sow should be chosen, and a due regard paid to their age, time of 

 copulation, period of gestation, farrowing, castrating or spaj-ing, and weaning. 



7307. In choosing the boar and sow, regard must be had to their size, as well as perfection of form. 

 Where food is abundant, or the object of the progeny is the production of bacon and flitches, the larger 

 breeds, as alreatly observed, are to be preferred : but where food is scarce or uncertain, as in the case of 

 the cottager's stock, or rearing for suckled pork, fresh pork, or pickled pork, the smaller breeds, as the 

 Berkshire, are to be preferred. A breeding sow ought to have a large capacious belly, and not to be too 

 much inclined to obesity. To check this tendency, some allow them to breed five times in two years. 



7308. The age of the boar should not be less than a year, as he will then be at his full growth ; nor that 

 of the female less than ten months. They may be used in breeding for three or five years, and then fed 

 off for the shambles. 



7309. The period of gestation in swine is about four months, so tliat two litters may be easily prodiiced 

 in a, ye^r, five in two years, or ten in four years. 



7310. The best times for copulation are November and May; because then the progeny are brought 

 forth in mild weather, and when green food is to be had. They should not be allowed to farr^b^Rf in winter, 

 as jbjing pigs are exceedingly tender, and can with difficulty be preserved in very cold weather ; nor at a 

 ti^e when food is scarce, as is generally the case upon corn farms in summer, if the stock of them is 

 large. When the object is suckled pigs for the shambles, copulation should be so contrived as to produce 

 parturition at all seasons. 



73] 1. The usual produce is from about eight to ten or twelve pigs in the large but more in the smaller 

 bre^s, which in general bring the greatest number, and the most early. Twenty swine are estimated to 

 bring at an average seven pigs and a half each for their first litter ; but the number varies much, and 

 many young pigs are lost soon after their birth by the unkindness of their dam, arid by casualties, to which 

 they are more exix)sed than most other young animals. 



7312. Tlie pregnant swine should be separated from the herd some time before she is expected to farrow^ 

 carefully watched, and littered with a small quantity of dry short straw. Too much straw is improper, 

 both at the time of farrowing, and for a week or two afterwards, as the pigs are apt to nestle beneath it 

 unperceived by the sow, and are thus in danger of being smothered when she lies down. A breeding sow 

 should be well fed, particularly when nursing ; and it is advantageous early to accustom the pigs to feed 

 from a low trough on milk or other liquid food, mixed with meal or bran. Such of the pigs of both sexes 

 as are not to be kept for breeding are usually castrated or spayed when about a month old, and the whole 

 may be weaned at the end of six or seven weeks. 



7313. The food allowed to growing swine depends in almost every case upon the circumstances of their 

 owners ; for, as already observed, it is a doubtful point whether swine wdl pay when all their food both in 

 rearing and fatting is to be purchased. The cottager's pig must be. contented with the scanty offals of his 

 kitchen and of his dairy, the produce generally of a single cow; towards the end of autumn a few potatoes 

 are added for the purpose of preparing it for the slaughter, and perhaps a little meal is mixed with boiled 

 potatoes for a week or two before. Such pigs,,hoviever,.pften thrive amazingly, make themselves mode, 

 rately fat, and form a most valuable addition to the winter stores of their owners. In the south-eastern 



