A MANUAL ON THE HOf^M J ^ ^1 Q ^ 



teristics of the different animals, as increase the pTe&luffef J 

 comfort or profit to be derived from them. 



It is a fact well known to the breeders of stock, that ani- 

 mals not only bring forth young after their kind, but pro- 

 pagate peculiarities of individual form, and development 

 of particular parts in individuals. 



In sparsely settled countries, a large portion of which 

 is covered with original forests, in which hogs live almost 

 entirely upon natural products, large, active breeds which 

 require two or three years to mature, have usually been 

 preferred, as the expense of keeping is very small under 

 such circumstances, and these breeds continue healthy, and 

 grow upon a very scant supply of food. 



As the countries become more densely settled, and the 

 forests are cleared for agricultural purposes, smaller, more 

 compact, less active, and early maturing breeds become a 

 desideratum, since their food must then consist mainly of 

 artificial, and hence, costly products of agriculture. The 

 old English hog was large, long, narrow, and long-legged, 

 and difficult to fatten before two years old. This an- 

 swered very well for roaming the forests, but was unsuited 

 for enclosed pastures. 



China and Italy, more densely inhabited, reared small 

 breeds, which fattened readily, at any age. 



These were introduced into England to modify the 

 coarseness of the native forester. 



The cross of the small-boned, dumpy Chinese, and Nea- 

 politan hogs, upon the large English, has given us such ad- 

 miral porkers as the Berkshire and Essex. The size of the 

 improved breeds depends upon whether the preponderance 

 in the cross was given by the large, or the small parent 

 stock. 



The breeder has an ideal of form and character of stock 

 desired, and by carefully selecting both dam and sire, for a 

 number of generations, with special reference to the objects 

 in view, finally secures the peculiar type combining the 



