A MANUAL ON THE HOG. 



25 



of these cross-bred pigs, that could scarcely be distin- 

 guished from the pure bred Neapolitans. 



" These Neapolitan-Essex had great success at agricul- 

 tural fairs, but, as Lord Western continued to breed from 

 his own stock, selecting the most highly refined males and 

 females, they 'gradually lost size, muscle and constitution, 

 and consequently fecundity ; and, at the time of his death, 

 in 1844, while the whole district had benefitted from the 

 cross, the Western breed had become more ornamental 

 than useful. * 



" In the meantime, a tenant farmer of Lord Western, 

 the late Fisher Hobbs, of Boxted Lodge, had availed him- 

 self of the opportunity to use the thorough tired Neapoli- 

 tan-Essex boars belonging to Lord Western, and crossed 

 them with the large, strong, hardy, black, and rather rough 

 and coarse Essex sows, and, in process of time, he estab- 

 lished the breed since become so famous the Improved 

 Essex." 





IMPROVED ESSEX BOAR- JIM, 

 The property of Dr. Sam'l Hape, Atlanta, Ga. 



