432 THE HOG. 



and recrossed with the Chinese, or Chinese crosses, so as to 

 lessen the size of the animals, and render them more suited 

 to the demand which has arisen for small and delicate pork. 

 Many of the modern breed are nearly black, indicating their 

 approach to the Siamese character, and sometimes they are 

 black broken with white, shewing the effects of the cross with 

 the white Chinese. From this intermixture, it becomes in 

 many cases difficult to recognise, in the present race, the 

 characters of the true Berkshire. The great improver of the 

 breed was Richard Astley, Esq. of Oldstonehall. 



Although no doubt can exist with respect to the great 

 benefit that has arisen from diminishing the size and coarse- 

 ness of the former Swine of England, yet, assuredly, there 

 should be limits to this diminution of size in the Hog, as of 

 every other animal cultivated for food. In many cases the 

 diminution of size has been merely to suit the caprice of taste. 

 The larger kinds of pigs do not find a ready sale in the mar- 

 kets of great cities, and hence the more essential property of 

 an abundant production of butchers' meat is sacrificed. But 

 we should remember that the supply of pork is of great im- 

 portance to the support of the inhabitants of this country. 

 In the state of bacon it is largely consumed by the mass of 

 the people, and in the salted state, it is used for the supplies 

 of our numerous shipping. It is not, therefore, for the gene- 

 ral good, that the old breeds of England should be merged 

 in the smaller races of China and other countries. 



While we should improve by every means the larger breeds 

 that are left us, we should take care that we do not sacrifice 

 them altogether. The country might one day regret that 

 this over-refinement had been practised, and future improvers 

 exert themselves in vain to recover those fine old breeds 

 which had been abandoned. In place of unceasing crossing 

 with the smaller races, it would be more praiseworthy and 

 beneficial to apply to our larger races those principles of 

 breeding which, in the case of our other animals, have so well 

 succeeded. By mere selection of the parents, we could re- 



