338 RURAL NEW YORK 



Breeds of swine, unlike sheep, have been largely 

 developed in America. Three breeds have been 

 originated here, one of which has taken a leading 

 place. The Duroc-Jersey was developed by Colonel 

 F. D. Curtis, of Kirby Homestead, in Saratoga 

 County, about 1823, and he also originated the Curtis 

 strain of the Victoria breed in 1850. The Cheshire 

 pig was developed in Jefferson County in 1835. Tlie 

 leading breed in the State has generally been the 

 Berkshire, an English stock of which there was an 

 important introduction near Albany by Sidney Howes 

 in 1832. 



Thirteen breeds of swine are represented in the 

 State. Of these, seven have considerable numbers. 

 However, the Berkshires distance all others in popu- 

 larity. Out of a partial register in 1910 of 431 

 breeders and 5102 animals, 225 breeders and 2903 

 animals were of the Berkshire breed. The Chester 

 Whites, Cheshires, .Yorksliires, Poland-Chinas, and 

 Duroc-Jerseys ranked in numbers in the order named. 

 The activity, vigor, prolificacy, early maturity and 

 fine quality of the meat of the Berkshires admirably 

 adapt them to the average farm of the State. 



POULTRY (See Figs. 30, 32) 



The hen vies with the pig as the preferred farm 

 gleaner and scavenger. In the census of 1910, for 

 the first time, the animal unit strength of hens ex- 

 ceeded that of hogs. In this calculation, one hundred 

 cbickens and five mature hogs are rated as one animal 

 unit. Each animal is found on the average farm to 



