Essex sow, a prize winner at Toronto Industrial Exhibition, 

 owned by Jos. Featherstone, Ontario, Canada. A sow very typical 

 of the breed, being exceptionaly smooth and possessed of unusual 

 quality. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ESSEX SWINE 



THIS BREED of swine originated in the County of Essex, England, and 

 from this it takes its name. Loudon, writing in 1825, described the 

 old Essex as being "up-eared with long, sharp head, roach back ; flat, long 

 carcass and long in the legs." They were improved by Lord Weston who, in 

 1830, purchased in Italy a Neapolitan boar and two sows and these were 

 crossed on the native Essex. Extreme refinment resulted with the loss of 

 size, constitution and fecundity, but through the after work of Fisher Hobbs 

 these defects have been largely overcome. Some authorities (Long) claim 

 that the black Suffolk pig bred in England at the present time is but an im- 

 proved Essex; others (Coleman) assert that the Suffolk is a distinct breed. 

 However, the two now are recognized as separate breeds. According to the 

 standard agreed upon by the American association, the characteristics of the 

 Essex are as follows : "Color, black without any white whatever ; face, 

 short and dishing ; ears, small, soft and standing erect while young but 

 drooping slightly with increasing age ; carcass, long, broad, straight and 

 deep ; hams, heavy and well let down ; bone, fine ; hair, ordinarily rather 

 thin; fattening qualities, very superior. The type of the Essex represents 

 a very compact hog of fine quality and very stoutly built ; a type which is con- 

 sidered to mature early and fatten easily. See official scale of points, page 

 170. 



