46 BREEDS OF SWINE 
must be his own judge as to how much latitude to allow in the 
matter of markings. Unless the markings were glaringly de- 
fective, it would not seem to be the part of wisdom to reject 
an animal that was really first-class in other respects. 
Origin and History.—Berkshires derive their name from 
Berkshire in England, though the breed is now to be found ia 
Fria. 13.—Champion herd of Berkshires, Iowa State Fair. 
all parts of the British Isles. Very little is known regarding 
the origin of the original Berkshire, but the breed was very 
different from the Berkshire of to-day. The old Berkshire was 
very much coarser than the present type, had lopped ears, and 
its color was commonly a sandy or reddish brown spotted with 
black, or white with black spots. It had a reputation of 
producing a good quality of meat. 
