CHAPTER XIV. 
THE ESSEX BREED. 
Description.—The Essex hclongs to the small breeds, being 
decidedly smaller than such breeds as the Berkshire or Poland- 
China. The suet is short, the face slightly dished, the fore- 
head broad, and the cars small, fine, and crect, but inclined 
to droop slightly with age. The jowl is heavy, the neck very 
short, the hack broad, and the shoulders and hains largely 
developed. The legs are very short, and the hone fine, and the 
pig as a whole is compact, smooth, short, thick, and chunky. 
The color is all black, no white being admissible. (Fig. 33.) 
Origin and History.—The Essex is an English breed and 
takes its name from the county of Essex, where it was first 
known. The original Essex pig was a coarse, long-legged, hard- 
feeding animal, generally black and white in color. In 1830 
Lord Western imported black Neapolitan pigs from Italy and 
crossed them with the Essex, effecting a verv marked improve- 
ment. It is claimed that in the course of time Lord Western's 
pigs became somewhat weak in constitution and lacking in 
fecundity. 
Soon after Lord Western commenced improving the Essex 
pigs, ene of his tenants, named Fisher Hobbes, commenced 
breeding the Essex-Neapolitan, and evolved a strain superior 
to the pigs bred by Lord Western, The strain bred hy Hobbes 
wained the name of Improved Essex, and aequired great popu- 
larity. The Tinproved Essex was imported into the United 
States in large numbers at one time, but importations have 
practically ceased. 
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