CHAPTER VII. 

 THE CHESTER WHITE BREED. 



Description. — At one time the Chester White was rated as 

 the largest breed in the United States, but the tendency of 

 modern breeding has been towards the production of a finer- 

 boned, smoother, and smaller animal than the older type, and at 

 present the Chester White is similar to the Poland-China in 

 size, though it is commonly claimed that it is a larger breed. 

 The face is straight, and the snout is usually a little longer than 

 that of the Poland-China. It has a drooped ear, similar to 

 that of the Poland-China, but the droop, or break, is usually 

 further from the tip. As a rule, too, the ear is somewhat 

 heavier, and it is quite common for it to be somewhat loosely 

 attached. 



In general conformation, the Chester White is similar to 

 the Poland-China, though the latter generally excels in depth 

 and fulness of ham, and many Chester Whites are rather longer 

 in the body than the Poland-Chinas. (Fig. 20.) 



The color is white, no black hair being admissible, though 

 it is common for black or bluish spots to occur on the skin. 

 These spots do not indicate impurity of blood, but breeders 

 aim to avoid them as much as possible, and, if the spots are 

 large or numerous, they constitute a serious objection. In many 

 specimens the hair has a tendency to be wavy, and in some 

 cases it is almost curly. 



Origin and History. — Most authorities recognize three 

 sources of origin for Chester White swine, the history of which 

 may be summarized as follows : 



1. The original Chester White had its origin in Chester 

 5 (65) 



