156 BREEDS OF SWINE 



THE BERKSHIRE 



History. — Berkshire hogs derive their name from Berk- 

 shire in England, where the breed originated. In 1823 

 they were introduced into the United States, and were 

 brought into Canada in 1838. 



Characteristics. — The Berkshire can be easily recognized 

 by the shape of the face and snout and the erect ears. 

 The face is decidedly dished and the snout is rather short, 

 giving the animal a " pug-faced " appearance. The color 

 is black with white feet, white face, and white at the tip of 

 the tail. There may be an occasional splash of white on 

 the arm or thigh, but more white than this is considered 

 objectionable. Berkshires vary more or less in type. To 

 a great extent the tj^e is determined by the market de- 

 mands of the countries in which they are bred and by the 

 methods of individual breeders. The Berkshire in this 

 country is decidedly a lard hog, although in Canada, where 

 corn is scarce, it is more of the bacon t)^e. 



Berkshires are quite popular with swine fanciers. They 

 are somewhat longer and straighter along the back than the 

 Poland Chinas and the Durocs, and, being more active in 

 disposition than these two breeds, are good rustlers on 

 pasture. Berkshires of the accepted type are quite pro- 

 lific. The litters are large and the females are good mothers. 

 In some animals there is a tendency to be somewhat weak 

 around the heart girth and in the pasterns. In selecting 

 Berkshires, one should guard against these weaknesses. 



Berkshires mature at an early age. Pigs one year old 

 weigh about 300 pounds. They fatten readily and are 

 capable of making gains cheaply. The meat of Berkshires 

 is of good quality and has a large proportion of lean to fat. 



