PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS 47 



and it gets too wide, the breeders usually cross with a 

 black individual to get the white belt of the proper di- 

 mension, which is six to ten inches in width. 



The breed is sometimes said to be a mean between 

 the fat or lard hog and the bacon hog, but more generally 

 it is considered as belonging in the fat or lard class. 

 While it has good depth of body and smooth, firm sides, 

 it ordinarily carries too much fat to be considered in the 

 bacon class. In general appearance the hog is rather up- 

 standing on legs that are fine, but of good quality and 

 strong, with pasterns that are strong and upright. The 

 body is deep and not very broad ; the jowls are very light, 

 the head small, the snout rather straight and medium in 

 length. The head is narrow, the ears set close and ex- 

 tending forward. The shoulders are smooth and well set, 

 the back is strong and arched, the hams are long and 

 broad but not very thick. (The length and width of the 

 ham are the vertical and horizontal dimensions respec- 

 tively taken when the hog stands. The thickness is the 

 third dimension.) 



Cheshire Swine. — The Cheshire, or Jefferson County 

 Hog of New York, was developed in the place indicated 

 by its name. It is a white hog of quality. In form it is 

 rather long and cylindrical in body, standing on legs of 

 considerable length that are fine but strong in bone. The 

 ears are short and upright, the snout medium in length 

 and slender with a slightly dished face. The hog is 

 smoothly and thickly covered throughout with flesh of 

 good quality. It is a mean between the bacon and fat 

 or lard types, but is more often considered as a bacon 

 hog. It is somewhat similar except in color and snout to 

 the Berkshire. 



