©EVELOPMENT OF THE BREEDS 83 



over. The conditions in this country at that time were 

 crude, being very largely those of the frontiersman, and 

 hogs were allowed to shift for themselves to a great ex- 

 tent. Under such conditions, the highly improved hog, 

 as he was when he landed, would naturally have a ten- 

 dency to degenerate and breed and develop largely ac- 

 cording to the conditions under which he was kept, there- 

 fore would not be as good as the original. Thus when 

 compared with the originally imported hog, this Berk- 

 shire created an unfavorable impression which caused a 

 jjrejudice against the breed that was very difficult to 

 overcome. The good quality of the Berkshire meat, 

 however, maintained the breed, and further importations 

 followed in 1865 and later. , 



During recent years more improvement was made in 

 this breed in the United States than in England and not 

 -SO many were imported. The prejudice against the breed 

 has largely been overcome and it now holds its place 

 among the standard breeds. 



THE CHESTER WHITE. 



Original Foundation Stock. — ^The Chester White is a 

 product of the United States. In 1818 two fine white pigs 

 which had occasional blue spots on the skin were brought 

 from England by Captain James Jeffrey to Chester 

 County, Pennsylvania. These were said to be large in 

 size, had large ears, neat head and snout, broad back and 

 loin, excellent hams and short legs. Very recently an 

 English authority has said that the Lincolnshire Curly 

 White hogs of England that have but recently come to 

 notice, probably are the foundation stock of this breed. 

 They are similar in characteristics and the two pigs 

 originally imported may have been of this breed. 



