CHAPTER LXXII 



THE LARGE BLACK 



The native home of the Large Black swine is in Somerset, 

 Devonshire, and Cornwall, in southwest England, a region with 

 an attractive, mild climate and a comparatively short winter well 

 suited to swine husbandry. 



The origin of the Large Black swine is in keeping with the 

 local development of other British breeds that have been evolved 

 from the operations of numerous small breeders. Until recently 

 little was known of it outside of its own county, and not much is 

 known of its early history, but in recent years Large Blacks have 

 grown rapidly in favor in England. Sidney states that the original 

 Devon pigs were valued according to the length of their bodies, 

 ears, noses, tail, and hair, the longer the better, without reference 

 to quality or substance.^ Improvements began to be made in them 

 early in the last century, and about 1850 George Turner, accord- 

 ing to Sidney, had hogs that " are black with short faces, thick 

 bodies, small bone, and but little hair, and exhibit as much good 

 breed, shape, and constitution as any tribe of pigs in the kingdom." 

 Mr. Ernest Prentice states that Large Blacks have been continu- 

 ously and carefully bred in Cornwall for upwards of fifty years by 

 R. S. Olver of Trescowe and George Lucas of Leigh Barton. 



The introduction of the Large Black pig to America is of very 

 recent date, a number having been brought to Kentucky about 19 10. 



The characteristics of the Large Black pig are as follows : the 

 head is of medium length, with straight face, and ears that are 

 rather large and thin and which incline well over the face. Walker 

 says ^ they have great overhanging ears that often considerably in- 

 terfere with their vision. The body is of good size, deep of rib, 

 rather of the lard than bacon type and yet not lardy as we regard 

 the fat hog in America. The back is very strong, the hams fairly 



1 Samuel Sidney, The Pig. London, i860. 



2 John Walker, Pigs for Profit. London, about 1905. 



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