CHAPTER LXXVII 



THE LARGE YORKSHIRE 



The ancestry of the Large Yorkshire clearly goes back ovei a 

 century. Swine from time immemorial have been known in 

 England, and a large, coarse, leggy, narrow-backed, white hog 

 was common in early days in that country. In 1789 George CuUey 

 referred to what is no doubt parent stock of the breed, as follows : 



There was a breed of large white pigs with very large ears hanging over 

 their eyes, which a few years ago were very common in many parts of Yorlishire 

 and Lancashire. They were very plain, thin, awkward hogs, with very long 

 legs, but what distinguished them more were two wattles or dugs, not unlike 

 the teats of a cow's udder, which hung down from their throats on each side. 



Early in the nineteenth century Dickson wrote that the old York- 

 shire breed was the worst of the large sort, being long legged and 

 weak loined, with a constitution not of the soundest kind. These 

 were, however, he writes, being improved by Berkshire stock. In 

 1842 Low wrote as follows : " In Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, 

 and generally in the eastern counties there are breeds of large size, 

 of a white color, and with pendent ears. These breeds have been 

 cultivated with more or less care, and have all been affected in 

 their form and characters by crossing." The white pigs of Cum- 

 berland County were also closely related to those of Yorkshire 

 and were much intermixed. 



This old type of Yorkshire had a strong coat of white hair, some 

 blackish or bluish skin spots covered with white hair, a large, long 

 head, big ears, and strong bone. It was slow of maturity and was 

 fed up to over eight hundred pounds. 



The modernizing of the Large Yorkshire began about the 

 middle of the nineteenth century. Sidney credits the first correct 

 movement to improve by using white Leicesters on old York- 

 shires. These Leicesters were large, with smaller heads than the 

 Yorkshire, had erect ears, were fine of hair and light of bone com- 

 pared with the others. This cross was improved by breeding the 



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