Practical Agriculture. 
573 = 307 
Until late years many counties had their distinctive varieties 
pigs. The most gigantic breed was that of Cheshire — of 
hich there is a record of a specimen, just a hundred years ago, 
hich weighed, when dead and dressed, 86 stones and 11 lbs., 
iperial. Next, for colossal proportions, came the Lancashire, 
■orkshire, and Lincolnshire sort ; and the Rudgwick breed in 
issex and Surrey. Large breeds, also with characteristic 
•culiarities of form or colour, were peculiar to Kent, Hampshire, 
lltshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Shrop- 
ire. Breeds of smaller size pertained to Essex, to Norfolk, and 
Suffolk ; and it is considered that Robert Bakewell wrought 
great improvement by refining the large Leicestershire pigs 
his day. 
During the last quarter of a century, and mainly owing to 
e stimulus given by the Royal Agricultural and other great 
ows, the breeding of pigs has been brought to such perfection, 
d the best and most profitable kinds have been so rapidly 
ultiplied, that most of the old breeds have been displaced or 
mpletely remodelled by crossing ; and at the present time it 
difficult to find any really distinctive breeds, except the Berk- 
ires, the improved Dorsets, the Tamworth variety, and the 
iffolk and Essex blacks ; and the remainder are classified 
jether as large-breed, middle-breed, and small-breed, prin- 
' )ally Yorkshire. 
Berkshires. — Neither for small porkers nor large bacon hogs, Berkshires. 
■r for marvellous development at a very early age, can the 
'rkshires be pronounced equal to some other breeds ; but as 
middle sort, adapted both for young pork and older bacon, 
riving early at maturity, hardy, and thrifty in the farmyard or 
e field, and with a specially large proportion of lean meat in 
ation to live weight, this breed during the last twenty years 
s attained a distinction above all others, and has been more 
tensively bred for show purposes, as well as more widely 
opted or employed for crossing, than any other breed. 
The points are described by a most excellent authority, Mr. Mr. Coleman's 
.hn Coleman, of Riccall Hall, York, thus : — " Head moderately description, 
fort ; forehead wide ; nose slightly dished, straight at the end, 
t retrousse as in the small breeds ; chaps full ; ears slightly 
ojecting, occasionally pendant and covering the eyes. Pre- 
iling colour black, white blaze down the nose or white star 
the forehead ; sometimes uniformly dark ; but this is the 
eption, and never the dead black of the Suffolk or Essex 
i-'cds. The pink tinge should be always apparent. The eye 
not sunk and closed, as in the breeds remarkable for feeding 
'perties, but large, intelligent, and denoting activity. General 
ct pleasing. The head is well set ; the neck, of moderate 
