Report on the Exhibition of Live Stock at Warwick. 351 
second mare, belonging to Mr. S. Wallis, of Barton Seagrave, 
Northampton, was a useful animal, but rather too small. There 
were no commendations in this class. 
Pigs. 
Of these there are several species. The domestic hog of 
England is clearly descended from the wild races, and has been 
transformed in several points by propagation according to fancy 
and local uses, resulting in our present established breeds. 
These still require further classification, for we have no animal 
more subject to the influence of original form than well-bred 
swine ; neither have we an animal more susceptible of improve- 
ment. The hog in British farming is in general viewed as a 
subordinate species of live stock, and valuable chiefly as con- 
suming what would otherwise be lost. But there are farmers 
who keep large herds to advantage. To the miller, brewer, dis- 
tiller, and dairyman, they are an object of som.e importance and 
return. For the offal which they consume, they produce a greater 
weight of meat than could be attained from cattle. The prolific 
nature of this animal, however, rendering it easy to increase 
the supply above the demand, the price of pork varies more than 
that of any other sort of meat. Our native hog has been re- 
modelled by the introduction of the small Chinese and Neapoli- 
tan pigs ; the Chinese white pig giving the start to the small 
white races, and the Neapolitan *o the small black breeds. 
Berkshire has long been famous for its breeds of the middle- 
sized black and white pigs ; Essex for its black pigs ; Suffolk 
for its white pigs ; and the north of England for its large white 
bacon hogs : hence, it has been the object of the Society to en- 
courage two descriptions of pigs, the one (small breed) more 
particularly for the production of j)ork, the other (large breed) 
lor that of bacon. But, with such an undefined line between 
them, it is truly difficult to decide where the size of the small 
breed ends and that of the large breed begins. In thus class- 
ing the pigs many a useful animal is placed in the inter- 
mediate space. Take, for instance, the Berkshire pig, about 
the most serviceable and useful swine we have — a pig of 
ancient origin, and brought into notice by the Society's 
meetings. Thus, while the dairyman prides himself on his sym- 
metrical blacks or whites for porkers, and the north country- 
man extols his large hogs for bacon, the Berkshire pig may be 
truly designated the " general purpose pig." Being very hardy, 
they are well adapted for the strawyard ; they are also good 
graziers during the summer months, and possess more lean meat 
