SWINE, HISTORY AND BREEDS. 
355 
to improve the large breed. A middle bred hog must have a short face, 
and all other good qualities of the small breed, except that they may be 
longer in proportion to their width ; must have thicker legs and longer 
bones to carry the greater size ; should be well haired (fattening to full 
form often causes the hair to fall off, which must be allowed for.) As 
good a short rule as can be adopted to judge them by is as follows : The 
best middle bred hog should have the greatest possible share of all the 
qualities of the small breed, with the length, and, iu a measure, the larger' 
bones of the large breed. 
IX. Large Lancashire 
This variety of swine nave large bones, of great height and length, and 
are the largest breed of swine known. They are a true breed, their qual- 
ities have descended from generation to generation — the quality being 
improved by judicious selection. They must be of large size; great 
length ; flat back, with large square hams, and when fattened, must carry 
their width of back along over the hams ; must have deep and tolerably 
straight sides ; large feet and leg bones ; hair short ; may have a long face, 
but it had better be short, as they fatten better ; may have a large, droop- 
ing ear, but other quality and size being equal, an upright, smaller ear is 
preferred. They usually have a lo'ng, thick, strong tail. They must be 
of great weight when fattened. 
American Breeds. 
Sagacious breeders in the United States nearly fifty years ago, saw the 
necessity of establishing breeds of swine that should be eminently adapted 
to the especial requirements where Indian corn and grass must necessarily 
form the principal food of the swine from weaning time until slaughtered. 
Then and until the last twenty years, mere fat was the important product 
in swine, as it was in a degree in cattle. Since that time the universal 
introduction of petroleum has reduced the value of lard and tallow to a 
minimum. Improvements in the -art of preserving food fresh has made 
barreled pork, a less necessary product even for long voyages, and the 
attention of the breeders was again turned to the production of as much 
lean meat in their hogs as possible. This naturally led to a reduction in 
the weight of the hog, or at least, if the animal should be capable of 
reaching a heavy weight at maturity, it must also possess the important 
quality of fattening at any age. This has now been fairly met in the 
best English and American breeds. If we were asked to choose the breed* 
from each which would produce the most lean meat for the carcass, we 
should say the Berkshire of English breeds, and the Poland of American 
breeds 
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