SI# 
White Berkshire®—South Down Sheep*, 
Misquotations. White Berkshires. Size 
of South Down Sheep. —We frequently find 
ourselves misquoted by different writers in 
the agricultural papers. For instance, “ A 
Breeder” in the Southern Planter, at Rich¬ 
mond, under an article, “ White Berkshires,” 
says : “ Tell me why a Berkshire should ne¬ 
cessarily assume the dark copper color of his 
Siamese progenitor, which Mr. Allen asserts j 
is the invariable characteristic of the genuine 
breed 1” He then asks: “ Did Mr. Allen 
ever see a litter of pigs from a genuine Berk¬ 
shire sow, by a genuine boar, that were all 
of the dark rich plum color that he says in¬ 
variably marks the genuine hog V 9 
We will answer this question in the Yan¬ 
kee method, by asking another. Where did 
Mr. Allen ever assert that all genuine Berk¬ 
shires are invariably of a copper or dark rich 
plum color V’ If “ A Breeder” will do us the 
pleasure of a call however, we can show him 
a very fine litter of pigs, from a u genuine 
Berkshire boar and sow,” every one of which 
is a dark rich plum color, with a greater or 
less flecking of white or buff upon them ; 
some also that are black, and some of a cop¬ 
per color, with the usual flecking, &c. As to 
White Berkshires, we think now we can give 
their true origin. Marshall, in his Rural 
Economy of Yorkshire, published at London 
in the year 1788, says, page 235, vol. 2, 
44 The breed, too,” (meaning that of swine in 
the vale of Yorkshire,) “has been totally 
changed. The Wold pigs were of the white, 
gaunt, long-legged sort, which appear to 
have been formerly the prevailing species 
throughout the kingdom. Now, the black- 
sandy Berkshire breed is prevalent; with a 
mixture, here as in other places, of the ori¬ 
ental species.” 
We suppose that the produce of these 
u long-legged, gaunt, white sows,” which 
Marshall describes, from a cross of the “ black- 
sandy Berkshire” boar, was often pure white 
pigs of a greatly improved form ; but not¬ 
withstanding their color, and being grade 
pigs, were carelessly called Berkshire’s, the 
same as grade animals are of the Berkshire 
cross, in our own country, because it hap¬ 
pened to be the best and most popular breed, 
and hence the origin of all the white Berk¬ 
shire’s which have been imported into this 
country, principally from Yorkshire, and near 
Liverpool; a good serviceable stock animal 
enough, doubtless, but no better than thou¬ 
sands of grade Berkshires produced here in 
our own country, without the trouble and 
expense of importation. The English and 
Irish Graziers have been greatly improved by 
crossing with the true Berkshire, and yet 
they generally retain their white color, 
though we have occasionally seen the pigs 
of the Graziers come spotted like a Berk¬ 
shire, notwithstanding both parents were 
pure white; and although we strongly sus¬ 
pected that they had Berkshire blood in them, 
yet we could never fully account for the 
j spots with entire certainty till we lately met 
with Marshall. 
Size of South Down Sheep. —Mr. Mark R. 
Cockerel asserts in the Nashville Agricul¬ 
turist, that he does not believe the sheep we 
selected from Mr. Webb’s flock in England 
were pure South Downs ; that no animals of 
this breed could weigh so heavy and shear so 
much wool; and that they doubtless “ were 
well crossed with the large sheep known as 
Cotswold, New-Leicester or Bakewell.” 
Does Mr. C. suppose that the numerous 
breeders of South Downs, would stand by at 
the Royal Agricultural Show, and see Mr. 
Webb take all the honors from them in breed¬ 
ing, and pocket the comfortable sum of about 
500 dollars in addition for premiums, on what 
would be merely grade animals ! If he does, 
he must have a queer idea of the cuteness of 
John Bull. We are familiar with the cross 
he speaks of, and so are many other Ameri¬ 
cans, and all Englishmen, and it could be de¬ 
tected in a moment, and would cause the 
person making such an exhibition, to expul¬ 
sion from the society, and overwhelming 
disgrace. We saw roaming over the hills of 
Hampshire, and Berkshire especially, ori¬ 
ginal South Downs, occasionally, though 
rarely, nearly as large as Mr. Webbs, but 
they were much coarser. Now we would 
ask, is it not within the bounds of probability, 
that with such material as these for a foun¬ 
dation, that scientific breeders in the space of 
50 years or more, could so improve them by 
selections and good feeding, as to increase 
their sizes, and add to their fineness of 
points'? If they could not, they must be 
dull scholars indeed, nor need they seek a 
foreign cross at all to effect their purpose. 
The British publications on sheep, in their 
details, have reference generally to the un¬ 
improved South Downs of the hills, and do 
not refer to what are considered extra flocks, 
like those of the Duke of Richmond, Messrs 
Ellman, Grantham, Webb and others. We 
do not think Blacklock much of an authority 
on South Down Sheep, and the main object 
of his mentioning them, seems to be, to place 
them in an unfair contrast on the high bleak 
hills of Scotland, with the smaller, rugged, 
mountain Cheviots. 
