1876.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
53 
The Small White Pigs. 
The result of the English shows the past year, 
has been rather indicative of a decrease in the pop¬ 
ularity of the black breeds of swine, and of greater 
favor shown to white breeds. Color is wholly a 
matter of taste in that 
country, where the heat 
of the sun is never so in¬ 
tense as to make the keep¬ 
ing- of black pigs more de¬ 
sirable than that of white 
ones; and as no one can 
distinguish a ham or a side 
of bacon from a black 
pig, from that from a 
white pig, (unless it be 
that a stray black hair has 
been accidentally left on 
it,) there is nothing in 
mere color to make one 
more desirable than an¬ 
other. Neither is there 
any reason to suppose 
that the black breeds have 
lost their character as rap¬ 
id and economical pork 
producers, or that white 
breeds have gained a point 
in this respect. Popular 
prejudice is a thing diffi¬ 
cult to account for, and it 
is especially so in regard 
to the color of animals of 
low or high degree. Nev¬ 
ertheless, it has been con¬ 
sulted by those who look for profit in breeding 
stock, and the fashion having turned in England, 
the breeders are there giving more attention to the 
white breeds, and these have the past year appeared 
in greater force at the exhibitions. Another curious 
instance of the uncertainty of popular taste, is the 
varying popularity of the large and small breeds. 
This oscillates back and forth, just as the fashion 
in regard to color. We have never yet seen any 
satisfactory evidence that it pays better to feed 
small pigs than large hogs, if both kinds are equal¬ 
ly pure bred. Locality, cost of feed, and the de¬ 
mands of the markets, 
have a great influence in 
deciding the choice in 
this respect, and we sus¬ 
pect that a well bred hog 
or pig, well fed and well 
cared for, will make about 
the same amount of pork 
fora bushel of corn, or the 
same amount of money 
for the same quantity of 
feed, whatever breed it 
may belong to. With us 
the impression that a black 
pig is less apt to suffer 
from the heat of the sun, 
than a white one, is a great 
thing in its favor, and will 
always tend to make the 
black breeds popular, 
especially in the south¬ 
ern states. Nevertheless, 
some people fancy the 
white breeds, and the Suf- 
folks,Chester Whites, and 
the Yorkshires are pop¬ 
ular with many farmers. -- r 
The beauty, quick growth, 
fine bone, and light offal of the small breeds, are 
very much in their favor everywhere, and the hand¬ 
some apppearance of a well bred, small, white pig, 
is very attractive. We give on this page a portrait 
of a pig of this kind, a well bred white Suffolk. 
This breed occupies the same place with the white 
varieties, that the Essex does amongst the black 
ones. No pig makes better pork, when young, 
than the Suffolk, and pigs of this breed have 
dressed 130 pounds at five mouths old, without be¬ 
ing forced. The economy of feeding a pig which 
has so little waste, the meat of which is placed 
where it is most valuable, and which has so little 
bone or head as this, is very great. The food is 
used to the greatest profit. It is unfortunate that 
those who raise pigs do not seem to thoroughly 
understand how much greater profit there is in 
keeping animals of an improved kind, and in using 
■ ■tiw/i. 
YEARLING SHORT-IIORN BULL “LORD LAMECH.' 
/i-yi nn 
-Owned by Mr. Pickrell, Meclianksburg, 111, 
only pure bred boars, of whatever breed they may 
fancy, than in raising those from mongrel males 
which cost more in feed than the pork comes to. 
The Booth Short-Horns. 
The competition between the rival classes of 
Short-horns, known as Booth and Bates, is becom¬ 
ing closer. For some time past the Bates stock has 
been in the ascendent. The Duke and Duchess 
family, which was Mr. Bates’ most successful 
A PURE BRED SUFFOLK BOAR. 
creation, has for some years past overshadowed 
all other families and classes of this breed of horned 
stock. They have become the fashion, and scarce¬ 
ly any price that could be paid for them, has been 
held to be an extravagant one by those devoted to 
this fashion. The prices paid for Duke bulls and 
Duchess cows have been so exorbitant, as to lead 
easily impressed people to suppose that every ex¬ 
cellence that could be brought beneath the hide of 
an animal, was concentrated in these. But of late 
the excitement is wearing itself out. Other fam¬ 
ilies of the Bates stock are coming into favor, not 
exactly eclipsing the Dukes and Duchesses, but 
causing their brilliance to pale through the newer 
radiance of the rising lights. The Booth stock is 
also rising, and those breeders, who have stuck to 
this class through its evil report, are now reaping 
the reward of their constancy. In the English 
show - yards, which are 
looked upon here as well 
as there as the best tent of 
both popularity and merit, 
the Booth animals have 
swept the field. For three 
years in succession, ani¬ 
mals got by bulls of John 
B. Booth’s breeding, have 
carried off the first prizes 
in the cows’ class. Mr. 
Outhwaite’s cow “ Vivan- 
diere,” which is a splendid 
animal, if we can judge 
by her photograph, has re¬ 
ceived premiums valued 
in all at $5,357, during 
her show career. And 
finally the sale ring, the 
best tgst of all, has shown 
that this class of stock is 
now equally popular with 
the best of the Bates 
stock. In September last 
there occurred a sale of 
the stock of the late Mr. 
W. Torr, which was large¬ 
ly bred from the Booth 
tribes of Short-horns. The 
result of the sale was an 
average price for 85 animals of $3,525 each, or 
$314,650 for the lot. The highest price ever paid in 
England for a cow, was paid for “ Bright Empress,” 
an animal four years old. A three-year old bull was 
purchased by Mr. Harrison, of California, for 
$1,300, and a fine yearling bull, “ Lord Lameeli,” 
was bought by Mr. Pickrell, of Illinois, for $2,940. 
In the London “ Agricultural Gazette ” we find an 
excellent portrait of this animal, taken from a pho¬ 
tograph. It is interesting to compare this portrait 
with that of the “Duke of Underley,” the calf of 
the “ 10th Duchess of Geneva,” which was given in 
the American Agriculturist 
for September, 1875. This 
animal is valued at over 
$15,000, and it certainly is 
not easily distinguishable 
to an ordinary eye, how¬ 
ever well versed in judging 
stock it maybe, where the 
great difference in value 
lies. The Booth animal 
seems in no way inferior 
to the Bates, eitner in 
form or substance—if in¬ 
deed it does not promise 
to even excel it. The 
outline indicates a future 
weight and massiveness, 
and an elegance of form, 
which leaves little, if any¬ 
thing, to be desired, and 
of the two animals at the 
same price, many persons 
would prefer the former. 
“ Lord Lamech ” is of the 
“ Lady ” family. His sire, 
— “ Knight of the Shire ” 
(E. H. B., 26,552) by “Kil- 
lerley Monk ” (20,053), by 
“Dr. McHalc” (15,887), by “Baron Warlaby” 
(7,813). On the female side he is from “Sylph,” 
by “Sir Walter.” Mr. Torr has long been known 
as a most skillful and successful breeder, and his 
herd has gained an enviable reputation. Mr. 
Pickrell also brought to Illinois with him from 
this sale a five-year old cow, “ Germania,” for 
$2,300, and a yearling heifer, “Waterloo Shield,” 
for about $2,500. Although Mr. Pickrell’s herd 
was already one of the best in the country, this re- . 
inforcement to it will make it still more valuable. 
