1876 .] 
AMERICAN AGrRICTTLTURIST. 
453 
The Essex Breed of Swine. 
Chief amongst what are known as the small black 
breeds of swine is the Essex. The pigs, which are 
entirely black, may be made, by generous feeding 
and skillful care, to reach such weights as would 
entitle them to rank' amongst the large breeds, but 
their principal value is found in their use as smaller 
ners at the various fairs, who possess animals quite 
equal in merit iu all respects to those portrayed here. 
The old English Essex pig was originally a coarse, 
parti-colored animal, black, with white legs, nose, 
and shoulders. Upon this stock the Neapolitan 
boar, from Italy, was crossed, with the effect of 
producing a black animal, of rather slender form, 
of very fine bone, but of a weak constitution ; the 
last being the result of too close inter-breeding. 
have been found exceedingly hardy, especially in 
the Southern States, where they resist the summer’s 
heat as well as they do the northern winter’s cold. 
They probably exceed the Berksliires as feeders, 
although this will scarcely be admitted by the 
friends of that breed ; if, however, there is any ad¬ 
vantage in this respect, it must go to the credit of 
the Essex. They keep easily iu excellent condi¬ 
tion, as may be seen from our illustration, which 
mBm 
■Drawn from Life , and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
pigs for the market. A rapidly growing animal 
that will so mature in one season that it may be 
brought to market as a “ pig,” and not as a “ hog,” 
is a very desirable one, and it is precisely for this 
use that the Essex deservedly stands first amongst 
the black swine. Another valuable use for the 
Essex, and one which they are made to serve very 
extensively, is for crossing upon the coarser classes 
of swine ; thus employed they produce grades with 
finer form and more valuable meat, with less offal 
than is common on “ native ” pigs. In this respect 
they are rivals of the Berkshire. The engravings 
represent a sow, boar, and pig of this breed, drawn 
from life, and are actual portraits of choice ani¬ 
mals. As this breed is now widely disseminated in 
the United States, and there are several careful and 
successful breeders, each of whom is equally en¬ 
titled to well merited consideration from the pub¬ 
lic, and lest invidious comparisons might be made 
against the interests of any one of these breeders, 
we refrain from giving the owner’s name. It will 
be sufficient to say that there are several prize-win 
Nevertheless the improved breed became very popu¬ 
lar, and by further efforts, in which the strengthen¬ 
ing of the constitution, by the infusion of new 
blood, was made a special point, the improvement 
was rendered more valuable and satisfactory. This 
was done so far by Lord Western. Then Mr. Fisher 
Hobbs, a tenant of Lord Western, undertook a 
course of improvement with these Essex-Neapoli- 
tan pigs. He soon produced a breed which he 
and points of value, were very near like those of 
the present day. These had all the symmetry of 
the Neapolitan pig, with its fine bone, small head 
and jowl, and besides the full shoulder, large ham, 
deep sides, and light offal, which still distinguish 
it. This brings the history of the Essex, as we now 
know it, up to the year 1860. Importations of the 
stock of Mr. Fisher Hobbs were made by Samuel 
Thorne, Esq., of the State of New York, and in a 
few years the stock became well distributed in this 
country. Wherever they have been introduced, 
they have at once become a favored breed, and 
represents the animals simply in ordinary working 
order. W T e have given frequent statements in the 
American Agriculturist of the weights, to which 
Essex pigs have been fed within a year, the highest 
figure, given by a correspondent about a year ago, 
is probably the largest which lias come to our 
knowledge—viz., over 600 pounds, with a loss in 
I dressing of less than 8 per cent. The Essex is an 
excellent family pig, and a half-bred animal ivould 
doubtless be found one of the most economical for 
this purpose that could be procured. It may be 
well to repeat the caution against using half-breeds 
for stock purposes. As feeders they may not be 
surpassed, but if fed for breeding," the advantage is 
lost, and deterioration will infallibly follow. A 
thoroughbred boar, selected with care, or procured 
from a trustworthy breeder, should invariably be 
used for breeding. It is one of the unavoidable 
consequences of the improvement of a breed by 
crossing or careful selection, that care in this re¬ 
spect can not be relaxed without mischief; it is 
therefore a necessary division of labor in this busi- 
