The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-04-05
Agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN
" CHESTER WHITES

CHEsIiIREs v CHESTER WHITES.
Noticing an article in the RurM OF
January 22d. signed F. g., on the sub
ject Of swine, I perused it with much in
terest. Having had considerable expo
riencc in hog breeding for the past twenty
years, and as my views greatly differ with
F. G.s, perhaps it will not be out ofplace
to state the same. My attention has
been turned for the last eight or ten years
more especially to the breeding Of Ches-
tiers and Cheshire. in 1860 purchased
II pair of thoroughbred Chester White
pigs, and have been engaged in breeding
them more or less since. About 1868
my'attention was called to the Chcshircs.
In 1868 I bought pair, and have also
been breeding them. My experience,
from actual tests differs somewhat from
F. G.'s. find the Cheshire in no way
inferior to the Chester White, and in some
respects superior | fail to see that the
Chester White will keep fat on less feed
than the Cheshire, as have both that
have the same feed and care Either
will want something more than sawdust,
or even clover, to make fat pork AS far
as the size is concerned, consider the
Cheshire second TO none, unless it be the
Yorkshire, and | think this universally
admitted
The Chester White is hog that has a
coarse bone, shortish body, grea,
abundance of long, coarse hair, (which is
proof ola thick rindD, and very heavy
lop ear, which consider a great objec.
lion while the Cheshire has fine firm
bone, great length and depth Of body
thin, fine hair and rind, small, upright
ears, and, when tattcned, will stand NJ
square on its feet, when the ChestrC
Whites, for want Of a, fine firm bone and
strong cord, would break down, and arc
often unable to stand or come to then
feed.
killed two hogs last fall of the same
age, both having the same care,the Chesh
ire weighing, when dressed, six hundred
and ninety Eight pounds, and the Chester
White weighing only five hundred ant
seventy-six pounds. find about tha
proportionate difference from pigs to hog
one and one.half to two years old.
have learned that it is not difficult t.
make pigs of from seven to nine months
old weigh, when dressed, from tive hun
dred and scvcnty-6vc to four hundred
pounds.
One of my ncighbors killed pig 0
the Cheshire breed last fall that weighed
when dressed, at seven months old, tw
hundred and four pounds. 1t ha'
eaten only three hundred pounds Of cor
meal, and what whey it wanted the lat
ter of which is very poor fccd-so admit
ted
| see no marked difference in regard t.
docility They arc both very quiet. TIL
Cheshire is much preferred by dairyme
in this section, who feed little else Blu
whey through the summer and fatten i
the fall-so much so that half-breed pig
at four weeks old sell as readily at fly
dollars as the same grade Chester Whit
do at four dollars Thorough
Cheshires sell for breeding purposes, o
eight weeks old, at thirty dollars pc
pair, as quick as the Chester Whites d
at twenty dollars. Perhaps little nor
experience from actual tests will chang
F. G.'s views more in favor of the Chest
Tres, as he says they have Just been intro
duced in that section.
RURAL READER.
We take the above from the Rurt
Nelo Yorker From the many differer
specimens of the Chester County White
we have seen, we are convinced that ii
author has not the best kind of that bree,
That they are made up breed that ha,
not been bred long enough in one line
thoroughly fix their qualities whatev'
they are, is now generally understood ,bl
that they are very valuable race
hogs if not the most valuable, it woul
now be waste Of time to try to convin'
the public that have tried them SO extel
aivsly, they having become known
nearly all our country.
We think the defects in them are to
expected for want of systematic breedin
and those who have been sending the
out have been at times too anxious to &
money, and too willing to sacrifice the
honor, as well as the reputation of ii
Chester Co. Whites, to obtain it t.; tn
while many have given the best of sat-
faction, others have proved very coar
and unsatisfactory. The best of d
Chester Co. Whites are not coarse will
"heavy lop ear" although the ear shou
point forward it should not be heavy.
depth Of body there is no breed that ,
think excel the Chester Co. Whites. IT
term Thorough bred Chester Whites
used above, we think entirely out
place, as we do not know of any breed
animals that show such want of thorouI
systematic breeding, as the Chester c
Whites. While saying this much we
not wish to be understood as underati
them, as we consider them a very valu
BILE, hardy, and profitable kind of no,