Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-02-09
The Hog.

The hog nS a perfect Cosmopolitan, adap-
ting himself bo all climates, omniverous IN
hts diet, rsnorc prolific than any domestic
.annnal except the rabbit easily susceptl-
bic of6mpropement and quickly attaining
to uuburity. 1t furnishes a cheaper and
-llargerret1rnof food for the outlay than
auuysother ANIMAL reared on food. In an
-seeononlict. point of view, the hog occupies
a prominent place, and as a source of in
come to the GARNER for ready sale and
certainty Of remunerative return, is not
surpassed By any other branch of his var
lied psssuit.
MISREPRESENTATION of the different herds
of Betkski1e hogs while travelling through
the different provinces of Canada and the
U~nited3Stases, and of those which have
been recently brought from England, con-
yinessnsstt THAT in speaking of them as they
rnows1st they should be classified for 1t
MS ew9ent that the different for ms mani
ifestod .weuld justify it. Whether these
Adagerent forms and appearances nave orig
aBated from the digercnt States and ideas
-of different breeders, or whether they orig
EnateG from un infusion of foreign blood.
rive VIII not determine. There is no race
% LltOS "ulCu udNc ptCh OO AdPib NhAo
.sed Sn the United States, as the Berkshire
and there is no prominent race IN exls-
rtenoe of which there has been so little
written. breeders relying mainly upon the
merits of the breed, itself, for its general
diffusion. And under these circumstan-
ces it is remarkable with what rapidity
they have found their way in almost all
parts of the globe. 1t is also remarkable
that every diverse climate to which they
have been subjected has neither changed
their peculiar color, form or any of the
general or peculiar characteristics of the
race.
These facts can scarcely be accounted
for upon any other hypothesis than the
great persistency with which they have
been bred in one direction, giving to them
a constitution and an established charac-
ter which is in itself able to resist all the
detrimental influences of diverse climates.
From the frozen North to the hottest
South, we find them in close pens, or ram
bling over the largest fields, maintaining
the same form and general characteristics.
There are many breeds of swine of re-
cent formation that succeed admirably in
come localities, but when subjected to eli
mates and circumstances foreign to those
in which they received their existence,
become Improbable and soon pass away.
This cannot be said of the Berkshire they
seem to adapt themselves to almost any
circumstances under which they may be
placed.
Many attempts have been made to i'm
prove the Berkshire by an infusion of for
eign blood, but no instance is recorded
where such improvement has been effect
ed /: yet many valuable improvements have
been made upon other breeds by an infu-
sion of Berkshire blood but no such i'm
provements have yet proved equal to the
pure we'll bred Berkshire.
They particularly excel in their hams.
which are round, full and heavy, and
contain a large proportion of lean, tender
and juicy meat, of the best flavor"
The great dissideratum which most far
mers seek to acquire in a hog is a large
amount of flesh in a short time. with a
small amount of food. This is all proper
and a very desirable point to be gained,
but the requirement of the points should
never be at the sacrifice of the quality of
the flesh, or the symmetry. of the animal.
But an animal possessing a combination
of all these leading points and embracing
symmetry of form and fneness of flesh,
should be the more desired, and We think
after an experience of fifteen years with
the pure Berkshire. we can claim justly
that the Berkshire embraces more of these
leading and desirable qualities than any
of the different breeds with which we have
had a varied experience, or any of those
breeds which nave come under our obser-
walton.
The higher degree to which the Berk-
shire has attained, is the result Of long
and consistent skill in breeding, and al
though they may approximate all that
could be desired in a hog, the fact that
proper skill and care must still be used in
breeding must not be iguored.-American
Stsss Journol.