The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-05-16
BREEDING SWINE.

A cross from two good pigs, from
breeds that have a good local reputa-
ton in the place you wish to breed,
if the place as we'll as the people
are progressive, will almost invari-
ably result in a litter of porkers that
will give quicker and better results, than
from what is known as pure blood or
Thoroughbred; but, as regards breed
ing purposes, after you have bred the
original boar to the third generation,
are not SO valuable. If the prize givers
at the Agricultural Exhibitions would
restrict their prizes to pure or thorough
bred pigs, feel confident to say there
would not be such display in the pig
line; but, as before asserted, these prize
takers-generally crosses-are not so
valuable for breeding continued good
stock as the pure bloods, which may, in
general appearance, be slightly Inferior,
but are, in reality, much superior as i'm
provers of stock. So the best plan for
large breeder of swine, and, of course,
small breeders can use their option
in regard to the matter, is to keep one,
two, three or more pure-blooded brood
soWs, and one or more boars Of pure
blood also, as breeding stock or stud,
from which to get the desired cross,
and then raise these crosses for sale !;
by so doing you will obtain better re-
suits than if you bred, raised and sold
the pure blooded pigs, unless you could
dispose of them at good prices to
others who wishes the stock of yours
as breeding stud; but, if you raise
swine on large scale, or small scale
either, the demand for stock pigs is
rather uncertain, and if sold in the
open market they will return as much
for feed and attention as the crosses
will, as fully determined and repeated
y proved almost everywhere, where
the trial was carefully made By put
ting the orlglp:.l pure-bred boar to the
nr .st litter Or cross, you get litter that
Will '.rrive at full maturity sooner and
grow faster than the first cross and
so you can breed until the third litter,
further than which it is best not to go,
as it is as far as we consider it desira-
BILE to breed, as pigs produced from the
cross further reduced are often consti-
tutionally weak, or rather delicate,
quickly showing least neglect; although
sometimes strong and healthy pigs may
be the result of reducing the cross to
the fourth generation. But to the in
experienced, and, in fact, to all breed
ers, say stop at the fourth generation
in crossing,
My next step will be to give the re-
suits of crossing with particular breeds,
and to enumerate those breeds which
gave the best and most desirable
crosses.
Now, Chester White SOW, breed
that for health, good size, and a strong,
hardy constitution, being capable of
thriving under general common man.
agement, has become so renowned and
popular, and deservedly so, put to a
Berkshire boar will produce very de-
sirable cross, for they will continue
hardness and healthiness with mod
crate size, will readily take on fat and
flesh, and early arrive at maturity. By
putting the Berkshire boar to the first
litter or cross you will obtain a greater
infusion of the blood of the boar, and
produce litter of excellent pigs, which
will fatten early and readily.
The crosses with black spots on them,
which they will have when Berkshire
or other dark or black boar is the sire,
are objected by some breeders on this
account; but, when they are sold, dress
ed, or in lot to the butcher, this is
not taken as any evidence of inferioritv,
as long as they are healthy and in
good condition for butchering. As
popular taste has sought after pure
white hogs, the Berkshire and its crosses
are not desirable for amateur purposes
or for a breeding stock where pure
white pig is desired but as the color of
the hair does not make any difference
in the price of such breeds for breeding
purposes, although, must myself adj
nit, that sleek pure-bred Chester
White, or one of almost any other
white breed, that is pure white, and is
covered with smooth, soft coat, is a
very fine animal to look at and to have;
but for protitableness, | would not con-
fine myself to the white sorts, as they
are naturally more delicate than the
black or spotted breeds. In the south,
the Berkshire and its crosses will
always be in more favor than the Ches-
tiers and other white breeds, unless
used as stock for crossing, when they
are indeed very valuable and desirable
An Essex and Chester cross pro-
duces fine porkers Some breeders con-
slider it advisable to have a Chester
boar and an Essex SOW to produce the
| best cross, but | do not agree with
them here, but think the reverse the
best, and conducive of the best and
most desirable results. l will always
consider it best, when you desire the
| most valuable cross, to choose the
sow from the larger breed invariably,
and the boar from the smaller breed, as
it has almost always resulted in obtain
ing much more reliable and valuable
pigs, much finer and harder and in
| every way more desirable, than if the
system was reversed, that is selecting
the boar from the large and the SOW
from the small breed | think much
finer horses could be raised if this item
was taken into consideration in breed
ing, other things being equal, instead
of making other inferior considerations
| of the first Importance and treating
this as of only secondary value or as
having no real, practical value, whereas
it has or should have great Importance
attached to it.
l consider it conducive of much bet
ter results, to cross the white breeds
with the black, and vice versa, than to
cross two different breeds of the white
or two different breeds of the black
Of course this conclusion is modified or
changed by circumstances, such as eli
mate, care, management, &c No
doubt there can be, and are valuable
pigs raised by crossing some of the
FnrliSh thorouph-b bred az the LARGO