Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-05-05
The Berkshire Hog.

might possibly excite the jealousy OF
those breeding other swine. 1t was
not my wish to do this. l have no
desire to underrate other breeds.
There arc no people under the sun that
exercise freedom of opinion equal to
Americans. You see this in religion,
politics and all secular affairs. Men
do their own thinking and act in
harmony with their conclusions, car
ing little what others think on the
same point; hence while there may
be in the aggregate large degree
of harmony of purpose, there is a
never-ending diversity in the means
employed. In no class Is this more
fully exemplified than among far
mers. Hence the different strains of
horses, cattle, sheep, swine and
poultry, all have their friends; and
these are not confined to any particu-
lar State, county or neighborhood as
in other countries, but are scattered
"hither and thither" over the land.
More money has been lost by
western farmers through a careless
ness and Indifference in breeding,
feeding and attending to their swine,
than probably through any other
means. Take lot of "prairie root
ers," bred in and in, year after year,
shut up in a close pen, without shell
ter from the billiards. of winter. or
sun In summer, in mud and their
own filth up to their eyes, and a far
mer had better work by the day at
fifty cents, and board himself, than
to raise corn on his own land and
feed to such lot of hogs. Let us in
qulre what it takes to constitute a
good hog. An English writer gives
the following as the points of a good
hog:
Sufficient depth of carcass, and
such an elongation of the body as
will insure sufficient lateral expan-
sion. Let the loin and the chest be
broad. The breadth of the latter de-
notes good room fer the play of the
lungs, and a consequent free and
healthy circulation, essential to the
thriving or fattening of an animal.
The bone should be small and tie
joints fine. Nothing is more indica-
tive of high breeding than this; and
the legs should be no longer than,
when fully fat, would just prevent
the animals body from trailing on
the ground. The leg is the least
profitable portion of the hog, and we
require no more of it than is absolute
ly necessary.
"See that the feet be firm and
sound, that the toes lie well together,
and press straightly upon the ground
as also that the claws are even, up
right and healthy. Many say that
the form Of the head is of little or no
consequence, and that a good hog
may have an ugly head; but l regard
the head of all animals as one of the
very principal points IN which pure
or impure breeding will be most OBJ
viously indicated. A high bred ami
NAL will invariable be found to ar
rive more speedily at maturity, to
turn out more proftably than one of
questionable and impure stock; and
such being the case, l consider that
the head OF the hog is by no
means a point to be overlooked by
the purchaser. The description of
head most likely to promise, or rath-
er to be concomitant of high breed
ing, is one not carrying heavy bone,
not too flat on the forehead, or pos
sessing too long snout. The snout
should be short, and the forehead
rather convex, curying upward; and
the ear should be, while pendulous,
inclining somewhat forward, and at
the same time light and thin. Nor
should the buyer pass even by the
carriage of pig. II this be dull
heavy and detected, reject him on
suspicion Of i'll health, if not Of some
concealed disorder actually exciting
or just about to break forth; and
there cannot be more unfortunate
symptom than hang-down, SLOUGH
ing head. Of course, fat hog for
slaughter, or a SOW heavy with young,
has not much sprightliness of deport
ment."
In my opinion the Berkshire COM
bines more good points with less OBJ
jectionable ones than any other sim
gle breed. And here l introduce the
testimony of one of the best hog rails
ers in Sangamon county, ILL.,, as long
ago as 1868:
"Their flesh is better than the flesh
of any other breed of hogs I have
ever eaten; it is finer grained, tender
and juicy, and when regularly fed is
fit for market, or to kill and eat, at
any time from four to eighteen
months of age. The brood sows are
good nurses, and produce generally
from eight to ten pigs at litter
They are very hardy, and less liable
to disease than any other breed of
hogs; and l have no doubt, from my
experience in feeding and fattening,
they will make more pounds of pork
on a given quantity of food than any
other breed of hogs. The late J. G.
Crowder said that he had no doubt
that any SOW, even the veriest scrub,
bred to Berkshire boar would pro-
duce pigs worth two dollars head
more than any other stock. My own
opinion is, they are worth at least one
dollar a head more"
think the flesh of the Essex and Suf-
folk is equal to that of the Berkshire;
in fact there is no perceptible differ
ence in this regard; and in aptness to
fatten the Berkshire has no SUPERIOR
ty over the Essex or Sufold. Either
if properly kept, is always ready for
the butchers knife. But in point of
hardness, ability to withstand the
extremes of heat and cold, the Berk-
shires excel; also in weight of carcass
at maturity. An important item
with all farmers in order to success
in raising hogs, especially in this
latitude, is to have success with his
pigs at narrowing time. A good lit
ter Of April or early May pigs we'll
cared for may be sold off in Deem
Der at three hundred pounds weight;