The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-04-18

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in demand, and though the excess
I've prices 10 longer rule. yet IN
portant industries depend upon
long or combing wool which Sc
cue for It a ready sale.
BREEDS or SWINE.
The superior breeds OF pigs al
come from England. where they
have had a comparatively short eX-
istcncc. Nevertheless the improve
meuls In the various breeds were
made there by introducing foreign
blood, especially Chinese and
Neapolitan, upon the long cs,ab-
llshcd and. In many respects, yalu-
able breeds native to the country.
This gives the modern breeds an
antiquity which in some measure
accounts for the pcrmanence Of the
types.
The efforts to produce breeds OF
swine in this country have 50 far,
nearly failed, no doubt because the
foundation we have 10 build upon
Is either d proper cross-breed or a
mixture OF breeds Of no antiquity
Of breeding which would give per-
mancnce to the type when formed.
We hear little now-a-day Of any
American breeds except the Ches-
ter Whites, and the Poland Chlnas.
These are neither of them fixed
breeds. and would rapidly disap-
pear were not great pains taken
IN their breeding.
The Chester Whites originated
in Chester county, Pennsylvania,
from successful crosses of the ma
tive mixed swine with imported
English breeds. They are "a long,
NANCY, rather, rather coarse, we'll
haired breed, having thick should
ers, good hams, broad back and
loin: and much side pork. They
are healthy, good foragers, good
breeders and great mixers. Some
have large, healthy lop ears, others
thin and looping ears, while others
have smaller erect ears, and there
is a considerable diversity in size;
some occasionally reaching the
weight Of 500 to 1000 pounds
They are fayorites with the farmer,
and have been SO long bred with
care IN Chester County that their
characteristics are tolerably fixed,
so that they may be used to i'm
prove the common pigs.
The POLAND CHINAS are a com
posite breed of no-telling what,
with the Berkshire as Il basis
They are very large Ill stature, Of
fair weight for their size, black
spotted or fcckcd with white.
They have small heads, little offal,
and are regarded as profitable feed
crs. They originated in Ohio, and
have borne. and with many still
bear. the name of their originator,
Mr.. Magic. There is an i~rrcpressi-
bic tendency in the breed to revert
towards one Of It's original factors,
usually to the Berkshire, upon
which breed it is an improvement
only as grades and cross breds are
always an improvement upon es-
tablished breeds, as they exhibit
few faults and the merits Of both
parents intensified.
The Berkshire are the most i'm
portant Of the English breeds for
this country, being adapted TO all
parts of it, hardy and prolific, both
at the North and extreme South,
excellent foragers, and possessing
an extraordinary aptitude to f~atten,
while their hams and shoulders are
large in proportion. They are not
so profitable feeders rs some of the
other breeds, or as their grades,
and it is for the production of these
that all the pure breeds are most
valuable. 1t is doubtful whether
the grades of any other breed Will
produce on the same feed an equal
weight of pork, and certainly, if
we regard the proportion which
hams and shoulders bear to the
rest of the animal, the quality Will
be superior.
The Berkshires are now bred
with great particularly, black with
more or less white on the face and
chops, white feet and a white tip to
the tail. White fecks occur natur-
ally over the body, and being OBJ
jected to, the best shaped pigs are
not unfrequently absurdiy sacrificed
as breeders because Of these max
ings. The occurrence OF a brush OF
red hairs, is no indication Of lmpu-
ritv OF blood, for red occurred with
the black a and white in the anci-
ent Berkshires, and occasionally
crops out now-a-day. The skin
varies in color from slaty to blush
black, with a shade of red-that
uL;oh l. nrnfonrol hninn N distinct