Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-07-05

full moon.
TRIUMPH GRANGE No. 1863.-Meets ut the
Sill School House. on the first Thursday. on
or before the full moon of each month, also
in two weeks thereafter
o. s. PAINE. Master.
E. L. HOPKINS. Sec'y.
Berkshire Blood in the Poland. China.
Western Stock Journal and Farmer
In answer to Mr.. Gilmore's letter in
the last Journal, as to whether there is
any Berkshire blood in the Poland Chi
ma or not, | would say l think there is,
and would like to present few state
ments from some OF the first breeders
of the Poland China hog in Butler and
adjoining counties Ohio, where the
Polands first originated. l will give the
report of the Hon. John Millikin, of
Union Village, O., to the Swine Breed
ers' Convention (''National'), at Indian
apolis, Nov. 20, 1872, which is, in my
opinion, as concise and reliable q state
ment of the origin of the Poland China
breed of swine as has been written. In
every material particular it is not only
in thorough accord with my belief, but
with the written and unwritten history
of this breed of hogs. His intelligence,
his recollection of past events, with his
connection with stock breeding and his
residence among those who had most to
do with the formation of this breed of
swine, cntitle his statement to the con-
fidence of every man who seeks to know
the truth upon the subject Besides, he
is not seeking to establish any claim of
his own or for his society, as the origin
ator of this breed; he simply states
what he knows as to the breeds used,
the course pursued in the formation of
the breed, and the times when certain
crosses were made, and by whom and
when importations of the several kinds
of stock used were made.
The report made to the Indianapolis
Convention, and which was concurred
in by Mr.. Rankin Baldridge, of Indiana,
was discussed in the Convention, and
sustained by documentary evidence as
well as by the testimony OF Cephas HOl-
loway and Others The report was
adopted without opposition when the
facts were presented. Extensive and
experienced breeders of Illinois, Ohio
Indiana were present and highly approx
ed the action of the Convention.
For the information of your numerous
readers, and the public generally, l hope
you will give below the report then and
there adopted. The report is recognized
in every essential particular as being
correct by the breeders of the Miami
Valley and the great pork producing
States. You will see by the report that
these two breeds Berkshire and
Irish Grazier-were extensively used in
making crosses by tho best breeders in
Butler and adjoining counties: Having
been carefully bred and intermiXed with
the descendants and crosses OF the Big
China with other breeds, the stock thus
produced constituted the true and orig
inal basis of what is known as the Magic
or Poland China hog.
The following is the report to which
reference is made:
In the early history of swine-breed-
ing in the Miami Valley, in Ohio, it is
clear, from the best written authorities
available, and from oral testimony, that
there are two breeds which, to great
extent, had been proftably crossed with
the common bristled breed of the coun-
try. These were the Russia and Byfeld
breeds The Bedford breed is also nam
ed in connection with the other two; to
what extent it was used cannot now be
readily determined.
In 1916, we have positive proof from
an unquestioned source, that the Shak-
ers of Union Village, situated in War
rem Co., Ohio, and being four miles from
Monroe, in Butler County, purchased at
Philadelphia one boar and three sows,
of what was, at the time believed to be
pure China, They were represented to
be either imported or immediate de-
scendants of imported stock. They were
called Big China hogs. These animals
were the first China hogs ever brought
into Southwestern Ohio Subsequently
other China hogs were introduced and
extensively used
The Shakers, and other judicious
breeders in Warren and Butler counties,
continued to use the breeds at command
and produced, by repeated crosses, hog
of exceedingly fine qualities for that
period, which was generally known as
the Warren County hog These hogs,
continually increasing in good qualities,
were bred in both counties, and the very
best specimens were carefully and in
terchangeably used, SO as to make the
best crosses.
Such was the progress that had been
made in forming the groundwork of a
good specimen of a hog. This condition
of the breed continued until about the
year 1888 or 1886, when Mr.. Beach, of
Warren Co., first introduced the Berk-
shires, which were obtained from G. M.
Bement, of the State of New York.
Other lots of Berkshires continued to
flow into the Mama Valley until about
1871.
"The Berkshire blood was literally
infused into the stock existing not only
in Southwestern Ohio, but in Kentucky
also. Crossing with the Berkshires was
almost exclusively done until about
1898 and 1889, when Mr.. VIM. Neff, of
Cincinnati, imported some choice speci-
mems of the Irish Grazier.' This breed
soon grew into high favor. and, as con-
sequence, was literally used in making
crosses with the best specimens OF the
crosses previously made. This inter
mingling of blood-this crossing of
breeds continued for some time. In a
few years, however, the use of the pure
blooded was entirely discontinued, and
there were no further importations
made of the Irish Grazier The breed
ers of swine in the Miami Valley settled
down to the conviction that the basis Of
a good breed of hogs had been establish
ed, and that in the future judicious and
discriminating breeders could use, and,
if necessary. modify the material fur
nished, so as to meet the demands of
the public. For more than thirty years
no ncv blood has been introduced into
our breed, and no effort made to obtain
new supply of the blood of either
breed previously used
While this is true, our breeders have
not been Indifferent to the further i'm
provement of our breed. Stimulated by
their success, they have perseveringly
aimed to improve what they had been
so successful in forming. The best
points or qualities have been preserved,
l.ua boo,, ,,,,J,