The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-21
Jersey Reds, DurOcs and Red Berk-
shires.

There has been some dust thrown in
the eyes of the public by certain breed
ers Of red hogs. 1t is foolish for any
breeder of red hogs in New Jersey to
claim that he has the only pure-bred
red hogs, or Jersey Reds, as they are
called in that state. One breeder in
New Jersey, who claims to have the
-pure breed" and that all others are
mixed or spurious, | imagine would
have hard work to give pedigrees more
than dozen years back. Less than a
dozen years ago his father wrote me
that he could not tell the origin of the
red hogs of New Jersey, neither was
any citizen of that state, in response
to my inquiries, able to give their his
tory. also inserted notices in some
of the leading agricultural journals
asking for their history; but obtained
no response. After IA careful investi-
CATION l became satisfied that these
hogs, as well us the other families OF
other red hogs, were descended from
the old Berkshires, and so reported to
the National Swine Breeders conven-
ton. No one has ever disputed that
statement. Since that time / have
seen an old English work, printed
nearly a hundred years ago, which con-
firmed the impressions; as the descrip-
tion of the old-fashiOned Berkshires,
the color and characteristics of
the modern red hog are accounted for.
1t is said that the Tamworths, the red
hogs of England. are an Offshoot of
the Berkshires. a few importations
of these hogs have been made recently,
to cross upon the redhOgs in America
This red blood has been SO strong in
America that it has preserved itself,
although the crosses upon it have been
innumerable. This is particularly the
case in New Jersey and along the At
lantic coast, where these hogs We're
quite extensively bred. | saw them
twenty years ago in Maryland, as well
as in New Jersey. and they were red
and white, sometimes marked with
black, but always long in the body,
and coarse in the bone, with heavy
coats of hair and bristles. There was
no attempt in those days ut breeding
them strictly pure, any more than
there was the DurOcS, another family
of red hogs bred in Saratoga county
New York. The Durocs seem to have
been brought to this section from Con-
necticut, where red hogs have been
bred and called Red BerkShires. The
stock seems to have become run out
in that state. The Durocs of Saratoga
were descended from a pair
of pigs brought into the vicinity
by Mr.. Kelsey, who said they
were imported; but whether he meant
from Connecticut or Great Britain it
is not known. This was about sixty
years ago. Other pigs. We're after
wards brought from Connecticut to n
different part of the country. The
stock from these two different families
has been bred in the country ever
since. No particular system OF purity
in breeding seems to have been fol-
bwed with the Durocs more than
with the Jersey Reds. until within a
few years since, they were brought
into notice by the National
Swine Breeders convention. The
orig nal and the present tyre of the
Jersey Red is. a coarser and larger
hog than the Duroc, and of course
they are superior to the latter. so much
as greater size is an advantage. The
Durocs are finer boned and will mature
sooner and fatten younger. Both
families possess the general character
istics of strong constitutional vigor
and hearty appetites, with strong
digestion and prolihcneSs most remark
able-the natural result of their
characteristics. They are wonder.
fully hardy and possess an ability
to take care of themselves which
Is quite gratifying. Several breed
ers met together few years
ago and determined to begin breeding
to Durocs, as they were called-the
name being u fancy of Mr.. Kelsey's;
after the noted stallion Duroc-by
selecting the best blood to be obtained
and nearest like u good Berkshire
type. They adopted a standard of
characteristics which had been put on
record, but which it would be well to
repeat. They also determined to give
these hogs their true name, Red Berk-
shire-COl. 4. ID. Curtis, in Exchange