Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-21
THE ESSEX HOG.
q Claim that They Are the Most Profitable
of Any of the Improved Breeds.

a Claim that They Are the Most Profitable
of Any of the Improved Breeds.
Richard Peters in an Article in the Southern
Cultivator, takes firm stand in favor of the
Essex hog which is no doubt one of the best in
America, at present. This Partially for the
Essex leads him unquestionably into errors in
regard to other breeds, such the Berkshire,
and in his zeal for his fayorite makes unjust
charges against others. He writes as follows:
Sin the columns of the Southern CUltiyator
you have had many articles of great interest to
your readers on the subject OF swine, and in ad-
dition thereto would like to give a few facts
about the Essex Of the present day. since they
have been increased in size and otherwise
greatly improved by English and American
sex about the year 1856, and have made careful
selections of females from year to year, and
avoided close breeding by obtaining the best
males to be found in England and America IN
til my herd now equals any in the world in size
of the breeding stock. In fecundity il probably
excels that of any other herd. For example,
three of my matured sows narrowed, bringing
forty-three pigs-sixteen, fourteen and thir-
teen, respectively. or these th1rty-two lived
and grew rapidly, the mothers being capital
nurses.
have found the Essex the most profitable Of
any of the improved breeds; they are free from
disease, are easy keepers and mature early.
My herd has clover and the gleanings of the
grain fields, and a good range in a wood pasture;
this carrie them through the spring and sum-
mer and fall months Those intended for bacon
are given the run of the pea Belds, and are made
ready for the knife with three to four bushels OF
corn per head. The Essex be fattened at
any age; the only objection to them is their be-
coming too fat to be depended on as reliable
breeders when fed the usual amount of food al
lowed 10 other swine. Those intended for
breeders should be allowed to get their living on
grass or in woods range, and started to breed
at an early age. My killing hogs ready for
the knife at eighteen to twenty months old,
and can readily be made to weigh $50 to 800
pounds net at S cost of two to three cents per
pound. The Essex, as rule, are not carniyer-
Gus. have had sows attain the age of four
five years, and yet during the twenty-seven
years that have bred the Essex have not seen
OF heard of q chicken or lamb eater.
My observation shows that the white breeds of
swine are unsuited to q hot climate on account of
the mango. The Poland China and Jersey
breeds are large and mature late; they are ud-
mirably adapted to the Western country, with
low-priced corn but not profitable in cotton
region. The Berkshiles by many persons in the
South are highly valued; but on my farm
found them to be carniverous, lamb and chicken
eaters, and disposed to become wild when
allowed to run on q large range. Very many of
them also were affected with lung troubles in
Dictated by hacking cough. Many breeders of
the Essex attribute the Improvement in the
Berks hire to a cross of the Essex, made by the
English breeders. In the management of my
herd for several years l have used kerosene oil
both externally and internally, to
terminate the parasites OF the skin and the in
testinal worms to which ali the breeds Of swine
are so liable in the Southern climate