Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1901-11-15
AgrifuItnral.
Some Breeds and Crosses.

We read in an exchange that tb,
Berkshire hog is the best forager in OK
istence, feeding on grass and weeds that
no other animal will eat. He is ais
kind in his disposition, and fatten
readily on corn or ground feed at at,
age. He carr les more loin steak and
more lean ham than any other, and ca
be fitted for market at any age from on
to three years The Poland Chin
needs but little room and but littl
fence. He is the best hog to keep il
small Enclosures, and can condense a
kinds of food into marbled pork, or tina
in which the fat is we'll mixed with the
lean If this is true we should prefer
the Poland China to the Berkshire
But if we were raising pigs to fatteD
we would take a grade Chester White
or one of what many people call a native
white, that was long bodied, perhaps
long legged. but not long nosed, with
twelve or more teats on her, and ont
that was so good natured that she would
lie down when we scratched her back
with curry comb or corn cob, and
we would mate her with a pure bred
Berkshire, Poland China or small York
shire, and we should expect pigs thai
would fatten quickly, or, if we wanted
breeding sows, some that would be pro
life OF pigs that would fatten readily
aud cheaply
Some one must grow pure bred stock
if we desire to improve our swine, evei
ii the half or three quarter breds make
good pork at less cost than the pure
breeds, as we know that breeding from
half breeds results in mongrels, which
cannot be relied upon tn breed true q
any type; but we think the large or
medium Yorkshire can be depended up
on to prove more prolific, to furnish their
pigs more milk up to the weaving age,
and thus grow better pigs, or to make
pounds OF pork at six to eight months
old than any other pure breeds we ever
saw.
In saying this. we do not mean to say
that 10 these particulars they will excel
or even equal the CT oss of Yorkshire on
the Berkshire. or Yorkshire on Poland
Chira. as we have not had much expert
ence with these crosses, favorite with
many Western pork growers. The pure
Yorkshire may be better, but we have
no evidence of it. OF the Duroc or Red
Jersey we know but little as a pure
breed or for crossing with others We
have seen more of them at cattle shows
than at any other places. aud our opin-
ion has not bren very favorable toward
them as we saw them. or as we read the
claims made by their advocates. We
allow that they can be made to attain
god size, and that they are near the
popular st lie for the bacon hog. thin
sided and with the streak Of lean among
the fat which some so much like ; bu,
we do not think they fatten quickly OF
cheaply, and we prefer the pig of two
hundred pounds at six months old
Nor did we like the Essex. though
we thought they fattened more rapidly
than almost any other breed at less cost
of food til n any others we ever had
hut we rarely saw them produce ov' |
four pigs in litter, and thus they were
not very profitable breeding stock. At
tempts to remedy this by Scanty feeding
30 prevent them from fattening did moi
prove successful, while those who fed
literally often found them not to breed
at all. To fatten readily at any age
from six weeks to six months may be
characteristic of this breed, but prolific
breeding is not Massachusetts Plough
man