tion were introduced into Massachusetts by Col. Timothy Pickering, who was Secretary of State under a portion of Washington's administration, and who then and afterwards manifested great interest in agricultural affairs. The breed was extensively propagated in Massachusetts for many years, and as hogs of medium size, and especially for slaughtering at six to eight months old, they have never been surpassed. Nothing like a full-blood of the breed has been seen for twenty years or Diluted strains of the blood lingered later in what was called the "Hospital Breed," kept at the hospital for the insane, Worcester, Mass., but it would be difficult to recognize a trace of it at the present time. more. The Ches THE CHESTER COUNTY, OR CHESTER WHITE hogs take their name from Chester county, Pennsylvania. Their origin is said to have been, in part, some large English hogs, much resembling the large Lincolnshire before described. They had considerable local reputation twenty or thirty years ago. Many persons, however, in Pennsylvania, who had kept them, resorted to crosses, more or less, with the Suffolk and similar breeds, several years since, for the purpose of correcting what was regarded as too much coarseness in the Chester stock. Of late, the Chesters have been much sought after by persons whose swine, from various causes, have become too small. ter county hog, as the writer first saw it in Pennsylvania, many years ago, may be described as of a white color; of comparatively large size; the head rather large; the nose or snout thick, but not long for the size of the animal; the ears large, thick, and flapping; the body rather long and tolerably round; the back generally hollowing, frequently with a considerable settle immediately behind the shoulders; the legs generally large in proportion to the size of the body, and in fat animals frequently giving way so much as to bring the pastern joints fully to the ground; the skin rather thick, and covered with long, wavy bristles. Many of the hogs which under the name of Chester-County, or Chester-White have been sent over the country of late years, differ from the above description in having upright and somewhat thin ears, less bristles, and less coarseness of boneall indicating a cross with some finer stock. The foregoing list comprises the most popular breeds of swine, so far as relates to the production of clear pork. Breeds which form a greater proportion of lean meat properly combined with fat, are preferable for particular purposes. Many families who put up pork for their own use, do not desire so much clear fat; a carcass comprising more lean,-fine-grained, tender and juicy,—could be used with less waste, and would at the same time be more acceptable to the palate. Besides, in our cities and large towns, a great quantity of pork is consumed in a fresh state. To be best adapted to this purpose, swine should be small-boned, only moderately fat, but plump and meaty, the flesh fine-grained and of the best quality as to flavor. Of breeds which are best adapted to these purposes, and for making bacon, the following may be mentioned: THE NEAPOLITAN BREED.-Martin, speaking of the excellence of Italian swine, says: "The ancient Romans made the art of breeding, rearing and fattening pigs a study, and elevated, so to speak, various strains to the highest perfection We cannot doubt that from those improved races of antiquity, the present pigs of Italy have descended. It is not, we think, overstraining the mark, to regard the excellent breeds of pigs in Italy as the descendants of a long line of ancestry-of breeds established before Rome fell." The Neapolitan is the most celebrated Italian breed, and has been the source from which some of the most esteemed English breeds have been, in part, derived. They have also been introduced into the United States, and under proper protection in winter have succeed very well; but they have not sufficient hardiness to bear the exposure which swine ordinarily endure in this country. Their flesh is of the first quality. Martin's description of the breed is as follows: "The Neapolitan hog is small, black, almost destitute of bristles, and remarkable for aptitude to fatten; it is short in the snout, small in the bone, with sharp, erect ears. But it is by no means hardy, at least in our country [England], and if the sows happen to have litters in winter, it will be difficult, should the weather be severe, to save the young pigs from dying. But as a cross with some of our breeds, as the Berk. shire, the Neapolitan race is most valuable. The cross-breed exhibits improvement in form without too great a delicacy of constitution; they have a remarkable tendency to fatten, and though larger and stronger than the Neapolitans, display all their good gualitie-.* The Essex breed is much indebted for its excellencies to the Neapolitan intermixture.” * * THE IMPROVED ESSEX BREED. This is one of the most valuable breeds now known. Its establishment is generally credited to the late Lord Western. It has, perhaps, carried more prizes at the shows of the celebrated Smithfield Club than any other breed. As mentioned in the description of the Neapolitan, it was derived from a cross with the race whose color it inherits, with more size, finer symmetry, and much better constitution. Stephens, the author of the Book of the Farm and the Farmer's Guide, says: "As to the breed which shows the greatest disposition to fatten, together with a due proportion of lean, I never saw one equal to that which was originate by Lord Western, in Essex. They were exceedingly gentle, indisposed to travel far, not very prolific, however, but could attain, if kept on to a great weight, and so compact in form, and small o bone and offal, that they ivariably yielded a greater weight of pork than was judged of before being slaughtered. The offal was small, and more delicous ham was never cured than they afforded." Martin says: "These animals fatten quickly, grow rapidly, and yield very superior meat. When fattened, they will sometimes weigh 26 or 28 stones (of 14 lbs.), often 18 or 20"-equal to 252 to 392 lbs. The illustrations herewith given-figure 2-represent animals imported from England by Col. L. G. Morris, of Ford ham, Westchester county, N. Y. They were obtained from W. Fisher Hobbs, Esq., of Marks-Hall, Essex, whose stock was derived from the late Lord Western, the founder of the breed. THE BERKSHIRE BREED.-The old Berkshire was a hog of nearly the largest class. He is described as having been mostly black, with a large frame, and a large pendent ear. Martin says, "they were often found to weigh from 100 to 110 or 120 stones, of 8 lbs. to the stone." Culley mentions one which, in 1774, "weighed alive, 12 cwt., 3 qrs., 10 lbs., and when killed and dressed, weighed 10 cwt., 3 qrs. and 11 lbs., avoirdupois." The modern breed is the result of various mixtures of the old with smaller breeds. Youatt says the old Berkshire has been crossed with the Siamese, Chinese, and Neapolitan-a statement which is corroborated by others. It was introduced into this country about 1840, and was for awhile very popular. Many of our people have reason to remember the "Berkshire fever"—some from the money they made, and others from the money they lost, by it. During the excitement alluded to, the breed was represented by speculators as far more valuable than any other, and specimens were sold at enormous prices. But their popularity soon declined, and from the height to which they had been raised they went down to the opposite extreme in general estimation. The causes of this reversion of public opinion, were various. One, and not the least important, was the exaggerated representations of their merits, made by interested parties. People found that they did not come up to the standard which enthusists or sharpers had made, and being disappointed in this, refused to see or acknowledge the true value which actually belonged to the breed. Another cause of their decline was the character of their meat. The Berkshire is, in all its phases, a lean-meated hog. Hence the pork is not so well adapted to barrelling as that of some other breeds. It is, as before stated, clear, unmixed fat, that the packers want. But it may be supposed that the meat was well adapted to the fresh-meat market, and to making into bacon. This was the case to a certain extent. Some of the Berkshires were well suited to these purposes. The breed, however, varied greatly in character, according as the old Berkshires, or the breeds with which they had been crossed, predominated. The large, lop-eared ones, which sometimes weighed 600 pounds, or upward, each, dressed, were often coarse-fleshed, and not liked on |