kingdom]
AGRICULTURE
is laden with long silky hair, wavy, but not curly, whilst the tail is very fine. A deficiency of lean meat is a common characteristic of the breed. The Small Black (Suffolk or Essex) breed resembles the Small White, except that the skin is coal-black in colour, and the coat of hair is not usually profuse. The Small Black, moreover, is rather longer, and stands somewhat higher, whilst it yields more lean meat than the Small White. It matures early and is quick to fatten. A closely similar pig to this of the eastern counties of England thrives in Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall. The Large Black breed has only recently received showyard recognition, but it is claimed that there is ample evidence that, with its characteristic whole colour, length, fine hair, lop ear, and great grazing capacity, the Large Black existed in many parts of England long previously to the memory of any of the present generation of breeders. It has been continuously and carefully bred in Cornwall, Devon, Essex, Suffolk, and more recently in Yorkshire, Somerset, Norfolk, and Hampshire. Large Blacks are exceedingly docile, and the natural carriage of the ears, well forward over the eyes, is said to contribute materially to a quietness of habit which renders them peculiarly adapted to field grazing. On account of their hardiness and disposition to early maturity they have proved valuable for crossing purposes in Cumberland, Yorkshire, and other counties. The Large Black Pig Society was incorporated so recently as 1899. The Berkshire, though a black pig, usually has a white blaze or mark down the face, a white tip to the tail, and feet white up to the ankle joint. It has a moderately short head with heavy jowls, a deep carcase, wide, low, and well-developed hind-quarters, with heavy hams. The skin is free from rucks and lines, and carries an abundance of fine hair. The Tamworth is one of the oldest breeds of pigs. The colour is red, with darkish spots on the skin. The head, body, and legs are long, and the ribs are deep and flat. Originally a local breed in the districts around the Staffordshire town from which it takes its name, it is now much more extensively bred, and is valued as a bacon pig. The enormous imports of bacon and hams into the United Kingdom — amounting in the year 1900 to 7,443,918 cwt., valued at £15,995,786—has led to the bestowal of greater attention upon the bacon-producing industry at home. In spite of all foreign competition, English bacon and hams command the highest prices, for there is something in the English method of feeding and euring which is equivalent to an addition of so many shillings per cwt. to the price. Much information on this subject is contained in the papers 1 by Mr L. M. Douglas, which may be consulted for fuller details. Breed Societies. A noteworthy feature of the closing decades of the 19 th century was the formation of voluntary associations of stockbreeders, with the object of promoting the interests of the respective breeds of live stock. As a typical example of these organizations the Shire Horse Society may be mentioned. It was incorporated in 1878 to improve and promote the breeding of the Shire or old English race of cart horses, and to effect the distribution of sound and healthy sires throughout the country. Up to the year 1901 inclusive the society had held twenty-two annual shows in London, and had distributed prizes of an aggregate value of nearly £19,000, besides offering gold and silver medals for competition amongst Shire horses at agricul1 “Bacon Curing,” Jour. Roy. Agric. Soc., 1898 ; and “The Construction of a Modern Bacon Factory,” Ibid. 1900.
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tural shows in different parts of the country. Twenty-two annual volumes of the Shire Horse Stud Book had been published, recording the pedigrees of 19,275 stallions and 34,578 mares, or a total of 53,853 animals. In 1901 the society possessed more than 3000 members, paying an annual subscription of one guinea, or a life composition of ten guineas. It is out of the funds thus obtained that the society has carried on a work of high national importance, and has effected a marked improvement in the character and quality of the Shire horse. What has thus voluntarily been done in England would in most other countries be left to the state, or would not be attempted at all. It is hardly necessary to say that the Shire Horse Society has never received a penny of public money, nor has any other of the voluntary breeders’ societies. The Hackney Horse Society and the Hunters’ Improvement Society are conducted on much the same lines as the Shire Horse Society, and, like it, they each hold a show in London in the spring of the year and publish an annual volume. Other horse-breeders’ associations, all doing useful work in the interests of their respective breeds, are the Suffolk Horse Society, the Clydesdale Horse Society, the Yorkshire Coach Horse Society, the Cleveland Bay Horse Society, the Polo Pony Society, the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society, and the Association for the Improvement of New Forest Ponies. Thoroughbred race-horses are registered in the General Stud Book. The Boyal Commission on Horse Breeding, which dates from 1887, is, as its name implies, not a voluntary organization. Through the commission the money previously spent upon Queen’s Plates is offered in the form of “ Queen’s Premiums ” (“King’s Premiums” in 1901 and subsequent years) of £150 each for thoroughbred stallions, on condition that each stallion winning a premium shall serve not less than fifty half-bred mares, if required. The winning stallions are distributed in districts throughout Great Britain, and the use of these selected sires has resulted in a decided improvement in the quality of half-bred horses. The annual show of the Royal Commission on Horse Breeding is held in London jointly and concurrently with those of the Hunters’ Improvement Society and the Polo Pony Society. At the 1901 show 29 premiums of £150 were offered for thoroughbred stallions over 4 years old and not exceeding 20 years. Of organizations of cattle-breeders the English Jersey Cattle Society, established in 1878, may be taken as an illustrative type. It offers prizes in butter-test competitions and milking trials at various agricultural shows, and publishes the English Herd Book and Register of Purebred Jersey Cattle, of which the tenth volume was issued in 1899. This volume records the births in the herds of members of the society, and gives the pedigrees of 1178 cows and 337 bulls, besides furnishing lists of prizewinners at the principal shows and butter-test awards, and reports of sales by auction of Jersey cattle. Other cattle societies, all well caring for the interests of their respective breeds, are the Shorthorn Society of Great Britain and Ireland, the Lincolnshire Red Shorthorn Association, the Hereford Herd Book Society, the Hereford Cattle Breeders’ Association (the two last-named are now amalgamated), the Devon Cattle Breeders’ Society, the South Devon Herd Book Society, the Sussex Herd Book Society, the Longhorned Cattle Society, the Red Polled Society, the English Guernsey Cattle Society, the English Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society, the North Wales Black Cattle Society, the Polled Cattle Society (for the Aberdeen-Angus breed), the English Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Association, the Galloway Cattle Society, the Ayrshire Cattle Herd Book Society, and the Highland Cattle Society of Scotland.
