The Tamworth Pig.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1424, 15 June 1899, Page 4

The Tamworth Pig.

The increased attention now being given to pig-breeding and bacon-curing—bacon factories are to be started at Feilding and Masterton—prompts us to reprint, from “ Hoard’s Dairyman," the following article on the Tamworth pig, which is claimed to be the best and most, profitable breed the colonial pig-bi’eeder can go in for; The most profitable pig too breed this year and hereafter is, without question, the Tamworth. The Tamworth is the pig par excellence for the packer and feeder, Its length and depth of body are so pronounced that no breed of pig can approach it in these important respects. Its shoulder is_ light, but deep through the chest and wide between the forward legs, giving it the indispensable lightness of shoulder with large heart girth and great vitality. The Tamworth is wide behind, with strong back, and great depth through the flank, and hams well let down; and these are the points sought by the curer. It is well to be cautious in trying new breeds of pigs, as well as anything else, and to “prove all things, and 'to hold fast to that which is good;" but if this idea were canned to an extreme people would still be breeding the scrub. More, the unexampled docility of the Tamworth can be approached by no other breed. The Tamworth is more prepotent, has the functions of motherhood more pronounced, has greater precocity than any breeds of pigs yet brought into public favour. The .following is the standard of excellence fev Tamworths adopted by the National Pig-breeders’ Association of Great Britain, and formulated with a view to the production of the highest quality of bacon: Colour—Golden-red hair in a flesh-col-oured skin, free from black. Head—Fairly long, snout moderately long and quite straight, face slightly dished, wide between ears.

Ears—Rather large, with fine fringe,

carried riged and inclined slightly forward. Neck —Fairly long and muscular, especially in boar. Chest —Wide and deep. Shoulders —Fine, slanting, and well set. Legs—Strong and shapely, with plenty of bone, and set well outside of body. Pasterns—Strong and sloping. Feet—Strong and fair size. Back —Long and straight. Loin—Strong and broad. Tail—Set on high ana well tasselied. Sides—Long and deep. Ribs—Well-sprung, and extending well up to flank. Belly—Deep, with straight underline. Flank —Full and well let down. Quarters —Long, wide and straight from hip to tail. Hams —Broad and full, well let down to hocks.

Coat —Abundant, long, straight and fine. .Action—Firm and free, spirited.

Objections—Black hair, very light or ginger hair, curly coat, coarse mane, black spots on skin, slouch or drooping ears, short or turned-up snout, heavy shoulders, bloeky build, small heart girth, elephantness, wrinkled skin, inbent knees, hollowness at back of shoulder.

The Tamworth bred in conformity to the standard shows angularity of conformation rather than bloekiness, and the fundamental characteristics of .the Tarn worth are in many ways similar to those of the dairy cow. * The law of milk-giving, redmeat elaboration, and maternity is precisely the same in the bacon pig as in the bovine dairy mother. The Tamworth. bacon pig shows a prominent backbone and well-developed vertebrae—the indication of large spinal man’ow and great nerve foi’ce.

The Tamworth bred in the standard has a slightly prominent pelvic arch, showing her strong maternal power; and the milkgiving function is shown by her udder, of long abdominal attachment from front to real', and well-balanced as to foim, coupled with strong, wedge-shaped digestive capacity, and her constitutional vigour is not only shown by her large heart girth, but by the strong navel development. The well-bred Tamworth is a brainy animal. This is shown by her long, lean, and smallish head, and her bright, prominent, protruding eyes. By reason of her highly nervous organism she is as susceptible to kind or abusive treatment as is the gentle kittenish Jersey. From the above it will be seen that the Tamworth is fundamentally a dairy breed of swine, and a successful dairyman should, from his association with high-bred dairy cows, make a good breeder of Tamworths, and a successful producer of fine bacon. The feeding of the young bacon .'pigs is essentially the same as the feeding Of dairy calves, and the bacoii sow calls for'essentially similar feeding to that of the’ dairy cow." The infusion of Tamworth blood into that of Berkshires would be a decided improvemtnt. Lfi