Page:The Hog.djvu/74

72 Dombes, and Carolais, and prevalent through the department of Aisne, is a breed called the Bressane race. These animals are of a moderate size, long in the body, round in form, short-legged, with long, pendulous ears, and of a dark or blackish color, with a broad stripe of white encircling the body : their flesh is delicate, and of a fine flavor.

An attempt was made to introduce some of the English breed of swine into France by an agriculturist, and he thus narrates the results:—"I began with the large Shropshire pigs. They pleased my eye, and for some little time I was perfectly satisfied; but presently I began to remark, that, although they devoured an amazing quantity of food, they fattened but very slowly, and seemed to derive no advantage whatever from the herbage and vegetables which they found in the fields.

"When killed, the flesh, and especially the fat, was exceedingly coarse. The sows, nevertheless, yielded many pigs at each farrow, which, from their size when young, sold well to persons who were tolerably rich, and knew little or nothing about the breeding of pigs.

"I next tried the small Berkshire pigs, and immediately perceived a very sensible improvement. They fattened quickly, procured most of their nourishment from the fields, and their flesh was very superior to that of the last-named breed. But as they were large, I thought to effect a still greater improvement by exchanging them for the Chinese; but here I fell into the opposite extreme. The Chinese were prolific, fattened speedily, and almost obtained their own subsistence; but they were faulty in form, their flesh was not firm, but loose in fibre, as if they had died of disease." And, accordingly, the experimenter returned to some of his best native breeds.

In and the  the indigenous swine are long-legged, narrow-backed, flat-sided, ugly, gaunt animals, difficult to fatten; but when in good condition making fine-flavored, excellent pork and bacon.

—Great attention has here been paid to the breed of pigs, which have improved by crosses and admixture with the best English and French varieties. The pork is excellent; many declare it to be finer and more delicate in flavor than any English pork. It forms one of the chief articles of consumption during the winter months.

—The swine here have latterly been considerably improved by the exertions and encouragements of the Guernsey Agricultural Society. The original breed resembled the native French and Irish pigs, and were large, coarse, ungainly, and unprofitable,