PIG (a word of obscure origin, connected with the Low Ger. and Dut. word of the same meaning, bigge)

This article appears in Volume V21, Page 595 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: PER-PIG

PIG (a word of obscure origin, connected with the Low Ger. and Dut. word of the same meaning, bigge) , a common name given to the domesticated swine of agricultural use. (For the

zoology

ZOOLOGY (from Gr. Nov, a living thing, and ?byos, theory)

, see SWINE.)
British breeds of pigs are classified as black, white and red. In some places, notably Wales and Gloucester, a remnant of a spotted breed lingers; and a large proportion of common pigs, often parti-coloured, are mongrels. The white breeds are liable to sun-scald, and black pigs (like black men) are much better adapted than white to exposure in strong sunlight, conforming to the rule that animals in the tropics have black skins.
The Large Whites may have in the skin a few blue spots which grow white

hair

HAIR (a word common to Teutonic languages)

. The head is long, light in the jowl, and wide between the eyes, with long thin ears inclined slightly forward and fringed with long fine

hair

HAIR (a word common to Teutonic languages)

. The neck is long, but not coarse, the ribs are deep, the loin wide and level, the tail set high, and the legs straight and set well outside the carcase. The whole

body

BODY

, including the back of the neck, is covered with straight silky hair, which denotes quality and lean meat. Pigs of this breed are very prolific, and they may be grown to enormous weightsover 11 cwt. alive.
The Middle Whites are built on a smaller scale than the Large Whites. They are shorter in the heads and legs, and fuller at the jowl, thicker and more compact in the

body

BODY

. The sows are quite as prolific as those of the Large White breed, and, as their produce matures earlier, they are much in demand for breeding porkers.
The Small White pigs are beautifully proportioned. The head and legs are very short, and the body short, thick and wide; the jowl is heavy, the ears pricked, and the thin skin laden with long silky, wavy, but not curly, hair, whilst the tail is very fine. A deficiency of lean meat is a common characteristic of the breed, which is almost extinct.
The above three breeds were designated Yorkshire Whites, and are still so named at times. The Middle White, formed by crossing the large and the small breeds, is not so symmetrical as the parent stocks, and the type is not uniform.
The Lincolnshire Curly Coated or Boston pig is a local breed of great size and capacity for producing pork. It is very

hardy

and prolific, but somewhat coarse in the bone. It has an abundance of long curly hair, a short face and a straight nose, and the ears, not too long and heavy, fall over the face. It crosses well with the Large White, the Large Black and the Berkshire.
The Large Black breed, which vies with the Large White breed for size, and is probably its superior as a bacon pig, has only since 1900 received national show-yard recognition; but there is ample evidence that, with its characteristic whole black colour with a mealy hue, length, fine hair and lop ear, the Large Black existed in the south of England for generations. It has been continuously and carefully bred in

Cornwall

CORNWALL

, Devon, Essex and Suffolk, and from these centres it has rapidly spread all over the country. Large Blacks are exceedingly docile, and the ears, hanging well forward over the eyes, 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. The Large Black Pig Society was incorporated in 1899.
The Berkshire is a black pig with a pinkish skin, and a little white on the nose, forehead, pasterns, and tip to the tail. It has a moderately short head with heavy jowl, a deep, compact carcase, and wide, low and well-developed hind-quarters, with heavy hams. The skin carries an abundance of fine hair. The Berkshire is an early-maturity breed which has been somewhat
inbred, and is not so

hardy

and prolific as most breeds. The boars cross well with common stock. It merits the most credit in raising the quality of Irish pigs. In America it is in the front rank for numbers and quality as a lard-hog. There it often grows to be a larger and finer animal than it is in England.
The Small Black or Black Suffolk was produced from the old Essex pig by crossing with the Neapolitan. It 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, more-over, is rather longer, and stands somewhat higher, whilst it yields more lean meat than the Small White. It matures early and is

quick

QUICK

to fatten.
The Tamworth is one of the oldest breeds of pigs. It is hardy, active and prolific, and nearly related to the wild boar. The colour is red or chestnut, with at times darkish spots on the skin. The head, body and legs are long, and the ribs deep and flat. Originally a local breed in the districts around the Stafford-shire town from which it takes its name, it is now extensively bred, and highly valued as a bacon pig. (W. FR. ; R. W.)
In America nearly all the breeds may be classified as lard-hogs. Bacon-pigs fed on Indian corn degenerate into lard-hogs, run down in size and become too small in the bone and less prolific by inbreeding.
The Poland-China, the most popular breed in the United States, is thus degenerating. It is a black pig like the Berk-shire, but has short lop-ears, a more pointed, straight nose, a more compact body, and more white markings. It is a breed of mixed blood, and is believed to have originated from the " Big China " piga large white hog with sandy spots, taken to

Ohio

OHIO

in 1816, and blended with Irish graziers in 1839, and with a breed known as Bayfields, as well as with Berkshires. In Iowa the Berkshire is a combined lard and bacon pig in high favour.
The Duroc

Jersey

JERSEY
JERSEY, EARLS OF

or Duroc, of a red or cherry-red colournot sandy or darkis the most popular pig in Nebraska and equal to any other in Iowa. It is a large prolific lard-hog, easily making 300 lb in eight months. It has gained rapidly in popularity since the beginning of this century, and is spreading to other centres.
The Chester White, named from Chester county,

Pennsylvania

PENNSYLVANIA
PENNSYLVANIA, UNIVERSITY OF

, is one of the four leading breeds of lard-hogs in America. It is of mixed origin and bears a strong family resemblance to the Lincolnshire curly-coated pig. The early English ancestors, the breed of which is not on record in America, were most probably of Lincoln origin. The sow is a prolific breeder and good mother, weighing, when mature but not fat, 450 lbthe boar averaging 600 lb, and barrows at six to eight months 350 lb. At Vermont Station, in a 127 days' test, Chester Whites made an average gain of 1.36 lb and dressed 84.5% carcase, and they can gain fully 1 lb of live weight for 3 lb of grain consumed.three times a day and supplied with coal-ashes or a few handfuls of earth. Of the fatted live weight of a pig 83 % is butcher's carcase, and 91 % of the increase from loo to zoo lb is carcase. From 3 tog lb of

meal

MEAL

consumed results in an increase of I lb of live weight in a pig, which is the most economical meat producer on a farm. Concentrated and digestible foods give best results, a pig has a small stomach. Fjord's Danish experiments show that for fattening pigs 1 lb of rye- or barley-

meal

MEAL

is equivalent to 6 lb of skim-milk or 12 lb of whey, and I lb of meal equivalent to 8 lb of marigolds or 4 lb of potatoes.

End of Article: PIG (a word of obscure origin, connected with the Low Ger. and Dut. word of the same meaning, bigge)

If you wish, you can link directly to this article.

<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/PER_PIG/PIG_a_word_of_obscure_origin_c.html">
PIG (a word of obscure origin, connected with t...
</a>

(Previous)
PIG

(Next)
PIGALLE, JEAN BAPTISTE (1714-1785)

JCSM was founded in 1997 and exists to help the community and bring people into a life-changing and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. JCSM offers over 200,000 free web pages, including its weekly inspirational emails that were sent continuously for over a decade.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
1-888-887-0417 or Email