Berkshire

Berkshire (/ˈbɑːrkʃər/ or /ˈbɑːrkʃɪər/, abbreviated Berks) is a county of south east England, located to the west of London. It has also been known as the Royal County of Berkshire since at least the 19th century because of the presence of Windsor Castle and was recognised as such by the Queen in 1957 and letters patent issued in 1974. Berkshire is a county of historic origin and is both a ceremonial county and a non-metropolitan county without a county council. Berkshire County Council was the main county governance from 1889 to 1998 except for the separately administered County Borough of Reading.

In 1974, significant alterations were made to the county's administrative boundaries although the traditional boundaries of Berkshire were not changed. The towns of Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage were transferred to Oxfordshire, Slough was gained from Buckinghamshire and the separate administration of Reading was ended. Since 1998, Berkshire has been governed by the six unitary authorities of Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham. It borders the counties of Oxfordshire (to the north), Buckinghamshire (to the north-east), Greater London (to the east), Surrey (to the south-east), Wiltshire (to the west) and Hampshire (to the south).

Berkshire (soil)

Berkshire soil series is the name given to a well drained loam or sandy loam soil which has developed on glacial till in parts of southern Quebec, eastern New York State and New England south to Massachusetts. It belongs to the podzol soil group and is one of the most important soils in its area of occurrence, supporting extensive forests and a fair number of farms. Many Berkshire soils lack the eluvial (E) horizon characteristic of podzols because they have a history of being cleared for cultivation.

Geology

The deep glacial till which provides the foundation of the Berkshire series contains material derived from mica schist with fragments of gneiss, granite and phyllite also present in some areas. These rocks are not high in mineral nutrients but provide enough fine-grained material to produce a loamy soil.

Agriculture

Cleared areas of the Berkshire series support a livestock industry with an emphasis on dairying. Grasses, legumes and silage corn are raised for cattle food. These crops are likely to need lime and fertilizer for optimum growth. Potatoes are also grown; they are well adapted to the Berkshire's natural acidity. Many Berkshire soils, however, are too rough and stony for easy cultivation and have been allowed to revert to forest.

Berkshire pig

Berkshire pigs are a rare breed of pig originating from the English county of Berkshire.

Herds of the breed are still maintained in England by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust at Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire, and by the South of England Rare Breeds Centre in Kent. The Berkshire is listed as vulnerable; as of 2008 fewer than 300 breeding sows were known to exist. Some pigs of the breed are also kept in New Zealand and Australia, but it is estimated that there are now fewer than a hundred purebred sows there.

In the United States, the American Berkshire Association, established in 1875, gives pedigrees only to pigs directly imported from established English herds or to those tracing directly back to such imported animals. The pig is also bred in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, under the trademarked name Kagoshima Kurobuta (かごしま黒豚, lit. Kagoshima black pig).

Culinary uses

Berkshire pork, prized for juiciness, flavour and tenderness, is pink-hued and heavily marbled. Its high fat content makes it suitable for long cooking and high-temperature cooking.