Contrast the original wild hog with the every-day American lard hog. The wild hog is narrow, more like one's hand viewed edgewise, but the lard hog is wide, certainly chubby in contrast; the former is relatively small in com parison. In short, the lard hog is not only wider and larger, but longer, better shammed," shorter nosed, shorter llegged,x) more compact in body, shorter tusked and not nearly so ferqcious and speedy of foot. Too, the lard hog has a better quality of meat and a much higher proportion of those most highly prized cuts of meat in proportion to the total weight, this being marked in the development of hams and loins, taken from the rear parts. Per sistent selection of these animals for breeding purposes that most nearly approached the de sired type has made it possible in the long years of endeavor to develop such a contrast in type. The development of this lard type is all the more remarkable in that the very character istics which make up this type are supposedly inimical to the best health and bodily interests of the hog. Too much fat decreases vigor and vitality, and we are not surprised to find that the bacon types are much more active and virile, because they are not unduly fattened, in truth the general selection in this bacon pro ducing business has been to develop muscular tissue, the chief emphasis being placed on its proper distribution with some, not too much fat, to make the most acceptable slab of bacon and the nicest °trimmest) hams, hams that do not require °too much trinuning away of the fat.° The typical bacon breeds are Tamworths and Yorkshires. The Berkshires may be so classed because they yield the highest quality of bacon, but the Berkshire is sometimes placed in the general purpose class, good for bacon and good for lard. Then there is the Large Black of England.
The typical lard type breeds are Poland China, Chester White, Duroc Jersey, Victoria, Cheshire, Essex and Suffolk.
The general purpose breeds may be classed as the Berkshire, Hampshire, Mule-Foot and possibly the Middle White.
The score card method of teaching judging is in vogue in all of our leading agricultural colleges. A hundred points make up the total or the ideal, and the relative emphasis to place on the different parts is indicated by the num ber of points as given for perfect. Below are given representative score card values as used by the Iowa State C,college at Ames, covering the bacon and lard types in the barrows. The relative descriptions show where the emphasis is placed in each type.
There are a great many swine terrns that need defining. A few of the important ones used in swine husbandry aie given: Swine: General name for any or all of the domesticated, omnivorous, suoid marrunals sup posedly descended from the Sus scrota or indicus, or infusion of the two, more specifically known as Duroc Jerseys, Poland Chinas, Ches ter Whites, Berkshires, Hampshires, Tam worths, Yorkshires and other established breeds with their various cross-bred and mongrel breedings. Untamed wild animals are referred to preferably as °Wild swine.° Hog: May be used synonymously with the term °Swine° but refers preferably to market able animals.
Gilt: Young, immature, prospective swine mother.
Sow: Female swine after producing young. Boar: Well-developed male swine suitable for breeding service.
Boar Pig: Young male swine under breed ing age, usually under six months old.
Stag: Swine castrated (°desexed") after the noticeable development of the secondary sexual characters such as tusks, shields, en larged sheath, crest and others. Stags are docked 70 pounds on the large markets.
Barrow: Swine castrated before the sexual characters develop to a noticeable extent.
Pig: May be used synonymously with swine but preferably in America refers to those under three months of age. In England, Can ada and Australia, pigs are swine of any age or weighi Shote: Immature swine of either sex, ex cept boar pigs, usually weighing from 60 to 175 pounds.
Weanling Pigs: Young pigs after weaning time.
Suckling Pigs: Young pigs following their mother and yet unweaned.
Pork: The dressed meat of swine used for food.
Management and Handling.— In the hous ing due attention must be paid to these essen tials: Warmth, they do not thrive in real cold and freezing quarters; dryness, if kept in damp quarters contract various ills such as rheu matism and stiffness; abundance of diffused light; much direct sunlight, appropriately so for the new-born offspring to give them strength and stamina; shade, especially in the very hot months; ventilation, to insure fresh pure air; sanitation, to prevent diseases; safety; comfort; convenience, this being true not only for the swine but for the caretaker. Swine should not be compelled to unneces sarily exert themselves, unless it be at certain time when particular advantages are to be gained thereby for the herdsman; service ability; sufficient size to shelter advantageously; durability; reasonably low first cost ; minimum cost of maintenance; and pleasing appearance so as to harmonize with the general surround ings adding by all means to the artistic and architectural beauty of the community.
In the feeding, the ration must be well bal anced else the swine will not thrive. Corn alone in dry lot, even though plenty of water be sup plied, together with salt, is deficient, in that it does not supply all of the nutritional factors necessary for the growth and well being of the pig. To illustrate, well-nourished swine eight months of age can be made to weigh 300 pounds, but they must have a balanced ration to do this,— such as corn, maize and milk (skim, butter or whole) ; or corn and alfalfa or clover or rape pasture together with a little meat meal; or corn and meat meal, both being fed in separate open containers, same being kept filled with feed and before the swine at all times. °Corn-alone fed" pigs at eight months old fed by the Iowa Experiment Station weighed 57 pounds, and yet the first three months of this feeding time the pigs had a good ration. Similar pigs fed on corn and meat meal from the packing houses weighed 225 pounds. The corn pigs required 1,447 pounds of corn for 100 pounds of gain, but the ones receiving tneat meal in addition needed only 366 pounds of corn plus 48 pounds of meat meal, a total of only 414 pounds of concentrated feed. Less than a third as much feed was re quired where the properly balanced ration was fed. It is wise and proper to vary the ration, giving equitable feeds in the right proportions and thereby giving the pig a chance to develop properly. Both the art and the practice of swine feeding are learned only by much ex perience mellowed with keen insight into the psychology and the nutrition of interesting but oftentimes perplexing animals.