Page:Swine; a book for students and farmers.djvu/17

Rh however, have allowed this one point to run away with their judgment, and in their effort to secure length they have sacrificed constitution, feeding qualities, muscular development and general quality. It is regrettable, also, that there are judges who will hang the first-prize ribbons on these slab-sided, narrow-chested, long-legged, coarse-boned, quality-lacking brutes, simply because they possess length. Then, there are men who run to the other extreme, and think that in order to have an easy feeder they must have a fine-boned, short-bodied, fat-backed, heavy-shouldered, thick-necked, tubby little pig, utterly useless for bacon purposes. It is not difficult to see how both these men have lost sight of utility. The first has sacrificed nearly all that the feeder requires, and a good deal of what the packer requires; whereas the other has sacrificed nearly all that the packer requires, and a good deal of what the feeder requires, because a really desirable bacon hog is also a good feeder's hog. There are breeders, however, whose view is broad enough to take in both sides of the question, and who are producing hogs eminently well adapted to the requirements of the feeder and the packer. Such men are truly successful breeders and their work is bound to stand, because it is built upon a sound foundation, the bed-rock, utility.

SELECTION OF THE BOAR.

Pure Breeding. In these days when pure bred males are plentiful, and reasonable in price, there is no excuse for using anything but a pure-bred boar. The pure-bred boar will transmit his own qualities to his progeny with greater certainty, and thus produce pigs of more uniform character than will a grade or a cross-bred. It is only by using pure-bred males that progress can be made and success attained.

Character. Character is difficult to define, and yet the experienced breeder can recognize it at a glance and knows its importance. It implies conformation to the best type of the breed, but it goes still further. Character in the boar