INDIANA SWINE BREEnp:Rs' ASSOCIATION. 267 



there are different sradcs of iuiiinals to fill thorn. For instance we may 

 make fonr jrracies, Avhich avo Avill classify as follows: 



1st. The pig for oxhiliilioii luirposcs. 



2i\. The pig for the breeder in general. 



3d. The pig for the farmer. 



4th. The pig for the feed lot. 



"We shall not attempt to portray here the ideal show pig today as 

 M'e see him. But eacli and every one of us should have liis ideal show 

 pig vividly stamped on his mind. If ]w hasn't he liad better turn his 

 attention to soine profession other than he is now in. Itecause on this 

 one point liinges the excellence of the Poland-China h<jg, and his keeping 

 of the lilgh standard which all other breeders are trying to inutate. Tliis 

 is wliat we are all striving to produce in our own herds as well as for 

 the Poland-China in gcncral~()ur ideal. 



If Ave are in the nnirkct for tliis class of hog and we are fortunaU' 

 enough to come in contact with one that is (piite in liniiuony with our 

 ideal, we slundd say in this case In- is the pig to l)uy. On the other hand 

 if the happy possessor of such an animal is in lu'cd of coin more tlian lie 

 is in need of a show pig, we should say he is the pig to be sold. 



As for the pig to suit the demand of the breeder in general, we will 

 agree that they are not all born good enough for the tirst class men- 

 tioned by any means. There is a large per cent, of them whicli would be 

 termed high class ones; but would not quite do for the show ring. This 

 class the breeder may use to a good advantage and may make a good 

 cross, with, possibly his OAvn herd header which might bt> particularly 

 strong where the other animal may be slightly defective. Of course Ave 

 must stay as close to our oavu standard of excellence as possibh'. and oiu- 

 own standard should be a high one. for on the quality of our brood ani- 

 mals as Avell as on the male at the head of the herds depends the 

 success or failure of any breeder and the retention of tlii' high and worthy 

 name the Poland-China hog now holds. I have noticed a tendency in 

 some to buy an inferior animal that had a long string of prize Avimung 

 ancestors, or in other Avords, a gilt edge pedigree, simply because of 

 the fact that the possessor of such animal Avas Avilliiig tc sell at u Ioav 

 price, together Avilh the fact that the buyer braced himself up to believe 

 that the aninnd A\-ould breed on regardless of his inferiority. This we 

 believe to be a mistake, felloAv breeders. Nature's laws are infallible, 

 like Avill produce like. Therefore Ave thiid< it unwise to buy pedigree 

 Avithout individual merit at a Ioav price and advocate individuality to 

 gether Avith pedigree at a very much larger price. Or if need be give us 

 individual merit at the expense of the dazzling pedigree. 



Then comes the farmer trade. This embraces a type of i)ig Avhich 

 as breeders Ave do not care to retain in our heids, and at the same time 

 the farmer can afford to i»nrchase them at a price far in excess of nuirket 

 yalne. Tbere ;ire jiigs which arc a trith' cojtrse in some respects or iu 



