No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. TOJ 



tication, man, through a liberal provider of food, has been able to 

 divert the energies, as expended in the wild hog, to the production 

 of the most desired food products for his use. The improved breeds 

 of swine of to-day are no longer required to seek food for the pres- 

 ervation of life. The expression "root hog or die" has been en- 

 tirely obliterated from the pages of the guide-book used for economic 

 meat production. Man provides that which the wild animal perforce 

 must seek for itself. In making this provision, the nature of the 

 organization has been completely changed, not only with reference 

 to the production of flesh, but also as to breeding qualities. Domes- 

 tic swine bring forth young more abundantly than do the wild 

 species from which they have descended. They not only breed with 

 greater frequency, but bring forth larger numbers at one time. The 

 wild hog gives birth to few at a time and protects them until they 

 are one or two years of age, while the domesticated swine may pro- 

 duce two or three litters in one year. 



In directing the energies of the organization more largely toward 

 the production of those products which man most desires, the 

 organization has also been changed as regards the amount of food 

 that it is able to digest and assimilate. As we study the devel- 

 opment of the improved swine as best we may, we see that the 

 amount of flesh produced is not the only marked improvement, but 

 that its production is at the expense of relatively decreased amount 

 of food. It is undoubtedly true that the quality of food has also 

 been very much improved, but the total amount required has been 

 decreased to a marked degree. 



To briefly sum up man's endeavors in the production of these 

 animals, which we may for convenience designate as meat producers, 

 we may say he has succeeded admirably in producing more at a less 

 cost. If we are to judge of the future by what has already been 

 done, we may confidently expect that greater strides will be made 

 in this direction. We hope and sincerely believe that the limit has 

 not yet been reached. The great improvement that has been made 

 with swine is comparatively recent. While hogs have been bred 

 by man since the earliest history, improvement was not first mado 

 with swine, but with other classes of live stock. Horses, sheep and 

 cattle were all improved before there had been much change in 

 swine. Both sheep and cattle were greatly improved through selec- 

 tion and feeding, and without the introduction of the blood of alien 

 breeds or types. Not so with swine. The great improvement came 

 after the blood of different types was commingled. Relatively 

 speaking, we may consider the improvement of swine as of recent 

 date. 



As man lessens the effort imposed upon the animal to seek sus- 

 tenance, to that extent is he able to divert greater energies towards 



