342 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



should not forget that it also has the greater water content. The 

 food value and market price are not synonomous terms by any means. 

 Without doubt the greater percentage gain in total live weight of 

 the young animals is due, in part at least, to the fact that this gain is 

 more largely of proteids, which necessarily means a great increase 

 in the total amount of water. 



If young meat or pig pork is produced by the consumption of less 

 food, then the greatest profit lies in the production of such meat, 

 provided the initial cost of the pigs at birth or at weaning time be 

 left out of the question. The practical swine raiser, however, is 

 forced to reckon the initial cost as well as the cost of food which the 

 animals consume at later periods. 



During the past two decades, or, perhaps, quarter of a century, 

 we have heard much concerning early maturity, which is a most 

 potent factor iu the production of pig pork. Hastening the maturity 

 of the animals which were reared for early slaughter has received 

 much attention, and marked gains have been made, particularly with 

 the small, compact, refined breeds. Formerly heavy pork was in 

 greater demand than at the present time. With the increased de- 

 mand for pig pork, breeders have successfully endeavored to hasten 

 maturity and secure a greater and more mature growth at an early 

 age. 



In the past, comparatively little systematic attention has been 

 bestow r ed upon the various breeds, with an idea of increasing the 

 fecundity or prolificacy, that the initial cost of the animals which are 

 fed for the production of pig pork may be lessened. It seems to me 

 that here is an important field for improvement that has received 

 comparatively little attention from those who are putting forth an 

 honest effort to produce something better. It is generally conceded 

 that the efforts to hasten maturity have had the effect of decreasing 

 fecundity. While we do not know of any law that shows or tends to 

 show that these two — early maturity and fecundity — are incom- 

 patible, yet one has been developed, undoubtedly, at the expense of 

 the other. One has received marked attention; the other has not. 

 The latter has undoubtedly been neglected and much to the detri- 

 ment of the economical production of young animals for the market. 

 When the swine breeders of the country devote their energies to the 

 improvement of swine for the production of pig pork which shall in- 

 clude both early maturity and fecundity, without doubt a most 

 marked change will be made. When we consider that the great 

 effort made in this country was to produce a lard animal, and that 

 these efforts were eminently successful, for in no other country has 

 fat swine reached so high a degree of perfection, may we not con- 

 fidently expect similar great changes when the breeders bend their 

 united efforts in another direction? Taking into account the fact 



