Swine Groivers' Association. 337 



packer's ideal hog, the packer does not discriminate against a 

 heavy bone, if short and not rough. I know this not only from 

 ofher sources, but from interviews with Mr. Ferguson, the packer 

 expert who judged barrows at St. Louis. Pardon this personal 

 reference, which is not made either to advertise myself or the 

 breed in which I am interested, but only to illustrate and supple- 

 ment my argument in favor of the smooth, large, medium hog as 

 against the so-called "big bone" type. It was my good fortune 

 to show the grand champion Poland China boar and the grand 

 champion barrow, all breeds, at St. Louis. The barrow was, in 

 the opinion of Mr. Ferguson, a perfect specimen of this breed with 

 the exception of length, he being just a trifle shorter than the ideal 

 type. This barrow was sixteen months old and weighed, not over- 

 done at all, 500 pounds, having a heavy, short bone of the best 

 quality and sufficient to carry at least 1,000 pounds weight. The 

 grand champion boar weighed at a year and thirteen days old, 502 

 pounds, with a bone that must have measured at least 9 inches at 

 smallest place. Without telling Mr. Ferguson that this boar had 

 been made the Grand Champion Poland China boar, and he stated 

 afterwards that he did not know it, he pronounced him an ideal 

 hog from a packer's standpoint, not objecting in the least to his 

 bone, which was very heavy for a hog of this age and size. He was 

 stort legged and his bone was of good quality. I maintain that a 

 hog of this type that can be made to weigh 500 pounds at 12^ 

 months old, without being overdone, that has a short, heavy bone, 

 but not rough, is the best size and type of hog from both the pro- 

 ducer's and packer's standpoint. It is possible to get a heavy 

 bone on a hog of this scale, but I claim that it is not possible, ex- 

 cept in rare instances, and of course there are exceptions to all 

 rules, to get the finish, the easy feeding, early maturing qualities, 

 together with the accepted type, in these 1,000 pound monsters 

 with bone as big and rough as a cow's. A hog that can be turned 

 at from eight to ten months old, weighing 250 pounds and the type 

 1 have favored can be made to do this, is large enough and I be- 

 lieve that the less amount of feed consumed by this type will at 

 least offset the extra weight of the bone and hide of the big ones 

 and that the producer will be ahead at least the difference in price 

 per hundred his smooth, nicely finished hogs bring over the neces- 

 sarily rougher type of the extra large ones. The packer is certain 

 to pay a premium for the kind that nets him the most money, and 

 this type I have in my plain way tried to describe to you. 



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