340 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



bacon, Denmark may beat us to the market, but at present and for 

 years to come in the seven corn producing states the prevailing 

 type is and will be the large, early-maturing lard hog. 



As to the breed you advocate, that is your pleasure, for there 

 are more differences in the individuals of any one breed than there 

 p.re in the characteristics of the different breeds. 



I am persuaded to look upon this as a convention of progress- 

 ive, up-to-date farmers and stock-growers. There is a kind of 

 dignity about this that elevates one to a plane above the common 

 farmer citizen. It requires a great deal of enterprise to under- 

 stand and realize that pure bred animals have a decided advantage 

 over common grades or scrubs, and that money expended in pur- 

 chasing a few high class animals will ultimately bring reward. 

 You are after the profit, are you not? Then the type that feeds 

 well and makes the maximum of pounds, that will sell at a good 

 or top price, is a pretty good ideal for every swine grower. The 

 old-fashioned, coarse, slow maturing hog is a thing of the past. 

 They were prolific and hardy, but would not fatten readily until 

 well on to maturity, thus making the process of producing pork 

 cost more per pound than is the case with the improved type. 



The fancy, fine-boned, dumpy type is not proving entirely 

 satisfactory. It is claimed that they are not prolific and not good 

 enough mothers. My experience has led me to believe that this is 

 generally true. There is some demand for nice, well-finished pigs 

 of 90 to 100 pounds weight at about 5 months of age, but it is 

 very evident that the demand and price is not so great as to entice 

 many of our swine growers. 



The best type of general purpose or market hog is the on3 

 that is being evolved by the swine growers of the corn belt, an:l 

 by some is designated the medium type, and by others as the large 

 smooth type, which means practically the same. These hogs will 

 m.ature at from 600 to 700 pounds, and with proper care will weigh 

 250 pounds at 7 months and about 300 pounds at the age of 9 

 months. 



The pure bred breeder caters to the farmer, the farmer de- 

 pends upon the packer and the packer pays the best averaged price? 

 for young hogs finished in prime condition weighing about 250 to 

 300 pounds. 



The packer is demanding quality, the farmer is seeking pro- 

 lificacy and size combined with easy feeding qualities; and if you 

 will study the characteristics of all the lard hog breeds, it is evi- 

 dent that the pure bred breeder is striving to supply these demands. 



