TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI [ 



of the speculator and faddist. Not one breeder in every ten enaged In 

 breeding pure bred swine in Iowa today has kept his herd up to as high 

 a standard as the foundation stock with which he started. Many of them 

 have fallen far below this standard. Iowa has many men breeding pure 

 bred swine, but only a very few constructive breeders of improved swine. 

 Only a few are able to improve the breed already in their possession. This 

 is partially true because of the fact that only a few men now engaged 

 in the business have been at it for any considerable length of time. In 

 order to be a constructive breeder, an intelligent breeder, an improver of 

 the breed, one must have spent the larger part of his life at the busi- 

 ness, or, if a younger man, his father must have done that for him and 

 handed down the experience and foundation stock of the father's brains 

 to his son. 



As it stands today, some young farmer who has been breeding grades 

 concludes to attend a sale of pure bred swine; he buys a few brood 

 sows, and if they are not already bred, buys a pure bred boar. The next 

 j'^ear his announcement will be found in the live stock press of the coun- 

 try, as follows: "John A. Jones, breeder of pure bred swine (of some 

 well known breed). The richest and bluest blood of the breed repre- 

 sented. Come to the fountain head and secure kings and queens of the 

 breed. Come and see Old Dad, that has done more for this particular 

 breed than any other boar living." 



Now, fellow swine breeders, I think you catch my idea. What does 

 this young man really know, and what could he know about breeding 

 swine, from that high sense of breeding which would carry weight with 

 any intelligent breeder of experience. 



Swine breeding will always play an important part on the well regu- 

 lated Iowa farm, and with the advent of C-150 per acre land and 50 to 75 

 cents per bushel for corn, the swine industry will certainly decline un- 

 less the very best type of hogs are maintained and the most intelligent 

 methods of feeding and care pursued. I fear that this paper is some- 

 what like a mother-hubbard dress. It covers a heap and touches but 

 little. 



HANDLING PRIVATE SALES. 



B. P. DA\^DS0N^. Menlo. 



To my mind the question of handling private sales is a very important 

 one. It is, in fact, the basis upon which must be founded the success 

 of the swine breeder's business. I have no quarrel with those who make 

 public sales, or those who may consider the public sale system the more 

 important. But I am sure that without the confidence and respect that 

 were first established by the private sale system there would be no 

 successful public sales. A public sale is not possible where there has not 

 first been built up a demand for the stock on the part of the public. 



In selling stock at private sale there are two classes of buyers — the one 

 who comes to the herd and makes a personal inspection of his purchase, 

 and the one who is satisfied to order by mail and trusts to the seller to 

 make a selection that will suit him. Each of these classes must be 

 handled in a different manner. 



