SEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI. 249 



fitting of breeding animals. I do not believe this. The well fitted animals 

 show the possibilities of the breed as well as the skill of fitting, both of 

 which are very instructive and do not necessarily mean barren animals. 

 A well known and, in fact, the most successful firm of Shorthorn breed- 

 ers in America, judged by the success of recent years — I refer to Robbins 

 & Sons, of Indiana — have for a motto, "We breed our show cattle and 

 show cur breeding cattle." They have proven this to be true. I have 

 never believed that intelligent fitting produced barren animals. I believe 

 I have never fitted a Berkshire sow or boar that proved barren. We must 

 net discourage the exhibiting of the best specimens possible of live stock. 

 It is only by comparison that we judge an animal, good or bad. What is 

 to one man a very fine specimen may be to another one of only ordinary 

 quality because the latter has been taught In a higher school — that is, 

 he has seen better individuals than has the other. If we are to reap the 

 highest rewards and obtain the highest education possible, throw not a 

 stone in the way of the exhibitor who can bring out the best possible 

 exhibit, or especially in the way of the breeder who can breed and fit 

 such. The undertaking is costly enough at best, and the man who can 

 go to the top deserves every possible legitimate encouragement. Anything 

 less savors of old fogyism and only encourages the hundreds who are 

 either incompetent or haven't enough grit to try for the top to continually 

 find fault with the efforts of the more aggressive and more progressive 

 competitor. 



In many cases where the aw^ards of judges has not been for the inter- 

 est of breeders, such decisions have been confined to the Poland Chinas. 

 I say this in all honesty and free from any prejudice. Why the breeders 

 of this widely disseminated and very popular breed of swine should have 

 been troubled more by "fads" and "fancies" than others is hard to under- 

 stand, but I believe few, if any, will dispute the fact. In some cases I 

 have seen judges led away by this "fad," making his awards in the line 

 of its dictations and to my mind overlooking the more important charac- 

 teristics of a more profitable type of hog. I refer to the pretty, little, 

 dumpling type, some of them apparently having a middle not longer than 

 one's hand after the shoulder and ham comes off and lacking not only in 

 length of body but in size, bone and vigor as well. No matter what the 

 environments may be, I am a firm believer that the most practical, 

 money-making hog must possess good size, ample bone, though not coarse, 

 good length, retaining, of course, finish and quality. In fact, I am a firm 

 believer in the long, even hog. Again I repeat that I believe the middle 

 of the hog — from bottom to top — the ham not excepted, is the most valu- 

 able part cf the hog. 



I would not make you believe that I think all breeders and judges 

 of Poland Chinas have yielded to this "fad" idea, but I believe enough 

 have done so to lower the average quality of the breed in many instances 

 at leading shows as well as over the country in general. I believe that the 

 breeders of Poland Chinas, too, have oftener than those of other breeds 

 sacrificed individual merit and run after certain lines of breeding made 

 popular many times in the too distant past by certain noted animals to be 

 worth much at the present time. This is a dangerous policy, to make 

 individual merit second in consideration to anything else. A good indi- 



