974 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



900 head. In more than one instance there were over fifty animals 

 lined up in a single class, so that the mere fact that an exhibitor got 

 inside the money in any given class was an indication that his ani- 

 mals possessed merit in a marked degree. The judging was done by 

 Mr. F. F. Luth-er, of Grand Junction, Iowa, to the general satisfaction 

 of exhibitors. If the large number of Durocs exhibited was not suffi- 

 cient to indicate that this breed has won its way into the esteem of 

 central West swine breeders, the quality represented would convince 

 even the average visitor to the fair that the Duroc comes wonderfully 

 near being an ideal corn-belt hog. It was evident that breeders are 

 paying attention to the matter of length of body, and especially to 

 strength of bone, as indicated by the fact that there were hundreds of 

 Durocs on the ground showing splendid scale and yet with it all, walk- 

 ing squarely on their feet. Duroc breeders have shown wisdom in 

 emphasizing this matter during past years and they are now showing 

 to the world the results of their sensible efforts. 



CHESTER WHITES. 



No breed of hogs on the fair grounds attracted more attention from 

 sight-seers than the Chesters. The exhibit made by this breed was suffi- 

 ciently large to indicate that the Chesters occupy a prominent place 

 in the state, though of course they were greatly out-numbered by the 

 Polands and Durocs. A close examination of the entire Chester Exhibit 

 indicated the fact that breeders are making great strides in their 

 improvements. While there is plenty of scale, yet there is not that 

 coarseness that characterized the breed some time ago. There is plenty 

 of bone in the best ones, and yet real coarseness is conspicuous by its 

 absence. It is plainly evident, also, that breeders are paying close attten- 

 tion to a good covering of hair, and in almost every case prize-winning 

 animals possessed this characteristic in a marked degree. 



BERKSHIRES. 



Although the Berkshire showing, viewed from the standpoint of 

 numbers, was smaller than the showing made by the Durocs and Polands, 

 yet in point of quality the breed's past record was fully maintained 

 and in some respects boosted a little higher. There were exceedingly 

 few of what might be called tail-enders in the entire Berkshire show- 

 ing. Mr. W. Z. Swallow, of Waukee, Iowa, tied the ribbons in the 

 Berkshire classes, satisfying the contestants to a remarkable extent, 

 but in this only coming up to his former reputation. 



POLAND-CHINAS . 



The Poland Chinas carried off the crown for the largest number of 

 hogs of any breed on the ground, though they were pushed hard for 

 this honor by the Durocs. By actual count there were 1,019 hogs on 

 the ground. Out of this large number it is needless to say that there 

 were good ones, not only by the score, but by the hundreds. Poland 

 breeders never felt better over their showing, and had there been a 

 contest between the two breeds represented by the largest number on. 



