168 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



through and as I have read of the development of the hog from 1830 

 to 1870 I am astonished at the progress that has been made. When I 

 think of the progress made in the breeding of hogs in the last twenty 

 years^ with everything that we have had to aid us, I am not surprised 

 that we have the animal as he is today. At the time this article was 

 printed they knew nothing of the pure Berkshire hog. Here I am 

 speaking of the raising of hogs where they laid the foundation of the 

 great breed, but I read about the ancestors of these hogs, and I thought 

 when I was reading it how much value it would be to us. It gave the 

 origin of the Berkshires as being of comparatively recent date and much 

 interesting information on the means by which the present high state 

 of perfection had been attained. 



I also, a few days ago, took a clipping from a daily paper, entitled 

 "Facts of Value About Iowa." From it I learn that Iowa has almost 

 thirty-six million acres of land; that 86^ per cent of that is under cul- 

 tivation in one way or another in raising fruits and crops. I learn 

 also that we have two million two hundred and fifty thousand popula- 

 tion and that we cast a vote for every three anu. one half of this popu- 

 lation. I learn farther that we have ten million pigs in Iowa, which 

 is, as I said, the greatest State in the greatest country on earth. At 

 the same time Iowa has not all the hogs on the earth, but when ten 

 million hogs are in the territory of thirty-six million acres, in a State 

 with so many farms and 65 per cent of those farms managed by the 

 owners, it will be seen that the wealth of the stock of the State of Iowa 

 is almost fabulous. We have fourteen million horses, valued at $40.12 

 each, and sheep and catL.e and poultry besides. Now, the development 

 of the animal has kept pace with th« development of men who raised 

 the hogs or cattle or horses. We have gathered together from year 

 to year and have set up an ideal of perfection, that ideal having for 

 its object progress in the breeding of the animal that will increase price:^ 

 and bring it to a higher standard. So I say that while the breeders 

 fifty or sixty years ago were trying to improve the animals, the great 

 progress they made is not at all wonderful. In the last twenty years 

 the farmers of Iowa have been able to produce the hogs of the best class. 

 I learn that Iowa raised about nine million eight hundred acres of corn, 

 about one fourth of the total acreage of the State. 



Last winter it was my pleasure to attend the short course at Ames. 

 I had never had it so strongly before me until I went there and found 

 this study of corn so improved. I learned that corn could have too desi) 

 a kernel to have good features; it could have too wide a kernel; that 

 some kinds of corn had more protein in it than other kinds; that when 

 you feed it to your horses or hogs it was more nearly a balanced ration; 

 and, as Iowa is the center of the corn belt of the world, it is a feature 

 important to every raiser of corn and to every man if he is interested 

 in the material wealth of his State. 



Now, I learn from some experiments in Illinois last year that by the 

 careful selection of seed and sowing it and screening it they could pro- 

 duce from five to eight bushels more to the. acre with the same kind 

 of cultivation. Now. I have been very careful about selecting corn and 



