170 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



as they will exist in the future. For any man to stand up here and 

 undertake to tell this intelligent body of swine breeders just what they 

 should produce for the future, or what would have to be produced to 

 meet future demands, would, to say the least, carry with it no more 

 weight than a personal opinion, and might be regarded as presumptuous. 



It is, however, comparatively safe, in the light of the past, to expect 

 that the hog of today will be improved in many ways. The partisan 

 will say: "This does not apply to my favorite breed, for they do no: 

 need improvement — they are good enough." Let me tell you, Mr. 

 Partisan, you are no real friend to your favorite breed if you do not 

 recognize its weak points and strive to correct them, because if they 

 are not rectified your breed can not be the "coming hog." 



There will always be a difference of opinion among hog raisers re- 

 garding type, color and characteristics. Environment will establish and 

 maintain these in spite of the tastes or efforts of the breeder. I do 

 not mean to say that the breeder cannot change color or mold type by 

 judicious breeding, but type can not be held against environment. For 

 instance, how long would the lard hog continue to be a lard hog in 

 Canada or Ireland, and how long would the bacon hog continue to be 

 such when fed exclusively on Iowa corn. This question of environ- 

 ment enters so largely into the production of the coming hog that the 

 conditions of the future must be known to foretell their product. With 

 the extended use of woven wire fencing it is becoming more common 

 for hogs to have free access to large pasture fields. As this become> 

 more and more general the hog will gain in vigor and constitution and 

 will no doubt make a very fine quality of bacon when killed before he 

 is too fat and just as good lard when fattened on corn. But with the 

 quality of corn we have at our disposal in the corn belt the lard hog will 

 no doubt always be with us. 



The hog raising fraternity is composed of "many men of many 

 minds," hence there will always be roam for the different breeds to 

 supply the ideals of the many minds regarding color and minor char- 

 acteristics. But as the end of the coming hog is the same as that of 

 his ancestor he must be, whatever his color, type or characteristics, the 

 hog that will convert our grasses and corn into the greatest possible 

 amount of desirable pork. 



This paper excited a good deal of comment. Professor Olin 

 asked what the breeders of hogs considered the most essential 

 point at the present and Vv hat change in the feed must be made 

 m order that we improve. To this ]\Ir. ]\IcTavish rephed : 



It has always been my opinion that it was too much corn that kept 

 from the hog that straightness and strength of bone and good muscle 

 that is necessary to make a strong, healthy, vigorous animal. 



On this point Air. Prine added : 

 It occurs to me that we need something to balance up the corn. 

 We have our pastures, but we need more of this and should raise a corn 

 that is adapted to the growth of the pig. 



