736 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



and quality was driven into the Iowa State Fair show ring as an 800- 

 pound yearling. A year or two later Free Trade followed in the same 

 line and was almost unanimously pronounced the greatest hog that ever 

 made 'the rounds of western fairs. L.'s Tecumseh, a champion, and Lea's 

 Wonder, a mammoth champion, both met the demand for size and at the 

 same time carried other attractive and desirable qualities. Still later 

 came Chief Tecumseh 3d, big, good and right all over and an individual 

 that would today be looked upon as a type practically beyond criticism. 

 In the same class belonged his son, Stsindard Chief, that had to his 

 credit the fact that he was the biggest yearling ever shown at the Iowa 

 State Fair. It is true that the influences of following a fad in popular 

 blood lines had harmful effect on the breed, but these influences might 

 readily be overcome by a common-sense method of selection and of prac- 

 tical methods of feeding. 



CHESTER WHITES. 



The Chester White division presented, as it did last year, a high stand- 

 ard of excellence and one which was a convincing demonstration that 

 the breed is constantly advancing on those points of excellence which go 

 to make a hog of the desirable sort. There is a close approach to breed 

 type throughout, a notable scale with sufficient finish to prove attractive 

 to old-fashioned showmen. The Iowa exhibitors made the most of their 

 opportunities and carried away with them a majority of the ribbons dis- 

 tributed by Mr. Gentry. 



HAMPSHHIES. 



With 297 head of hogs in the Hampshire pens, there was a notable 

 percentage of high-class animals carrying strong breed characteristics 

 and of an admirable bacon type. There was a perceptible advance of bacon 

 form over that shov/n by the breed last year. Taken as a whole, no breed 

 showed greater average excellence. The number of Iowa breeders who 

 entered the competitions was great and a majority of them presented suf- 

 ficient merit to carry off a good share of the premiums. 



BEBKSHIRES. 



The Berkshire exhibit was more nearly than ever an exclusive repre- 

 sentation of Iowa swine, there being but one exhibitor from outside the 

 state. The younger classes showed rather more merit than the older ones 

 but on the whole the exhibit was called one of credit to the breed. 



YORKSHIRES. 



Two herds of Yorkshires brought together a collection of 63 animals 

 of that breed. These were B. F. Kunkle, Redfield, Iowa, and F. M. Buck, 

 La Porte, Ind. The hogs shown were good specimens of the breed. The 

 absence of Iowa exhibitors was due to the presence of disease during the 

 preceding season. Ribbons were awarded by C. C. Roup. 



