FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART I. 21 



all of them would be kept over, that had proven to be good mothers and 

 reared a good litter. I would, only if necessary to add more sows to the 

 herd, select some of the larger growthiest of the last spring sow pigs, or 

 ' 'Gilts" as sometimes called for this purpose. When I had finally gotten 

 together a herd of brood sows that suited me, 1 would keep them as long as 

 they produced strong thrifty litters and raised them well. We have kept 

 sows in our own herd at home until thirteen years of age and lots^ of them 

 up to eight or nine years of age. It is a certain thing that mature sows pro- 

 duce better pigs than young immature ones, and why not? 



There is as much difiference in sows as mothers and also as much diflfer- 

 ence in the milking qualities as there is in a herd of dairy cows, and this 

 counts much in growing the litter the first three months.- Right here let me 

 urge that the pigs should not be weaned too young. They should remain 

 with the sows for at least three months or until the sow actually weans them 

 herself, when if given proper feed during this time in addition to that fur- 

 nished by the mother, the youngsters will never know when they were 

 weaned and there will be no check whatever in their growth. 



SELECTING THE SIRE. 



You have often heard that the sire is half the herd, in a herd of well 

 bred cattle. It is not much less in a well bred herd of pure bred hogs, and 

 is also the most important factor in the breeding herd of the general 

 farmer. In selecting the sire, go and see him if you can, if you can not do so 

 write to some reliable breeder of the breed you are using and describe what 

 you want. In so doing do not describe a perfect model for such a one has 

 not yet been bred, and if he had been the breeder would no doubt refuse to 

 part with him at any price. Better first describe the sows you have to mate 

 with him, whether of the short, chunky type with fine bone, or whether a 

 large growthy type, somewhat a little on the coarse order, these latter will 

 be the best producers, and should be mated to a sire of a little different type, 

 not quite so long in body or coarse in makeup, but a little more compact, 

 that the coming litters may not be too coarse and rangy, for following the 

 extreme of either type. Should, however, your sows be of the fine bone, 

 thick, plump chunky type, then a sire a little on the coarse order will do, 

 but never go to the extreme either way. Pay a good reliable breeder what 

 he asks for such a boar as you need. He will not charge you any more than 

 he is worth, for he knows better than many of us what such a. pig will bring 

 any day. Do not think that because you are only raising hogs for the 

 market that ten, fifteen or even twenty dollars is as much as you should 

 pay. for a sire, for no reputable breeder can follow the business of breeding 

 pure bred hogs for a series of years unless he can get more money than from 

 ten to twenty dollars each for his pigs. He better let some other fellow 

 raise them that thinks he can afiford to do so. A good sire, such as would 

 keep up the quality or improve it in a herd of hogs, for the general armer, 

 is worth from thirty-five to fifty dollars to any man raising fifty pigs or more 

 in a year. I know a cattle grower and feeder for the market that raises 

 grade hogs who never buys a boar pig worth less than fifty dollars, and 

 often much more. He claims there is no boar too good for him, as he 

 expects the sire to add to the quality of every pig, and in this way, more 

 than repay the purchase price. 



