PIGS 149 I 



1102 -The Poland-China Breed of American Pigs. — Standard poland-China record 



Association in Fretman's FaitULi, Vol. li'S.Xy'So. 3, p. 15. North Yakima, \Vashin14lon, 

 March 191 6. 



The Poland -China breed originated in the Miami Valley, Butler County 

 Oliio, at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Up to 18 i 6 the Miami 

 Valley contained two breeds of swine, the Russian or Russia and the By- 

 field. In 1815, the Society of »Shakers introduced a boar and three brood 

 sows known by the nanie of ' ' Big China ' ' , which were crossed with the 

 Russians and the Byfields. The production of a breed called the " War- 

 ren County " pig, was the result. The name " Poland-China " was given 

 to this breed at about i860, although it had not been clearly shown that 

 pigs of the Polish breed had entered into its formation. 



The Poland-China is coarse, hardy, proHfic and much larger than 

 the other ordinary breeds. It has a broad body, strong shoulders, short 

 legs, head and shoulders well squared, pendulous ears, short head and 

 eyes wide part. This breed is now considered the best, being the typical 

 one for the production of lard and obtaining the best prices in the market. 

 The Western farmer is accustomed to graze his pigs in the summer and the 

 Poland-China is well adapted to this practice. It attains a very high 

 weight, 880 to 1 100 lbs for boars, 550 to 850 lbs. for sows or sometimes even 

 more. Its prolific character is indicated b}^ the evidence of about lOO 

 breeders, which shows that each litter contains on an average 9.75 young. 

 Ivitters of fifteen have been observed. Moreover the Poland-China is one 

 of the most long-lived breeds ; the case is cited of a sow living for eleven 

 years, during which time she had nineteen litters and a total of 189 descen- 

 dants. 



1 103 - Ration ExperimenlS with Swine. — Faville, a. D., in Vniver-nty 01 Wyoming 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, lUiUetin No. 107, pp. 15-27. I,aramie, Wyoming, Scptem. 

 ber 1915. 



Pea Pasture (i) for Fattening Pigs. Comparison of hurdled and non- 

 hurdled Pasture. — For this experiment there were employed twent)^ 

 one thrifty shoats divided into three groups of seven each group containing 

 both pure-bred and grade Duroc-Jersej's of which the latter were three 

 fourths Duroc and one fourth Tamworth. The supplementary ration was 

 a mixture of one part of grain middlings with two parts of corn meal. In 

 the course of the experiment, which lasted 112 days, each of the first two 

 groups received 2^2 lbs of this ration and the third group 544 lbs. The 

 peas for group I were hurdled off so that the pigs had access to fresh 

 vines at short intervals. Group II was given the rim of its entire field. 

 Pyach of these two groups had at its disposal 1.47 acres of pasture. The 

 third group was not put on pasture. The results of the experiment are 

 given in Table I. They show that 365 lbs. or approximately 59 per cent 

 less grain was required for 1000 lbs. gain when pea pasture, hurdled, repla- 

 ced half the grain ration, and the saving was 313 lbs. or 51 per cent when 



(i) Sei' B. September 1916, No. gH: 



