456 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the polar circles. All modern breeds and types have doubtless originated 

 from the wild hog of Europe, Asia and Africa. No animal under domesti- 

 cation undergoes changes more readily or is susceptible of more rapid 

 modification and improvement. No domestic animal multiplies so rapidly, 

 with the single exception of the rabbit. The possible produce from a single 

 sow in ten generations is estimated by a French mathematician pit 

 6,000,000, not including the male offspring. No other domestic animal 

 is capable of converting the feed stuffs of the farm into finished meat 

 products so economically. The ability of the hog to render the highest 

 returns for feed consumed has given him the well deserved appellation 

 of mortgage lifter of all nations, and civilized man's chief reliance in the 

 arts of peace and war, for no nation can now engage in a prolonged 

 struggle of any consequence without first carefully calculating the 

 potentiality of American pork products in sustaining the soldier. The 

 modern hog is capable of making from every bushel of corn consumed 

 from twelve to fifteen pounds of pork of a superior quality. The choicer 

 parts of this pork, finished in its best form are worth from twenty to 

 thirty cents per pound at retail. 



The hog has some well marked peculiarities. Like the thick-skinned 

 animals, the elephant, rhinoceros and hippopatamus, to which it is allied, 

 the hog thrives best in mild climates and has a decided preference 

 for humid and shadowy places. No animal is more sensible to climatic 

 changes or suffers more from exposure to the extremes of a severe climate. 

 The senses of smell and hearing are very acute, espcially in the wild 

 state, and the hog is always the first to detect the signs of approaching 

 storm. This peculiarity gave rise to the saying of the ancients that the 

 "pigs see the wind." 



HOG CHANGES UNDER DOMESTICATIONS. 



Under domestication the hog undergoes many changes, first among 

 which are the enlargement of the digestive organs, giving greater 

 capacity and depth and length of body, accompanied by diminution in 

 the size of the tusks and the muscles of the neck and shoudler. Increased 

 digestive capacity gives earlier maturity and propensity to fatten. It is 

 not long since even the so-called improved breeds were very slow in matur- 

 ing. In 1842 the Woburn hog which was one of the popular strains of the 

 day, was described as a very large hog requiring from eighteen months 

 to three years to reach maturity. Their extreme size, is indicated by 

 the following record of six hogs purchased of Dr. Martin by a Mr. Savery: 

 The six hogs yielded 600 pounds of lard, eight barrels of pickled pork and 

 600 pounds of ham, one of the hogs dressing 718 pounds. 



The same author speaks of the "White Chinas, another improved 

 breed, being capable of making 150 to 200 pounds at eight to twelve 

 months. In the refinement and improvement of these early types, the 

 Siamese breed was largely used. According to Prof. Low, an eminent 

 authority, it is to this breed that the Berkshire and other modern breeds 

 of England owe their improvement. The need of regeneration and im- 

 provement is apparent from an examination of illustrations said to bo 

 reproduced from life representing the old English and Berkshire breeds 



