THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK —PART VII. 45^ 



less than a year old, farrowed and are raising thirty-four pigs this 

 season. 



A WORD FOR THE BACON HOG. 



The objection that the hogs of the bacon type are not as economical 

 producers as the more compact corn belt type, represented by our 

 popular breeds, is not well founded. The evidence of recent investigation. 

 supported by practical experience where accurate observations have been 

 made, indicate quite conclusively that the modifications of the hog under 

 domestication have been in the line of increasing his stomach contents 

 and digestive capacity without materially increasing his digestive effi- 

 ciency. Domestication has increased the length of the intestinal canal 

 of the improved hog; this enables him to consume, digest and assimilate 

 a larger quantity of feed, but it has not been demonstrated that his 

 modified digestive organs do the work any more thoroughly than those 

 of his wild ancestors. The same principle holds true in comparing the 

 bacon and corn belt types of hogs. The result of three years investigation 

 in determining the cost of pork production and the relative value of the 

 finished products with various breeds of hogs at the Iowa experiment 

 station have been published in bulletin 48 and may be summarized 

 in the statement that there is no material difference in the cost of a 

 pound or pork in the feed yard by the different breeds. Of course the 

 corn belt type fattens much more readily than the other, but they are 

 not capable of making much, if any greater gains in a given period or 

 from a given amount of feed. The difference is due chiefly to the kin I 

 of product made from the feed rather than any variation as to the amount. 

 The market demands have also changed in reference to the valuation 

 put upon the different cuts; while the American breeds of swine were 

 in process of formation and development hams were the high priced 

 products. Today they take second rank and the higher priced cuts 

 are the sides which produce the bacon. The width of back and develop- 

 ment of the ham are, therefore, subordinate to the length, .death, 

 fineness and smoothness of side and I believe that our American breeds 

 are certain to undergo a modification governed by these conditions 

 in the near future. This modification will also be conducive to greater 

 vitality and more prolific breeding qualities, which the farmer or 

 producer for the block so much desires, and the breeder of pure bred 

 stock and the expert judges should not lose sight of the demands of 

 the producer and the consideration of practical utility and profit." 



Mr. McTavish asked if the woven wire fence, in enlarging the 

 pasture range and affording wider feed ration, were not making 

 it possible for our popular breeds to fill the demand for bacon 

 hogs. Prof. Curtiss replied that pasture itself changes type, 

 improves product and induces a condition that wards off disease. 



