388 Groirth ami Development of Breeds inul Crosses of Pigs 



The available published data on the proportions of meat and bone 

 in the carcase, collected from the literature, is given below from which 

 it would appear that the proportion of bone varies in different breeds 

 and decreases with age. CornevinO) has shown that the live weight of 

 the wild boar contains 3-9 per cent, of bone whereas the Craonnaise breed 

 contains only 2-6 per cent. Long(i) quotes experiments by McMurtree 

 who found that the carcase of a Poland China 11 months old and 

 weigliing 340 lbs. contained 8-4 per cent, bone, 39-4 per cent, muscle and 

 45-5 per cent, fat, whereas a Berkshire 9 months old and weighing 245 lbs. 

 contained 9-3 per cent, bone, 42-7 per cent, muscle and 41-G per cent. fat. 

 Wellman(5) found that a Berkshire 3 weeks old and weighing 10 lbs. con- 

 tained 13'5 per cent, bone, whereas one of 9 weeks old and weighing 26 lbs. 

 contained 11-9 per cent, bone and a Large White of about 15 months old 

 and weighing 319 lbs. contained 9-1 per cent. bone. The following figures 

 have been calculated from data ])iiblish(Ml by Tschirwinsky(t>). 



.\ge Live weight "„ of 

 No. Breed weeks lbs. skeleton 



1. Windsor \, ,.,. 10 161 18-6 



2. .. from same htUr „„ „, .„„ 



4. Large White |, ..,, 9 24-3 



., •=■ Jirora same Mttcr .,., _. ,. 



28 751 10-3 



170 



While some of the discrepancies between different authorities may be 

 accounted for by the various methods adopted in cleaning the skeleton 

 before weighing, yet on the whole the proportion of meat to bone varies 

 considerably both with breed and with age. 



Material and Methods. 



The investigation was conducted in the same way as that previously 

 described for cattle (7) and sheep (8) and consisted of a statistical treat- 

 ment of the records of the Fat Stock Show held by the Smithfield Club at 

 Islington from the year 1901 (when the classes for pigs were restarted) until 

 the year 1913 inclusive. I am indebted to Mr E. J. Powell the Secretary 

 of the Club who has kindly supplied me with these records. 



Two series of competitions for pigs exist (1) The Live Classes, and 

 (2) The Carcase Classes. 



In the first Series — Lire Classes — a record is kept only of the age and 

 gross weight of the animals. This .series is divided into classes for breeds 

 and crosses of different ages, the sex not being specified, each pen con- 

 sisting of two pigs. Classes also exist for ])orkers not exceeding 100 lbs. 

 weight in which the age is not limited. In addition there are classes for 

 single pigs of the different breeds under 12 months old. 



