408 Grov)th and Development of Breeds and Crosses of Pigs 



Table IX. Kate of maluriti/ of different breeds of pigs — weiglit as 

 percentage of weight at 11 months old. 



Table X. Rate of maturity of the body and its parts in different 

 breeds of pigs — as percentage of the weight at 11 months old. 



Age in months — 3 5 



The third fador in early maturity — the proportions of fat and muscle 

 to bone in the carca.se, it was not possible to determine from the data given 

 in the records of the Show. This point remains to be decided by future 

 investigation. It has long been known (Varlo(50)) that "no animal before 

 it comes to the meridian of age or growth designed by nature will feed 

 or lay on any quantity of fat." That this fact is intimately connected 

 with the rise in carcase percentage due to age changes however is now only 

 in the process of being worked out. Lawes and Gilbert (Si) showed that 

 the state of fatness affected the carcase percentage and Mackenzie and 

 Marshall (52) have showTi that this also applies to the fat contained within 

 the muscle itself wliicli increases with the carcase percentage. Bormann (53) 



