380 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



&quot;The extremes in swine stock the old sorts, without any refinement, and certain speci 

 mens of the new sorts, so refined by breeding selected specimens together, and again inter 

 breeding these, that no stamina remains represent two kinds of property nobody wants 

 at any rate, nobody wants either kind if they are thoroughly conversant with swine, the uses 

 to which they are put, and the reason why the hog yields a profit upon his keep. 



The idea of delicacy in the hog never entered the mind before he was very materially 

 improved by the refining processes which come through careful selection, sorting out as 

 breeders those with fine bone, ear, and hair. The result in these cases has been very gratify 

 ing to those who breed pigs with somewhat the same views that are held by the dog fancier, 

 who breeds the black-and-tan rat dog till the leg and jaw of the dog are not much larger or 

 stouter than the leg and jaw of the rat. This effeminate breeding, of course, refines away the 

 stamina and courage, and such a dog is no equal for the rat, who has, through natural selec 

 tion, retained his size and vigor, while artificial selection has bred the dog down below the 

 point of usefulness, with neither courage nor other essential remaining. 



The hog should not be bred away from the usefulness for which he is kept when men 

 are not led away by an overstrained fancy. In the days when Suff oiks held a position second 

 to none, some bred them so fine that the sows would only drop four to six pigs at a time; and 

 if the weather was cool, say in March or early April, to insure that the pigs got hold of the 

 teat, it was necessary to stay with them on the farrowing night, taking the pigs away, one by 

 one, and wrapping them in a blanket till dry, to guard against a chill, and to make sure that 

 they had strength to hold on to the teat when this was offered. They were like infants from 

 very delicate parents, exceedingly difficult to raise to an age when they would seem to take 

 hold with any prospect of living and doing well. Up to this time they suffer, first with the 

 chill of a cool atmosphere, then with blistering and cracking in the sun; next from bowel dis 

 turbance, if the dam be even moderately highly fed, and all the time, from a tendency to get 

 feverish, refuse the natural nourishment, showing very rapid breathing, and dropping off in 

 spite of all care, and apparently on very slight exposure. 



Now, the hog of good weight may have bone and joint enough to carry him well, without 

 this being objectionable in amount; yet, when the bone gets below this fair size, effeminacy 

 has taken possession of the animal in every part, as the practiced eye will see at a glance. 

 If at this point the breeding of the herd be changed, and the frames and soft tissues be 

 stiffened up by a suitable cross, bad results may be avoided; but if the over-refining process 

 be continued, the effect will be to destroy the value of the herd. 



No man should make up a new herd, or add to one already upon his premises, from stock 

 not entirely competent to be self -tenders. At least to be such under circumstances where 

 this is practicable. No man who wants a hog for profit will have his wants fully met until 

 he gets such as are hardy enough to stand pretty severe cold, some neglect, and be quite 

 ready to thrive with plain, even what would be rough feed for the exquisitely bred and 

 pampered hog. The pigs of the stronger kinds, those with plenty of hair and not too fine 

 bone, will survive, though they are farrowed in cold weather, and this, too, without extra 

 care and nursing. More pfgs will be dropped at each farrowing time, and it is safe to say 

 that half a dozen strong, well-haired, thrifty sows will raise as many pigs in a season as will 

 be saved and raised by ten sows if exquisitely bred and accustomed to close confinement. 



Buyers should see to it that they do not buy from herds where it has been the practice to 

 breed from very young sows and boars. Haste in getting progeny from pigs for which good 

 prices have been paid, is highly censurable. A herd managed on this plan for a few years 

 will dwindle, not only losing size, but becoming effeminate also. The strongest and most 

 profitable stock to buy is found in those herds where the full-grown sows and boars are kept 

 as breeders, and where all the breeding stock, as well as the pigs old enough to run with the 

 sows, are allowed the full liberty of the pastures during the grass season, and plenty of 

 liberty for exercise at all other seasons.&quot; 



