438 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 



an active, hardy breed, and there is no apparent reason 

 why it should not give as good an account of the food it 

 consumes as any other breed. 



In quality of flesh, the Hampshire has an enviable 

 reputation. It has made an excellent record in the 

 dressed carcass competitions at the International Live 

 Stock Exposition at Chicago, and the packers appear to 

 regard it with high approval. Its strong point is the large 

 proportion of lean. 



The Hampshire ranks high in regard to fecundity, and 

 appears to be one of the most prolific of American breeds 

 so far as we are able to investigate the matter. 



The value of the Hampshire for cross-breeding is not 

 well known, but it seems reasonable to suppose that it 

 should cross well with the fat types of hogs. 



The belted color arrangement of the Hampshire is not 

 invariable, both belted and black pigs appearing in the 

 same litter. Therefore too strict adherence to this color 

 characteristic may actually retard practical improvement 

 in the breed. 



535. Distribution. According to the secretary of the 

 Hampshire Association, the breed is to be found in a large 

 number of states, but the numbers in any one state are 

 not large, comparatively speaking. Kentucky, Illinois 

 and Indiana are probably the most important centers, 

 but the breed has been making rapid progress of late. 

 A few importations have been made into Canada, but 

 the breed is not as yet largely represented. 



536. Organizations and records. The American 

 Hampshire Swine Record Association was organized in 

 1893, and published its first herd-book in 1906. Ten 

 volumes of the herd-book have been published to date, 

 with a total of 93,000 registrations. 



