416 KEPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Jersey, the first name having been arbitrarily given, the second re- 

 ferring to New Jersey, in which State these hogs were largely bred. 

 Many are of a dark red or "sandy" color, of large size, and as bred 

 a few years ago somewhat coarse in bone. They are hardy, and 

 when crossed on breeds which had become, perhaps, overly fine- 

 boned, the results were often very satisfactory. The breed has a 

 good standing in most of the leading pork-producing regions. 



Of other breeds, of which there are large numbers, although small 

 in comparison with the total number of swine in the country, may 

 be mentioned the Essex, a pure black breed of small to medium size, 

 and the small Yorkshire, of similar size, but white in color, both 

 breeds being noted for early maturity and the great ease with which 

 they can be fattened, and both well adapted for crossing with the 

 larger breeds. There are a number of other breeds of good repute 

 in comparatively limited localities. 



A much larger percentage of hogs than cattle are nearly or quite 

 pure bred or else are the product of intentional crossing of distinct 

 breeds. Many good hog-raisers believe cross-bred animals are pref- 

 erable to those nearly or quite pure of one breed. In some parts of 

 the country, especially in some of the more southern States and in 

 regions where the abundance of forest trees tempts the farmers to 

 allow their hogs to get much of their living from the nuts and roots, 

 the hogs are of inferior quality, often slow in coming to maturity, 

 and of small size, wild in disposition, active and muscular. But the 

 animals of this description form but a small minority of the total. 



As in the case of the cattle the methods of swine rearing and feed- 

 ing most approved in the United States, as shown by most general 

 practice, are characterized by simplicity, the absence of complicated 

 rations, and anything which tends to much increase the quantity of 

 human labor necessary. There is much diversity in the methods 

 pursued with village-kept pigs or those reared in sections where land 

 and grains are high priced, but these pigs are chiefly designed for 

 home consumption, rarely reaching the public markets. 



In striking contrast with modes of keeping in many countries the 

 traveler among the farms where hogs are chiefly grown in the central 

 West will, during the summer, almost as certainly find the hogs 

 grazing in the fields or in large grass or clover plats especially re- 

 served for them as he will the cattle. This general recognition of 

 the fact that the pig is a grazing animal has much to do with the 

 cheapness with which pork is produced and does much to secure 

 healthf ulness among the hogs, largely counteracting the ill effects 

 produced by another practice concerning which there has been much 

 adverse criticism of American farmers that of using Indian corn 

 top exclusively in fattening hogs and as their food ration during the 

 winter months. 



The more common practice in the Western States among farmers 

 who rear from a score to one or two hundred pigs each year, is to 

 have the litters dropped in April or May; if early, in comfortable 

 but often very cheaply constructed shelters; if later, in the field or 

 grass yards prepared for them. As early as practicable the pigs are 

 taught to eat grain, are fed corn, oats, or rye, sometimes dry, but 

 frequently soaked in water or in " slops/' or ground and mixed with 

 milk or water. Generally large liberty is given. The practice of 

 "ringing," or inserting a wire ring in the nose, thus preventing 

 rooting, is very common, and allows the greater freedom on the 

 grass and clover land, of which there are usually small fields espec- 



