408 A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



under the jaws, known as the jowl, and along the shoulders 

 and sides. These creases contain more or less hair that is 

 hard to remove after scalding. In the larger hog-killing 

 houses, the hair is removed by automatic scrapers. It can 

 easily be seen that the more creases there are on the body, 

 the more difficult it will be to remove the hair from them. 

 In such cases hand work is necessary to finish the job. 

 These seams are also an indication of uneven fleshing. 



The head of the hog varies so in size and form, accord- 

 ing to breed, that it seems best to emphasize only certain 

 features that should be common to all breeds and grades. 

 The large, coarse head is an evidence of waste, hence buyers 

 prefer a short type of head, indicating smaller loss in this 

 portion in killing. Even with the long-headed breeds, the 

 degree of refinement is measured by length and coarseness 

 of snout. A narrow face, often seen on a long head, indi- 

 cates a poor feeder and mean disposition. The eyes should 

 always be easily seen, with the whites clearly showing. The 

 eyes of the hog of the lard type tend to become surrounded 

 by excessive fat, so that the sight is very poor. The ears 

 are good indicators of quality. They should be easily car- 

 ried, and not be heavy and coarse where attached to the head. 

 None of the lard-type breeds naturally have coarse ears. 



The jowl of the hog is the thick, fleshy part of the lower 

 jaw and throat. Sometimes it is very large and round, and 

 is a great mass of fat. Often deep, hairy creases occur here. 

 The jowl can not be studied to advantage unless it is both 

 seen and felt. If the animal keeps its head close to the 

 ground, the jowl can not be thoroughly examined. The 

 jowl in its best form is short, smooth, free of creases, and 

 firm to the touch. 



The neck of the hog should be reasonably short and 

 broad on top, and blend smoothly into the shoulders. A 

 common fault is a thin neck, fitting roughly in the shoulders 

 which stand out in a prominent manner at the shoulder vein. 



