THE BREEDER AND BREEDING 1 9 



keep in mind the common-sense hog, which the practical, 

 e\eryclay farmer, who cares more about types than 

 breeds, and more about form than pedigree, needs must 

 have, and in the end will have. To supply the farmer 

 with this kind of a hog is the end of all breeding. It is 

 easily possible to run to fancy points until the men who 

 dote on these are supplied; in the end, however, it is the 

 farmer's ideal, approved by the packer, that is accepted. 

 Fundamentally, the farmer, as a rule, does not care 

 whether the hog wears red, white or black hair ; whether 

 its ears hang down or stand uj) ; whether it has swirls 

 and cowlicks, or combs its hair straight. What he wants 

 first is an animal with constitution; and any system of 

 breeding, whether inbreeding or outbreeding, whether 

 straight, crooked or otherwise, that enfeebles the (Con- 

 stitution is the kind of breeding the farmer does not 

 want in his herd. To closely inbreed or line-breed 

 ni.erely for the development of some particular unim- 

 portant marking, curl in the tail or droop of ear. at the 

 same time weakening the constitution or dwarfing the 

 size, is to venture upon dangerous ground. 



The farmer does not care, either, for hogs "bred in 

 the purple." He is not particular whether the great 

 grandsire of his stock sold for one. three, or five thou- 

 sand dollars. His chief interest is in tiiis : What breed 

 or type of hogs, for the care and feed it is practicable 

 for me in my situatio-i to give them, will yield the largest 

 return in pork and money? He is furthermore interested 



