20 SWINE IN AMKRICA 



ill ha\iiis;' hogs as nearly immune from disease as possi- 

 ble, and to this end he wants those w^ith vigorous consti- 

 tutions ; pigs that will hght each other for the best teat 

 before they are a day old, even if doing so leads to the 

 vice of stealing later. He does not hold his pigs amen- 

 able to the code of morals enunciated in the Sermon on 

 the ]\Iount. The common-sense hog must be a greedy 

 fellow, and more or less of a rustler on occasion. He 

 must not bs an animated lard keg, a gob of fat, nor a 

 fastidious loafer, to be fed on dainties. He must not be 

 delicate, or a mincing eater, but growthy, vigorous, 

 healthy, and as good a looker as possible consistent with 

 the sterling swine virtues mentioned. 



Breeders of any breed can produce this type if they 

 will. The farmer has his fancies to a limited extent, and 

 breeders can furnish him the hog desired, with red, 

 white or black hair, and with any sort of an ear called 

 for, but not nearly so readily if they keep an eye too 

 much to fashion, or to fancy pedigree. If from any of 

 the breeds they will select only the well-formed, robust 

 types, and consign all others to the fattening pen, it will 

 not be very many generations or years until their clients, 

 the farmers, will have little reason to complain of their 

 hogs being too delicate, too fine in the bone, too short in 

 the body, or too long in the legs. 



The hog is the most plastic ot all farm animals. In 

 his w^ild state he is of unflinching gameness, an intrepid 

 fighter, fleet as a race horse, and almost as cunning as a 

 fox. Our ancestors transformed him into a domestic 

 animal, and adapted him to their use, by breeding, selec- 



