THE BREEDER AM) BREEDING 



tion and feeding, 

 an animal so plastic about what he pleases, and the farm- 

 ers have a right to demand that usefulness be the aim of 

 every breeder and the reason for every purchase. All 

 admire a good-looking hog, and there is no reason why 

 good looks should not go with the highest usefulness, but 

 neither good looks nor fancy breeding should stand for a 

 moment in the way of the hog that combines vigor of 

 constitution, growthiness, and reasonably early maturity 

 with a form pleasing to the eye of either breeder or farm- 

 er. When we come to the final test of beauty, "pretty 

 is as pretty does." The prettiest hog, after all, is the one 

 that is most profitable; the one that makes the most and 

 best pounds of gain from a hundred pounds of the most 

 inexpensive dry matter; the one that makes the largest 

 contribution toward providing for the family necessities; 

 toward meeting the interest on the mortgage, and to pay- 

 ing the mortgage itself; for the addition to the house, the 

 new carpet, the piano or organ, the new dresses for the 

 girls, or for their education at school. If the breeders 

 of any breed depart from this practical hog they make a 

 mistake, for sooner or later the common-sense farmer 

 will demand the common-sense hog. waiving any prefer- 

 ence he may have for points merely fanciful. 



THE FECUNDITY OF SWINE 



No other farm animal increases and multiplies so rap- 

 idly and profitably as does the hog, when given proper 

 treatment. It is probable that few who are actually in 

 the business of swine breeding fully realize the ratio of 

 increase of which swine are capable, and it is equally 



