I4(> SWIXE IN AMERICA 



of tile same breed in the years 1898-1902, showed an 

 average of ^.^2 pigs. This was an increase in the later 

 live years of .48. or nearly one-half pig per litter, a 

 percentage of 6.81. 



From 1893 to 1897, inclusive, 3,762 Duroc-Jersey sows 

 averaged 9.22 pigs each. From 1898 to 1902, inclusive, 

 17,890 Duroc-Jersey sows averaged 9.27 pigs each, or 

 an increase of .054 per cent. Of the more than 76,000 

 sows of both breeds rei)orted as under observation one 

 Poland-China farrowed 20 pigs and two Duroc-Jerseys 

 a like number. 



Rommel observes that while the Poland-China increase 

 in the later period is not extraordinary, "an undoubted 

 increase is evident, and the conclusion is inevitable that, 

 contrary to popular opinion, the sows of the Poland- 

 China breed have increased in fecundity during the last 

 20 years." Also of the Duroc-Jersey statistics, "the fig- 

 ures have little, if any, value as showing increase or 

 decrease in fecundity; they are valuable as giving a cor- 

 rect idea of the fecundity of the breed as a whole. Com- 

 pared with those of the Poland-China breed, these results 

 confirm common observation; viz., that Duroc-Jersey 

 sows are more prolific than Poland-Chinas." 



AGED SOWS THE BEST FOR BREEDING 



An investigation at the Iowa experiment station to dis- 

 cover the infiuence of the age of sows upon their prolifi- 

 cacy and the weight and growth of the pigs they pro- 

 duced gave some interesting results. It was found, for 

 example, that fifteen sows bred at eight or nine months, 

 axeraged se\'en and two-thirds pigs per litter, while 14 



