THE TAMWORTH 



195 



As a range hog none can surpass the Tamworth; in fact, it has 

 not been found wanting in any place, north, south, east or west. 

 Tamworth sows are great mothers, producing as a rule large litters 

 and raising them. The percentage of loss very small. To show the 

 tendency to prolificacy the following will illustrate: One sow in 

 eighteen months farrowed 57 pigs, and raises 50 of them; another 

 in a twelve-month farrowed 42 and raised 40 of them. 



The Tamworth will weigh well at any age, but to get full growth 

 and weight, which occasionally reaches over 1,000 pounds in sows 

 and 1,200 to 1,300 pounds in males, the time required to reach 

 maturity may be a little longer than with some of the other breeds ; 

 but how long it would take the others to reach these weights we do 

 not attempt to say. It is reported from an authority that a Tam- 

 worth was killed in England some years ago that weighed alive 

 1,607 and dressed 1,330 pounds. This without doubt establishes the 

 heavy-weight record for swine. Amber King 1705, sold by W. 

 Warren Morton of Kentucky to the John Robinson Circus, weighed 

 1,400 pounds, and was shown as "the largest hog in the world." 



Record Association. The American Tamworth Swine Record 

 Association was organized in 1897. It is the only record associa- 

 tion of the breed in the United States, and the only exclusively 

 Tamworth record association in the world. No apology is due either 

 the bacon hog for his looks or the owner for his choice. The most 

 typical of all bacon hogs, the Tamworth is as much a distinct type 

 of hog as the horse is of the equine family. Purebred bacon hogs 

 should never be confounded with the lean, unthrifty and half- 

 finished, half -starved type of hog of all breeds or no breed at all, 

 brought to market and offered as bacon hogs. Neither should the 

 breadth of his ears, the length of snout or of leg be made a matter 

 of comparison with freaks of other breeds. The undisputed merit of 

 the Tamworth, together with the kindly spirit of his breeder, is 

 rapidly extending his acquaintanceship, and he is here to conquer 

 conditions as he finds them. "We find in all lines of endeavor that 

 there are some who are aggressive, and push their business. It is 

 so in the breeding of purebred stock, and too many engaged in the 

 business leave all the push and publicity to the few, and they sit 

 quietly by and indirectly get the benefit at the expense of the 

 hustler. Let each breeder stand up for the advantages of his par- 

 ticular breed, and the value of the PUREBRED over the scrub. 

 All our improvement in the industry has come through the pure- 

 bred, the pedigreed animal. Purebreds make most economical gains, 



