THE LANCASTER FARMER 



87 



POLAND-CHINA BOAR---SWEEP- 

 STAKES. 



This niasnilici'iit .spt'ciiiK'H of the genus 

 Sus, was brctl by Siik.i-aui) it AM';xam>kii, 

 of Charli'stoii, Illinois, and •wlicn four y^-ais 

 old wciy;lic(l 1,(W() [m unds. Wi- should sug-icst 

 as a proper male to this iniwieldy animal, the 

 Poland-China .Sow, Lady .Iohnson, as li^iuicd 

 iu tlic Feb. No., 1S74, of the Xuliimitl Live 

 SliK-k Junrmd, the property of Akmstkonu 

 Bro's, of Indianapolis, In<liana. 



It would seem that pijjs arc so passive, 

 under the direetion of professional breeders, 

 that almost anything ean be made out nf them, 

 even to the obliteralinn of the oriRinal form 

 of what we in times past reeoiiiiized as a pi;;. 

 Cut the tail and feet olT " Swei'p-stakes " and 

 snspen<l him by the " snout " — by the addition 

 of a coat of fjreen paint— he would look like a 

 gipiutie pn-jjatc, or what he really is, a sack 

 of lard, liut he is more than that, for he 

 possesses the element of redui)lication in a 

 most e.vtraordinary degree, and has sired, and 

 is still capable of siring, a nmnerons progeny 

 of profitable porkers. Lard has become such 

 an important item in the domesticqiroductsof 

 the country, and is applicable to so many u.scs, 

 that any effort to increase its (piantity and 

 iiaprove its quality must be classed with hu- 



( 'ros.sed with the Hetkshire breed, the form is 

 improved and the cdiistitntion hardened, with 

 a remarkable tendency to fatten easily: but its 



j cross with the Chinese is more )iro(itable, as 

 the weight is heavier with light fieiliug, and 



I the disposition milder. The Middlesex, a 

 I)opular breed in Kngland, and considerably 

 imported into the United States, is derived 

 from a mixture of the Chinese with some 

 larger stock ; the color is usually white, and 

 the size larger than the Suffolk ; the bones are 

 smaller than in the Essex. The Suffolk, now 

 the favorite, English breed, is believeil to have 

 originated from the olil .Suffolk, eros.sed with 

 the (;hincse and Berkshire. It will therefore 

 be seen that the blood of I lie China boarentiMS 

 inon^ or less into all the best and most popular 

 breeds, and it is this fact which .seems to lend 

 signilicanc'i^ and pronuse to the variety of the 

 cross illu.strated iu our engraving, which is 

 claimed to be the most remarkable specimen 

 of the jwrcine family ever grown in this 

 country. 



^ • 



IMPROVED HOGS AND BREEDING 

 SOWS. 



A corresi>ondent of the Smdhcm Planter 

 gives the following ou the adaptability of the 



iKtst breeds. They are good gra/.ei'S, and will 

 keep fat on any good pitsture ; they are not 

 disiMi.sed to roam and fret, and are not gross 

 feeders, but, like all other animals, retpiiro 

 their fond at regular intervals ; and if kepi and 

 Well eared for until twelve or thirleen months 

 old. they will yield from four to six hundred 

 pounds. I'idike all other large breed of hogs, 

 they are not at all subject to the mange. 

 What other animal will yitdd so nuich in so 

 short a time from so small a iM'ginning, with 

 such a small outlay, and have so many gowl 

 points and ipialities to recommenil them V 



The I'oland-China breed oiiginated in Rut- 

 ler county, (^hio. It is by some called the 

 '•(Jregory Oeek " hog. by others the "Moore" 

 hog, but is generally known as ihe I'oland- 

 China hog. They are composed of liiur dis- 

 tinct breeds, viz. : "I'oland," "Big Spotted 

 China,"" Big Irish Gnizier," and "Hylield;" 

 this bree<l is of line bone, but of large size, 

 combining more eminently than others the 

 excellencies of both large and small breed.s. 

 The Poland-China hogs are mostly spotted. I 

 think they will lieeome very popular in Vir- 

 ginia, combining every (piality suitable as a 

 cross on our common stock. 



"My rule in .selecting the pigs to raise from 

 for breeders, is to count the teats. One with 



man benefactions a.s well as useful productions. 



As to the edible (jualities of the nmscular 

 portions of such animals as Swiryi-Mnkc't, 

 individual tastes might dilTer; and, therefore, 

 some people might prefer pigs of less weight 

 and smaller volume, but for profit, which is 

 Iterhaps the leading idea, the ciise might be 

 different. 



AVe are indebted for this valuable species to 

 the fact that the domestic hog and the wild 

 boar of Euroi>e, Africa and Asia are, gener- 

 ally speaking, of the same species, and will 

 breed together and produce young capable of 

 propagating their kind. The most improved 

 of the English and Amerii'an domesticated 

 breeds are, for the most ]iart, largely crossed 

 and inter-mixed with the Chinese and, iier- 

 haps, Turkish varieties. The Chinese hogs, 

 both white and black varieties, are easily fat- 

 tened, and have small bones ; indeed, tliey are 

 generally tt)o fat to Ije esteemed as jjork, and 

 are considered to make jioor bacon ; bred care- 

 fully, and mixed with other stocks, they are 

 valuable animals. The Neaiiolitan is the most 

 celebrated of the Italian breeds; and the stock 

 of most of the English breeds, though not 

 very hiurdy, the flesh is of superior quality. 



POLAND-CHINA BOAR--SWEEPSTAKES. 



Poland Chinas for this section, and some good 

 suggestions on the care of breeding .sows and 

 young pigs : 



" It is economy for every fanner and breeder 

 to get a good sow of some first-rate breed, or 

 else breed the best conunon sow yi>u can find 

 to a thoroughbred boar, and raise a good breed- 

 ing sow. fiood pigs are always in demand, 

 and it is nearly as easy to sell a pair of 

 thoroughbred pipp at from §20 to ^2."), as it is 

 to sell .a pair of common one.s at ?•">, and the 

 Siune amount of food fed to a good pig will 

 make twice iis nuich meat iis to the other. 

 The only difli?rence in exjiense is in the first 

 cost of the boar or sow. Some ask, what are ' 

 the liest breeds y If I wished a small lirecd of 

 hogs for table use, my choice would be the 

 Essex orUerkshire ; but no breed jiossesses so 

 many good points and ipialities as the Poland- 

 China hog. Their i)rolific <pialities, their 

 quiet, gentle disposition, their adaptation to 

 being i)rofitably slaughtered at nine or twelve 

 months old, and, if kept still longer, continue 

 to growaiui reward the owner for every pound 

 of food he gives them ; and these excellent 

 qualities init them ahead of any breed I am 

 ac(iuaiiited with, and 1 have tried all of the 



twelve fully-developed teats will infallibly be 

 prolific and a good nurse, good for milk, and 

 careful of her young. Fourteen teat.s should 

 be i)referred ; but never try to raise pigs from 

 a sow with less than ten good teats. 



"Avoid breeding in-and-in. Another im- 

 ))ortant point is that the sow should lie so 

 l)etted as to liecomc foiiil of the person who 

 has the care of her, and thus lose the natural 

 ferocity of her kind. When she brings forth 

 her pigs give a sufliciency of food lo keep in 

 good flesh and growing; a sulliciency, but not 

 an excess of salt, and an abundanie of drink. 

 Keep warm in winter, and cool in summer. 

 .\ iiail full of water cKc.a.sionallyda.shed on the 

 animal on a hot day is very reviving, and con- 

 ducive fo good health. A sow gix-s with 

 young sixteen weeks, and but seldom varies 

 twenty-four hours fromthat time. .'>he shoidd 

 have all the warm water she will drink. Thi.s 

 is yery essential, ius it helps the (low of milk 

 and ]>revents fever. 



" The pigs should be taught to eat with their 

 mother as young as two weeks, which may be 

 done by having a broad, .shallow trough, "and 

 gently putting them into it when the mother 

 is eating." 



