Size of Litters 



105 



of individuals. Every breed possesses a sufficient number 

 of prolific individuals to reward the breeder who will 

 correctly value and then persistently select for this 

 quality. If to careful selection, the breeder will add 

 intelligent feeding and care, the breeding performance 

 of any herd can be developed and maintained at a high 

 standard. 



The number of pigs raised. 



The number of pigs farrowed is not as important as 

 the number raised. Although the most prolific sows in 

 the herd raise more pigs, as a rule, than do those which 

 produce smaller litters, they do not raise as large a per- 

 centage of those farrowed. This seems to be especially 

 true when mature sows are compared with gilts. 



In the following table are summarized the records 

 made by mature sows and gilts at the North Platte, 

 Nebraska, Experiment Station. 1 The test included 87 

 litters produced by gilts and 72 litters by mature 

 sows, in 1910, 1911, 1912, and 1913. The large num- 

 ber of individuals studied makes the results particularly 

 valuable. 



TABLE XIX. PERCENTAGE OF PIGS RAISED BY MATURE Sows 

 AND GILTS 



1 W. P. Snyder : Bull. 147. 



