PREFACE. 



Paradoxical as it may seem, in writing a book on Pigs 

 and in endeavoring to show that we can obtain more 

 meat from a well-bred pig, in proportion to the food con- 

 sumed, than from any other domestic animal, it is no part 

 of my object to stimulate the production of pork. 



For over twenty years I have had the honor to be con- 

 nected with the Agricultural Press of America, and have 

 had my thoughts constantly directed to the means neces- 

 sary to improve our general system of farming. A farmer's 

 son, and myself a farmer, all my sympathies are with the 

 farming class rather than with the consumers ; but I am 

 satisfied that, in many respects, our interests are identical. 

 It should be our study to furnish good food at reasonable 

 rates. At the present time .the consumers in our large 

 cities are obliged to pay much more for flesh-meat than 

 it is intrinsically worth ; and, on the other hand, with 

 the exception of those who produce beef and mutton of 

 the best quality, farmers make nothing by raising and 

 feeding cattle and sheep. We receive more for our meat 

 than it is worth, and yet it costs us more than we get for it. 



The remedy for this unsatisfactory condition of affairs, 

 will be found in cultivating our land more thoroughly, in 

 growing better grass, in keeping better stock and in liber- 

 al feeding. 



The introduction of better breeds of pigs will in itself 

 do little towards improving our farms; but the farmer 

 who once uses a thorough-bred boar and adopts a liberal 

 system of feeding, will find that he can produce better 

 pork at a far less cost than when he uses a common boar ; 

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