POINTS IN SWINE JUDGING 21 



depth, with a well-sprung rib. There should be sufficient length 

 of body to indicate ample room for the digestive tract. Ribs 

 should be well sprung and long, a characteristic which gives an 

 appearance of roundness and smoothness to the body, with greater 

 depth than appearance would indicate. The sides, from shoulder 

 to ham, should be so filled out as to present a perfect line, with no 

 depressions back of the shoulder or in front of the ham. In a 

 perfect animal, if a straight-edge be laid from the shoulder to the 

 ham, the edge whould be in contact with the sides at every point. 

 In many cases overdevelopment of the shoulders or hams causes 

 the appearance of a hollow behind the shoulder or in front of 

 the ham. Uneven fattening may show wrinkles or depressions 

 along the sides. The body should be thick and full at the flanks, 

 this being an indication of good fattening power. 



Skin and Hair. — Smoothness of the skin and fineness of the 

 hair are two very desirable characteristics in the well-developed 

 hog of any breed. By the packers the smooth, well-rounded 

 skin is a desirable asset, as it increases the ease with which the 

 carcass can be dressed and cleaned. In coarse-bred animals it 

 is especially frequent to find deep wrinkles and creases in the skin 

 of the face and sides. 



The hair is another important point in passing judgment on 

 the desirability of a hog. Those with coarse hair are usually poor 

 breeders, and also do not show a good gain in weight in accordance 

 with the grain that they eat. A fine, evenly distributed coat of 

 hair usually indicates that the digestive apparatus is in good con- 

 dition, and that they are good breeders and excellent fatteners. 

 Color of hair and markings differ with each individual breed. 



Tail. — This seemingly insignificant organ is of considerable 

 importance in judging hogs of high quality. The tail should be 

 not overly large, and should preferably be kinked or curled rather 

 than carried straight. The point of attachment to the body is 

 also of some importance. The tail should be attached to the body 

 well up on the rump and not too low down. Too low attachment 

 of the tail indicates too much slope of the rump and narrowing of 

 space in the birth canal. 



Carriage and Disposition. — To the expert judge of swine the 

 carriage of the animal is a very important point in passing judg- 



