THE POLAND-CHINA 25 



Russian and Byfield breeds. These hogs were not classified in 

 any definite manner, and simply consisted of a large number of 

 ordinary hogs. It was from this humble beginning that these 

 breeders of the Miami Valley developed a breed of hogs that have 

 set the standard for practically all breeds of the great American 

 hog. It was indeed a wonderful accomplishment — starting with 

 practically nothing, they bred up a standard type that was so 

 entirely distinctive and unlike the European and Asiatic stock 

 from which they sprang, as to be almost worthy of classification 

 as a new species of animal rather than merely a new breed of the 

 same species. 



The origin of the name Poland-China is rather indefinite. 

 The hog raisers of the Miami River Valley applied the name 

 Poland, or Poland and China, to their hogs in the early 60's and 

 perhaps even earlier. By some the name Poland is explained by 

 the fact that one of these early founders of the breed came from 

 Massachusetts, and brought with him a breed of swine that prob- 

 ably had their origin in Poland. This man was himself a Pole, and 

 the hogs of his breeding probably got the name of Rolands more 

 from that fact than from direct importation from Poland. 



Thorough investigation of this matter was made in the early 

 70's by the National Swine Breeders' Association, and the com- 

 mittee making the examination of existing records at that time 

 reported that "in view of the difficulties in making a change in the 

 name of any breed, that the said name of Poland-China be recog- 

 nized as the accepted name of the breed." They reported, how- 

 ever, that they were unable to find any convincing proof of the 

 Polish origin of the breed. No evidence has been advanced since 

 this time to further prove the exact origin of the ancestry of the 

 foundation stock. 



No one man was sufficiently prominent in the early develop- 

 ment of the new breed to be entitled to credit as being "the original 

 Poland-China man." Mr. D. M. Magie and Mr. Ayers McCreary 

 each claimed to have a pure-bred herd, consisting of Rolands and 

 Big Chinas. A. C. Moore, of Canton, Illinois, was another early 

 claimant for this same honor. He had formerly lived in the Miami 

 Valley, and he claimed that the herd he carried with him to his 

 Illinois farm were pure Poland and Large China blood. Both Mr. 



