494 THE PIG 



when the type was larger, it is probable that the sows may have 

 produced somewhat larger litters than at the present time. The 

 smaller, fat type of sow will not breed so easily or have such 

 large litters as the larger, more rangy sort. Many breeders of 

 recent years have seriously criticised the fecundity and reproduc- 

 tive power of this breed, and no doubt the great increase in the 

 herds of Chester Whites and Duroc-Jerseys is due to dissatisfac- 

 tion with the Poland-China as a breeder. There is no doubt but 

 what the average sow of the breed produces smaller litters than 

 any other breed well known in our feed lots. Dr. Bitting has 

 shown this to be true in his herdbook record study, in which he 

 shows that the average size of 1086 Poland-China litters was 7.45 

 pigs each, 400 Berkshires 8.22 pigs, and 600 Chester Whites 

 8.96 pigs. In a study made by the writer of the litters of 1300 

 Poland-China brood sows, farrowing 9335 pigs, the average size 

 of litter was 7.4 pigs, essentially the same result as secured by 

 Dr. Bitting. Mr. George M. Rommel, in 1906, published a study 

 of Poland-China fecundity, based on herdbook records covering 

 the years 1882-1886 and 1898-1902. Over 50,000 litters were 

 considered, including 103,458 pigs for 1882-1886 which averaged 

 7.04 pigs per litter, and 299,324 pigs for 1898-1902 which aver- 

 aged 7.52 pigs per litter. These figures seem to show a slight 

 gain rather than loss in the prolificacy of this breed. 



The distribution of Poland-China swine is mainly through the 

 Mississippi Valley states, notably Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, 

 Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. The breed is common also in 

 other states. Among pigs of this class, in Canada, heavy fat 

 producers are not popular and have but slight hold. The breed 

 has been introduced abroad in a small way. In 1877 Mr. D. M. 

 Magie sent three head to Joseph Munson, Jr., at Liverpool, Eng- 

 land, and in 1898 twelve head were sent to Russia, six from the 

 Iowa Agricultural College and six from H. G. McMillan of Iowa. 

 The breed, however, has never met with much favor outside of 

 the United States. This is due to the fact that a leaner type 

 of pork is required elsewhere. 



Organizations for the promotion of Poland-China pigs are strong 

 and influential. The Ohio Poland-China Record Association was 

 organized at Dayton in 1878, although the first volume of the 



