276 LIVE-STOCK JUDGING 



and smooth on the sides, indicating fine bone, thickly 

 covered; the chest deep, wide, full on the floor and at 

 the breast, with no constriction just back of the shoulders 

 nor between and behind the forelegs; the back broad, 

 flat and thickly covered, carrying a maximum of lard and 

 meat and well supported with a slight arch ; sides as long 

 and deep as is consistent with width, the primary essential 

 in the lard hog. Since side meat makes bacon, and the 

 better grade is from the upper part of the side, length is 

 more important than depth, although as much depth of 

 side as possible, so long as it comes from length of rib 

 and not from the weight of the contents of the abdomen, 

 is desirable. Another indication of side meat of the right 

 sort is the smoothness, the absence of wrinkles and creases, 

 and the firm, rather than flabby, appearance. If the 

 back is broad and the rib is well arched the side will be 

 more or less at right angles with the back and will carry well 

 out to the line established by the shoulder in front and 

 the ham behind. If the back is narrow and the rib flat, 

 there will be no sharp demarcation between the back 

 and the side ; the side will be deep but pendant and the hog 

 will fall away directly behind the shoulders and con- 

 tinue narrow to the hindquarters. The loin should 

 conform to the back, already described, in being broad 

 and thickly covered, the flank deep and full enough to 

 make the side carry out evenly and the under line straight ; 

 the rump broad, long and as level as possible, there 

 always being some droop of the rump corresponding 

 to the sharp curve at the top of the neck which is followed 

 more or less by the whole top line. The maximum weight 

 in the hams, the most valuable part of the hog carcass, is 

 secured by the breadth of rump being continued down into 

 the thighs as deeply as possible toward the hocks and ampli- 



