CHAPTER XVIII. 



BREEDING SWINE, 



The history of breeding Poland-China hogs in the 

 corn and clover belt of the Mississippi Valley is an 

 open book full of interesting philosophy. It illustrates 

 the rapidity with which changes of vast economic im- 

 portance may be brought about by animal breeding; 

 it also illustrates how an entire generation of bright 

 men may pursue a policy which is on the whole some- 

 what narrow and may be misled by mere artistic ap- 

 pearances. A proper interpretation of some of the lead- 

 ing factors operating to modify our breeds of animals 

 for better or for worse can best be set forth by illus- 

 trations from the porcine family. Owing to several 

 facts, hogs are our best farm animals with which to 

 do some of the many needed breeding experiments. 

 They have large litters of young and a new genera- 

 tion can be produced every year, because the female 

 at a year old will produce a litter and annually or cften- 

 er thereafter. They are docile and intelligent, easily 

 managed in feeding experiments, generally free from 

 disease (except cholera), and there is such a variety of 

 domestic and wild forms that relationships may be se- 

 cured for mating near relatives or for hybridizing dis- 

 tinct forms. They are profitable animals and the ex- 

 perimenter can raise them in large numbers with re- 

 muneration, thus basing facts upon averages secured 

 from large numbers. 



But the above digression is only anticipating sug- 

 gestions for breeding experiments to be offered in a 

 future article. The present purpose will be served by 

 a brief review of certain historical facts in the breed- 

 ing of Poland-China hogs. This breed was formed by 

 hybridizing several fairly well established types of hogs 



