I2 6 Breeding Plants and Animals. 



be likened to the Irishman's fence. He was building 

 fences for his employer. At dinner a discussion arose 

 as to one's duty to join the church. The fanner con- 

 tended that though he was not a church member he 

 expected to go to heaven. He said he was willing to 

 be compared with the average church member. He 

 enumerated such good qualities as paying his debts, 

 giving a helping hand in times of need and so forth, 

 yet frankly admitting that he had faults declared that 

 he would average up all right. At supper the farmer 

 asked the Irishman how the fence building was pro- 

 gressing. "'Sure/' was the reply, "I am setting the 

 posts well and the boards are nailed on to stay. There 

 may be a gap of several feet here and there, but the 

 fence will average up with other good fences which 

 keep out the cattle." 



Improvements have been made by refining the ani- 

 mals, somewhat shortening the body, reducing the size, 

 bringing about earlier maturity and developing the 

 rectangular and pretty lard form; the hair has lost its 

 curl, has been made finer and the white spots have been 

 nearly all eliminated ; the ears have been short- 

 ened and turned up nearly like those of a pert 

 Berkshire ; the quiet disposition and good feeding 

 qualities have been retained and the lard padding so 

 long bred into the fiber of the breed is possibly attend- 

 ed with less vigor of constitution; the milk-giving ten- 

 dencies may have been reduced, but worst of all the 

 fecundity has evidently been reduced in some families. 

 The loss in fecundity and vigor, and presumably a loss 

 in the percentage of lean meat on the carcass, are gaps 

 left in the fence. The largest improvement, no doubt, 

 comes in the smaller amount of food required to pro- 

 duce a pound of gain, avoiding the more expensive feed- 

 ing later in the life of the hog. These gaps allow such 

 ungainly "critters" as some of the modern bristly so- 

 called bacon types of swine to enter the field which 

 should have been held by this great American breed. 

 Along with the good qualities secured, others, such as 



