TYPES OF SWINE 15 



is true that a hog may weigh slightly more than 200 pounds 

 and still make a very good Wiltshire side, but most hogs are 

 inclined to be too fat after they pass the 200-pound mark, and 

 consequently this is fixed as the limit, though it is not strictly 

 adhered to. As to condition, it is possible to have the hog too 

 thin or too fat. When the carcass is split down the back, the 

 layer of fat along the back should run from an inch to an 

 inch and a half in thickness, and should be as uniform in 

 thickness as possible from the loin to the neck. The most 

 valuable meat in a Wiltshire side is the upper part of the 

 side from the ham to the back of the shoulder, including the 

 upper corner of the gammon or ham, the loin, and the upper 

 half of the ribs. The lower part of ham and the flank and 

 belly meat are not worth as much per pound as the upper 

 portions, and the shoulder and neck are comparatively cheap 

 parts. 



Conformation. In form, the bacon type of hog (Fig. 5) 

 is very different from the lard type. It is longer in the leg 

 and body, has less thickness and depth of body, and is lighter 

 in the shoulder, neck, and jowl. The hog should be long 

 from the back of the shoulder to the ham, but comparatively 

 short from the back of the shoulder to the snout. Along with 

 length, however, the hog must have sufficient depth and thick- 

 ness to denote constitution. No matter how long in body it- 

 may be, if it has long, coarse legs, and a narrow, cramped 

 chest, it is an undesirable type to breed from. A trim belly 

 is desirable, because the belly meat is cheaper than the upper 

 part of the side. In judging sows that have produced several 

 litters of pigs, some allowance must be made in this connection. 



A fine, smooth coat of hair denotes thriftiness and good 

 quality of flesh. Wrinkles on the skin, if at all marked, 

 indicate coarse-grained flesh. Softness or flabbiness of flesh 



