412 BOARD OF AGlilCULTURE. [Pub. Doc, 



Influence of Heredity. 



In the pig business heredity plays an important part, very 

 much more so than the majority of farmers are aware of; 

 and perliaps the best and most vahiable example of this is 

 noticed in the disposition of the brood sow. The quality of 

 good nature is just as certainly and accurately transmitted 

 to the offspring as are the valuable qualities of the horse 

 transmitted to the young colt. It is an impossibility, in a 

 large herd, to have every sow good-natured at farro wing- 

 time ; but it is easy enough to have the cases of bad temper 

 so far apart that any occurrence of this kind is not worth 

 mentioning. There may be extenuating circumstances that 

 mioht cause a valuable sow to behave unbecominolv, but 

 this should not be sufficient reason for discarding her or her 

 pigs for breeders. If a sow is cross two litters in succession, 

 dispose of her without hesitation, and do not retain any of 

 her pigs for breeders. The perfect mother bunches her 

 brood in a remote corner of the pen, and settles herself some 

 feet from them. Prize such litters highl}^ and save every 

 pig for breeders, especially if they are good ones. Hardly 

 a day passes without some seeker after knowledge asks the 

 question. How long do you keep both sows and boars for 

 breeders ? And I invariably answer, As long as they do well. 

 We have a pair of thorough])red Yorkshires that have pro- 

 duced five hundred dollars' worth of pigs since we have had 

 them ; and the remarkable thing about it is, that they never 

 have j)roduced a poor one. They are tive years old, and I 

 think the last litter, which we now have on hand, is the best 

 of any yet. It is easier to raise ten good sows than one 

 good boar, and we meet a great many farmers who under- 

 stand this. Select this animal from a litter whose ancestors 

 are noted for the good (iiialitios that should be combined in 

 the perfect hog. Look for one that is as good over the hips 

 as over the shoulders. You will not find this kind })lentiful. 

 Object to a coarse, heavy head in the young boai-, but a 

 different appearance is admissi))le in the aged animal. For 

 myself, I do not object at all to some length of nose, pro- 

 vided tliat member is fine ; my main idea being that a good, 



