A MANUAL ON THE HOG. 51 



maturing early, and capable of being fattened at any age. 

 He should be energetic, and sufficiently industrious to take 

 the necessary exercise to gather his food from the crops 

 cultivated for him, on our farms. 



The result of the first cross of a pure bred boar on large 

 native sows, will often produce offspring superior in size 

 and even appearance to the full blood, and farmers are 

 tempted to select males from these grades for breeding 

 purposes. This will invariably lead to disappointment, 

 since the grades, while they have inherited the good qual- 

 ities of the male parent, have not the power of transmit- 

 ting these to their offspring. 



The young boar should be fed all that he will eat until 

 he is a year old, but not allowed to get too fat. He 

 should have exercise, and a varied diet, such as grass 

 roots, and meal, but not allowed to run with sows, or serve 

 any, before he is at least ten months old, when he may be 

 admitted to a limited number, but should not be allowed 

 to jump more than once in a day ; nor should he be al- 

 lowed to serve enough to materially reduce his flesh. One 

 service is usually sufficient to impregnate a sow more 

 than two should not be permitted, as it is an unnecessary 

 drain upon the boar, and does not increase either the 

 number or vigor of the pigs. 



If the boar is allowed to serve at irregular periods du- 

 ring the year, one will answer for a great number of sows, 

 but as the service should be confined to a short period in 

 fall and spring, in order to have the litters come as nearly 

 as possible at the same time, there should be a boar for 

 every ten sows. During the period of serving, the boar 

 should be kept in an enclosure to himself, and the sows 

 turned to him in the morning, and removed as soon as 

 served. After the first year the boar fl will not require 

 very rich food, but should be kept in good, thriving con- 

 dition, and allowed plenty of exercise. 



He will be in full vigor generally until three or four 



