330 



Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



ence between the retail prices received for the front and hind ends of 

 the Wiltshire side. Length of side from shoulder to ham and length 

 of ham from front to rear are of very great importance, but it is a 

 mistake to make everything else secondary in importance to length; 

 length should not be carried to the greatest possible extreme. The 

 hog should have enough depth and width of body to give him a strong 

 constitution in a well-developed chest and middle. This applies both 

 to the market hog and the breeding animal. There should be as 

 much depth of body in front as behind, and as much width at one point 

 as another — in other words, the hog should be symmetrical or balanced 

 in his conformation. Great smoothness from one end to the other is 

 a prim^e essential, and smoothness must be secured without the assist- 



ii . ■.../.-.- -^ ... 



Fig. 122. — Bacon type as shown in the herd boar. This Yorkshire boar shows 

 the desired form, smoothness, and quality. Note the clean-cut, trim appearance, 

 light jowl, long smooth side, deep flanks, tapering ham, and large smooth bone. 



ance of much fat, such as greatly assists in giving smoothness to the 

 lard hog. 



Proper quality in a market bacon hog is very important because 

 a rough or coarse appearance detracts much from the price, and be- 

 cause it is desired that the flesh be fine in texture. In both market 

 hogs and breeding stock, a fine, smooth coat of hair denotes quality. 

 Well-developed wrinkles or seams in the skin indicate coarse-grained 

 flesh, and injure the appearance of the finished product. The snout, 

 face, jowl, and ear should show refinement, yet not to an extreme that 

 indicates lack of vigor and feeding qualities. The bone should be 

 flinty and smooth, rather than coarse and rough. Coarse bone is verj' 



