72 SWINE 



and for much less money than those that are bred to herd 

 boars that have won a great reputation. 



The Herd Boar. In buying a herd boar the breeder has 

 the same opportunity of selection while the pigs are 

 young that he has in buying the sows. In buying old and 

 tried sires the probability is that if he wants to buy the 

 best, he has to spend an enormous sum of money to get 

 one. Sires of other than strictly first grade very often 

 can be bought at a very reasonable figure. On account 

 of the small size of the herd and to avoid inbreeding they 

 must be disposed of. Another means of getting outstand- 

 ing herd specimens is, after having sows in the herd, to 

 have one of them bred to some noted sire. This may be 

 rather expensive, but if such animals are properly mated, 

 good individuals are likely to be obtained. 



Additional Herd Specimens. After having obtained 

 the foundation stock for a herd, additional herd specimens 

 may be obtained by selecting the best offspring. This of 

 course will not add new blood to the herd, and the breeder 

 still will be obliged occasionally to buy new specimens. 

 But after having obtained a good start with a herd of 

 first rank, it is best to depend in the main upon one's own 

 herd for the selection of outstanding herd specimens. 

 This is especially true because of the disinclination of the 

 best breeders to sell their best individuals. 



Requirement for Success. As will be readily recog- 

 nized, the principal requirement for success in the^process 

 of establishing a high-class herd and improving it there- 

 after is one's ability to select the proper animals. After 

 having established a herd, the great work of feeding the 

 hogs presents itself, and before pure bred animals can be 

 sold successfully for breeding purposes, good individuals 

 must be produced and a reputation must be established. 



