FARMER'S 

 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



SWINE 



Just when the hog was domesticated 

 is unknown. Its history has never been 

 written. In the Orient, Europe, and 

 Northern Africa, it has existed for ages. 

 Mankind is divided as to its usefulness. 

 Despised by the Brahmins and an- 

 cient Egyptians, pronounced unclean by 

 the Jews and Mohammedans, hunted in 

 the European forests as the most glo- 

 rious and dangerous of sports, by the 

 princes of all ages, the hog has come 

 down to us a great national resource, a 

 farm mortgage lifter and debt payer, 

 and the most generally profitable domes- 

 ticated animal in American agriculture. 



In one form or another the meat of 

 the hog is found today on the table of 

 millionaire, king and laborer alike the 

 world over. No other animal furnishes 

 so many useful products. The pros- 

 pector in the wilderness carries a side 

 of bacon with him. The lumberman 

 in the pine forests makes the salted 

 sides of the hog his chief meat during 

 the six months' winter operations in fell- 

 ing timber and hauling logs. The 

 glories of many a Christmas dinner 

 would remain unsung without the tradi- 

 tional roast pork and apple sauce. The 

 meat of the hog furnishes the sub- 

 stance that stands by the laboring man, 

 and makes him efficient; while to the 

 epicurean it supplies such toothsome 

 morsels of ham roast and rasher of 

 bacon, as to tickle the most blase palate ; 

 and no meat is more healthful or whole- 

 some. 



In America, under the mollifying in- 

 fluence of Indian corn, the hog has 

 reached his greatest perfection, and 

 today America stands unrivaled in the 

 production of hogs and hog products. 



The original stock of American hogs 

 was derived from Europe, chiefly from 

 England. There are no wild hogs in 

 America, except the few that have es- 

 caped from civilization. The improved 

 hogs of Europe are based on the native 

 wild European hogs, as modified by 



crossing with the Chinese, Neapolitan 

 and Siamese breeds. 



The wild hog of Europe i s a CO arse, 

 long, thin, gaunt, long-legged, long- 

 nosed, and slow maturing hog. The 

 mature boar is as brave as a lion and 

 will fight anything any time. He prefers 

 to live alone. Daytimes he sleeps in the 

 shade or moist places of the forests and 

 feeds at night. The sows and pigs are 

 more gregarious, the whole herd will 

 rush to the defense of a member that 

 may be attacked from whatever source. 

 This same character may be seen in the 

 domesticated hog of today. 



Just when the European hog was do- 

 mesticated is not known. The original 

 type, but little improved, is a promi- 

 nent feature of continental European 

 agriculture today. England stands at 

 the head of European countries as re- 

 gards the production of improved mod- 

 ern breeds of hogs, followed by Ger-, 

 many. 



Improvement of English hogs — The 

 improvement of English hogs began 

 sometime in the eighteenth century, 

 when hogs were imported from China 

 and Naples and crossed with the native 

 breeds. 



The Chinese hog is remarkable for its 

 great fecundity, rapid growth, ability 

 to lay on flesh without increasing pro- 

 portionally in offal or bone. The head 

 is short, ears small and erect, legs short, 

 with belly hanging close to the ground, 

 hair thin and skin dark colored. 



The Neapolitan breed is a native of 

 Italy and is supposed to be of eastern 

 origin. It is a bluish black, almost hair- 

 less breed, much resembling the Chinese 

 breed in general form with short legs, 

 long body, not quite so prolific as the 

 Chinese breed, but remarkably easy to 

 fatten. Most of the black breeds of 

 east England contain blood of this breed. 

 Both breeds have a rather delicate con- 

 stitution. When these hogs were crossed 

 with the native English hog, they im- 



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