SWINE 



501 



Ears, fine, medium size, soft 1 It will be observed in following out 



Jowl, strong, neat, broad 1 be score card that the whole idea run- 

 Neck, thick, medium length .... 1 ning through it is to secure a hog which 

 Fore Quarters: W *H dress out the greatest amount of 

 Shoulder, broad, deep, full, com- valuable cuts and thus be of greatest 



pact on top 6 value to the butcher. It is a practical 



Breast, advanced, wide 2 Q og, one that w iU turn out meat, that 



Legs, straight, short, strong; bone tne grower and packer demand rather 



clean; pasterns upright; feet tnan breeds of any particular marking 



medium size 2 or strain. 



-r> i . Under form, it is noted that a good 



°^7" ,, , t.,1 ._,i n width, depth and length of the hog are 



Chest, deep, broad large girth . 2 requ ired and these must be in symmetri- 



Sides deep, lengthy, full; ribs cal proportion . If a h were exceed _ 



close and well sprung ....... 6 ingly ^ at the [red WQ - u of 225 



Back, broad straight, thickly and to 275 ^ the gize of ^ valuable 



^ evenly fleshed 10 cut Hke the hamg would necessaril be 



Loin, wide thick, straight 10 reduced> Excessive width and short . 



Belly, straight, even 2 ness> on the other handj wouM ^^ 



Hind Quarters: excessive fatness and low priced meat. 



Hips, wide apart, smooth 2 Hair, skin and bones — The reasons 



Kump, long, wide, evenly fleshed, why we desire to see silky hair, a fine, 



straight 2 pliable skin, and clean, fine bones in the 



Ham, heavily fleshed, plump, full, hog, is because these outward signs in- 

 deep, wide 10 dicate good feeding qualities, giving the 



Thighs, fleshed close to hocks 2 largest amount of gain for the least 



Legs, straight, short, strong; bone amount of feed. In a fat hog ready for 



clean; pasterns upright; feet market, these characteristics indicate a 



medium size 2 smooth, even covering of flesh, free from 



wrinkles and creases, and an animal in 



Total 100 which the proportion of marketable 



dressed meat to live weight is largest. 



Usefulness of score card — In select- As regards condition, it is expected of 



ing either pure bred or a grade boar, course that hogs will be fed until fin- 



this score card, while designed prima- ished for market, in which case the 



rily for a fat barrow, will be found ex- fiesh should be laid on evenly and neatly, 



ceedingly useful, as the more nearly the and should be especially abundant in the 



score is perfect, according to this scale regions of the valuable cuts, such as the 



of points, the more likely will the boar hams, the loins, the back and the sides, 



be to get stock of the lard hog type that The most expensive cuts are the hams, 



will meet the market requirements. In tenderloins and bacon. The bacon ig 



boars more masculinity about the head taken from the lower part of the sides, 



will be expected and rather heavier bone, from a line about two-thirds from the 



particularly of the legs, than for barrows, top of the back down. A large shoulder 



Strong bones are especially desirable in development is objectionable, as the meat 



the legs to carry the hogs when heavily from the shoulder is somewhat less valu- 



fattened, otherwise they are likely to able and any strong development here 



break down especially in shipping. usually indicates coarseness of the en- 



Explanation of score card — In ex- tire carcass, 



planation of some of the points men- A snout of medium length is desired 



tioned in the above score card, it may be because it has been observed that a 



stated that as regards weight, a typical long snout and long legs go together, 



lard hog in good condition should weigh and both indicate poor feeding powers. 



225 to 275 pounds at seven to eight Similarly, a coarse snout indicates a poor 



months of age. This is the size at the feeder. The best feeders are short nosed, 



present time most in demand by the short legged hogs. 



packers. Sometimes when lard is high, Straight, strong, iipright pasterns 

 heavier hogs, 275 to 350 pounds, bring and feet of medium size are desired in 

 the best prices, but usually the very a hog for either feeding or breeding pur- 

 heavy hogs, 300 to 400 pounds, are dis- poses. Weak bones usually result in a 

 criminated against, number of cripples when the hogs arrive 



