5io 



THE PIG 



tint changes. Some pigs are a cherry red, a popular color, while 

 others are yellowish red or a shade of chestnut. A very dark 

 red or shady brown, very light or pale red, and black spots on 

 the body skin, are objected to by breeders. Black spots on the 

 belly and legs are not desired but are admissible. 



The size of the Duroc-Jersey is somewhat variable, due no 

 doubt to the commingling of the blood of the large Jersey Red 

 and the smaller, more refined red breeds. For animals in fair 

 show condition the American Duroc-Jersey Swine Breeders' 

 Association offers the following weights in its published stand- 

 ard : Boars two years old and over should weigh 600 pounds ; 

 sows of same age and condition, 500 pounds; boars 12 months, 

 350 pounds ; sows, 300 pounds ; boars and sows six months of 

 age, 150 pounds. Many large animals of the breed are found 

 to-day. Mr. S. E. Morton, owner of the boar Ohio Chief 8727, 

 states that, properly fitted, he could easily be made to weigh over 

 1000 pounds. No doubt the breed averages somewhat smaller 

 than it did a quarter of a century ago, due in part to the general 

 market demand for a smaller class of hogs. 



The environment best suited to the Duroc-Jersey is on the 

 farms of the middle West, within the corn belt, where clover 

 pasture is also a feature of swine husbandry. Here the breed is 

 found to-day in its most perfect form. In the warm climate of 

 the South, however, the Duroc-Jersey has met with great favor, 

 not seeming to be unfavorably affected by the dry, warm summers, 

 especially as regards skin troubles. In Canada the breed has but 

 a small foothold, due to the demand for the bacon type of pig. 



The maturing qualities of the Duroc-Jersey are distinctly high 

 class. Pigs easily mature at six months of age to dress out 175 

 pounds. At the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station nineteen 

 pigs at an average of 214 days weighed an average of 197 

 pounds each. These are not unusual records and are such as 

 may be secured by any competent feeder with fair representa- 

 tives of the breed. From the breeders' standpoint the Duroc- 

 Jersey presents no essential advantage over other popular breeds 

 in re'gard to the sows or boars reaching early breeding form. 



The Duroc-Jersey as a feeder may naturally be classed with 

 the Poland-China, Berkshire, and Chester White. In the 



