328 JUDGING SWINE 



and length of the ribs. The shoulders, sides and thighs 

 should be smooth and free from creases or wrinkles. A 

 line stretched from the shoulder to the thigh, either at the 

 rib spring, mid-body or at the underline should touch 

 the parts mentioned. The width should be sufficient 

 to furnish the maximum amount of back and loin cuts. 

 Occasionally animals taper from the top line toward the 

 underline. This is not only objectionable because of the 

 decrease for productive purposes, but it renders the animal 

 much less capacious as a feeder or breeder than otherwise. 

 The nearer the hog conforms to the parallelogram in all of 

 its lines and measurements the nearer it approaches the 

 ideal. The legs should be short, straight and strong, this 

 being especially important in breeding animals. The bone 

 should be large, dense and smooth, the pasterns straight and 

 strong, and the animal should stand well up on the toes. 

 A break in the pasterns such as to allow the animal to 

 walk on the dew claws is seriously objectionable. The 

 general appearance of the hog should show smoothness, 

 symmetry, style, and compactness. Constitution and vigor 

 should be clearly evident both in breeding and feeding 

 animals. 



Indications and Value of Quality. Quality indicates both 

 texture of bone and carcass and the dressing percentage, 

 these determining in a large measure the ultimate value of 

 the product. Quality is exhibited largely as in other animals, 

 although there are special characteristics which indicate its 

 presence or absence. The general appearance of the animal 

 should present clean-cut features and outline, there being no 

 tendency to grossness or flabbiness in any part. Lack of 

 clean-cut, trim lines are especially indicative of inferior 

 quality. The indications are seen in an even distribution 

 of a fine, silky coat of hair. Coarse hair and frequently 

 associated swirls are the most noticeable indications of 

 faulty quality. Coarse quality is further indicated by either 

 long, coarse, straight or kinky hair or the reverse condition 

 in which it curls rather tightly to the body. The latter 

 is more objectionable as it detracts, both from the usefulness 

 and the general appearance of the animal. Swirls are very 



