CHAPTER IV. 



JUDGING SWINE. 



In judging swine the butcher's preference must be the 

 leading guide as it is in judging all other classes of fat 

 stock. These preferences are in turn largely controlled 

 by the demands of the market, so we find in some mar- 

 kets a bacon hog, so called because of its deep, long sides, 

 is preferred by the butchers; while in others the prefer- 

 ence is for fat hogs because there is demand for hams, 

 shoulders and broad, fat backs, and these features would 

 attract the butcher's attention. In forming an opinion as 

 to the best type of swine it is necessary to keep the re- 

 quirements of these two markets distinctly in view, for 

 they have established for us two very distinct market 

 classes of hogs, the fat hog and the bacon hog. While 

 every consideration should be given to the butcher's pref- 

 erence, for the profit of hog feeding largely lies in suc- 

 cessfully catering to them, yet there are some points re- 

 lating to the feeding qualities of a hog which demand 

 consideration in the joint interests of the feeder and 

 breeder. The evidences of constitution and vigor are 

 things on which the butcher cannot realize profit, but the 

 feeder and the breeder know that they are prime essen- 

 tials in the animals required for their purpose. 



I. JUDGING FAT HOGS. 



187. Form Low, Long, Deep. In respect to the form 

 of the fat hog, one of the leading considerations is the 

 weight, though the market requirements in this respect 



