474 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



as flexible, and far more efficient than it could otherwise be ; 

 and the hog often contrives to give both farmers and gar- 

 deners very unpleasant proofs of its efficiency by plowing 

 up deep furrows in newly sown fields and grubbing up 

 the soil in all directions in search of his living and dead 

 food." 



There are six short, wide and powerful cervical ver- 

 tebras, 14 or 15 thoracic vertebras, and six or seven lumbar 

 vertebrte. The sacrum usually consists of four vertebrae 

 which, with age, become fused together, and there are from 

 20 to 26 vertebrae in the coccyx. There are 14 or 15 pairs 

 of ribs which have a strong curve in the improved breeds. 

 The thorax is longer and more barrel-shaped than in horse 

 or cattle. The shoulder blade (scapula) is quite wide and 

 has a considerable bony prominence on its face. The prin- 

 cipal leg bones are comparatively short and strong. The 

 bones of the feet, that is the metacarpal and metatarsal 

 bones, are in four sets. The hog stands on the two larger 

 central toes, while two smaller ones, known by stockmen 

 as the ' ' dew claws, ' ' are behind and slightly elevated above 

 the level of the middle toes. 



The teeth of the hog number 44, there being in each jaw 

 14 molars, six incisors and two canines. The molars in- 

 crease in size from front to rear. The incisors are small 

 and have a very slanting position in the lower jaw. The 

 upper incisors are somewhat curved. The canine teeth 

 are curved and long, mature boars having tusks that are 

 very powerful and sharp. The lower canines in the boar 

 sometimes reach a length of eight inches or more. 



Determining the age of swine by means of the teeth is 

 not easy, neither is it necessary under ordinary conditions. 

 In fact the mouth of the hog is less easily examined than is 

 that of other domestic animals. If one wishes to examine 

 the mouth, the best method is to place a slip-noose about the 

 upper jaw, drawing it fairly tight, and fastening the other 

 end of the rope to a post. The hog will pull back, squealing 

 hard, with the mouth open, under which conditions the teeth 



