BREEDING AND SELECTION 31 



In mating extreme types, it is probably safer to use a 

 roomy, growthy type of female, because such sows are gen- 

 erally more prolific and better mothers than a very fine, com- 

 pact type of sow. The roomy sow, mated with a compact type 

 of boar, will generally prove more profitable than a fine sow 

 mated with a coarse boar. The progeny will be similar in 

 both cases, but are likely to be more numerous and better 

 nourished from the roomy type of sow. In these matters, 

 however, a man must work according to the material he has 

 at hand, and he may find it necessary to cross in the opposite 

 way from that recommended here. (See Fig. 9.) 



Grade Breeding. — A grade animal may be defined as one 

 whose parents are not both pure-bred. One parent may be a 

 pure-bred and the other not, or neither parent may be a pure- 

 bred. Generally speaking, the more " crosses " of pure blood 

 an animal possesses, the better animal it is. There are grades 

 which carry so many " crosses " of pure blood that they are 

 essentially pure-breds in everything but name. For producing 

 market hogs — that is, hogs for fattening purposes — a good 

 grade sow may answer just as well as a pure-bred, provided 

 she is mated with a good boar. A large proportion of market 

 hogs are produced in this way. 



Pedigree and Heredity. — ^A good many people are inclined 

 to look upon pedigree as something distinct from utility. Noth- 

 ing could be further from the truth. The question is frequently 

 asked, " Which is of greater importance, individuality or 

 pedigree ? " The question does not admit of a definite answer, 

 for neither is complete vsdthout the other; that is to say, the 

 desirable breeding animal should possess individual merit as 

 well as a good pedigree. 



The reason we value pedigree is because we believe in 

 heredity. The pedigree tells us the names of the ancestors 



