58 BREEDS OF SWINE 



thoughtful breeders will give the matter careful consideration. 

 There is little doubt that the best breeders will succeed in 

 maintaining quality without sacrificing utility, and that the 

 over-fine type will fall into disfavor with the general farmer. 



Utility. — The Poland-China has been developed especially 

 to meet the market demand for a fat or lard hog. The heavy 

 shoulder, wide back, and largely developed hams render it an 

 exceptionally, good yielder from the packer's stand-point. 



A cross between the Poland-China and the Berkshire, 

 Duroc-Jersey, or Chester White is generally highly esteemed, 

 and many regard the cross-breds as superior to the pure-breds 

 for feeding. 



As to early maturity, or the ability to produce a 

 finished fat carcass for the butcher at an early age, no breed 

 excels the Poland-China. It has been bred for early maturity 

 for generations, and has acquired a high reputation in this 

 regard. 



The Poland-China is a general favorite with corn-belt 

 farmers. It has been developed upon corn-feeding, and will 

 probably stand heavy com feeding better than most other 

 breeds. As a machine for turning com into pork, it is hard 

 to beat, and it is also a good grass hog. 



The meat of the Poland-China has been criticised freely 

 for carrying too large a proportion of fat to lean, and there 

 seems to be good ground for the criticism. In their efforts 

 to bring the breed to its present stage of perfection as a feeder, 

 breeders have overlooked the production of lean along vsdth 

 fat, but the breed seems to meet the demands of the American 

 packer, and he is willing to pay top market price for it. 



Since so much attention has been paid to the development 

 of fine bone and a marked tendency to fatten in this breed, 

 it is not surprising to find it criticised afe lacking in fecundity. 



