438 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 
an active, hardy breed, and there is no apparent reason 
why it should not give as good an account of the food it 
consumes as any other breed. 
In quality of flesh, the Hampshire has an enviable 
reputation. It has made an excellent record in the 
dressed carcass competitions at the International Live 
Stock Exposition at Chicago, and the packers appear to 
regard it with high approval. Its strong point is the large 
proportion of lean. 
The Hampshire ranks high in regard to fecundity, and 
appears to be one of the most prolific of American breeds 
so far as we are able to investigate the matter. 
The value of the Hampshire for cross-breeding is not 
well known, but it seems reasonable to suppose that it 
should cross well with the fat types of hogs. 
The belted color arrangement of the Hampshire is not 
invariable, both belted and black pigs appearing in the 
same litter. Therefore too strict adherence to this color 
characteristic may actually retard practical improvement 
in the breed. 
535. Distribution. — According to the secretary of the 
Hampshire Association, the breed is to be found in a large 
number of states, but the numbers in any one state are 
not large, comparatively speaking. Ientucky, Illinois 
and Indiana are probably the most important centers, 
but the breed has been making rapid progress of late. 
A few importations have been made into Canada, but 
the breed is not as yet largely represented. 
536. Organizations and records.— The American 
Hampshire Swine Record Association was organized in 
1893, and published its first herd-book in 1906. Ten 
volumes of the herd-book have been published to date, 
with a total of 93,000 registrations. 
