Loss of Muscle. 167 



And the muscle of this number of cattle is probably re- 

 duced 25 per cent, average extent, during the winter sea- 

 son of each year. So, during the cold weather season, 

 when most of them are inactive, nearly half the cattle of 

 the country — many herds that have considerable exercise 

 being excluded from such influence, of course — have their 

 muscles and food-value reduced 25 per cent, which, calling 

 the weight of the 15,000,000 cattle 100,000,000 pounds, 

 amounts to twenty-five millions of pounds reduction of 

 muscle and food-value every year in cattle, by prohibiting 

 or diminishing their exercise, breathing, and circulation, 

 and nutrition, by from 30 to 50 per cent, during the dry- 

 feed season, yearly. 



Twenty- five years ago the number of Land-Pike, or long- 

 nosed, lank, and large-boned hogs, largely predominated 

 over the numbers of all others. The Suffolk and China, 

 and other fat-forming breeds, were introduced, together 

 with the old-time Berkshires and the Essex breed. In a 

 few years corn-growing and hog-raising followed or suc- 

 ceeded wheat-growing to the westward. Hogs were found 

 very profitable, and a strong demand arose for large and 

 easily-fatting hogs. Increase in the size of hogs, and in 

 the extent of corn-growing, rapidly extended across the 

 Mississippi, with an increased demand for size and fat in 

 hogs. And this tendency to produce fat has been aug- 

 mented in such enormous proportions that the leading 

 corn-growing districts of the West — of which Iowa is the 

 leading exaiiiple — produce hogs that have been bred to 

 the opposite extreme, in comparison with the old-time 

 Land-Pike. From the flat-sided, lank forms, long noses, 

 and large bones, millions of hogs in the leading corn dis- 

 tricts of the West, have been changed till they have but 

 little nose, and very small bones, with not half enough 

 muscle for their proper health, or most nutritive food-value, 



