30 Forty Yeaes' Experience of a Pbacticai, Hog Man. 



characteristics cropping out even to many generations, and 

 if yon will go into almost any prominent herd, of the differ- 

 ent breeds, you will at once notice a few outstanding pigs 

 that show in many ways unusual excellence, and if you take 

 the trouble to look up their breeding you will invariably 

 find that they were eitliei; sired by some great sire or by 

 a son or a grandson of his, or from a sow by some great 

 outstanding sire ; plainly showing the ability of such a sire 

 to reproduce the excellent qualities so much in demand. 



On a recent visit to our farm by an expert in pedigrees, 

 it was found after we had selected some fifteen head of 

 pigs, as being the tops of the litters, that every one of 

 them traced to sires of great ancestry. 



Once in checking up our card system we found a certain 

 sow had produced a litter of only six pigs, two boars 

 and four sows. The choicest boar was given to the party 

 who had offered us an excellent sow if we would breed her 

 to a certain boar and select him the best boar pig ; we were 

 to have the sow and balance of the litter for the service of 

 the boar. The litter above was the result. We sold the 

 four sows to prominent breeders for $1,250. All of the 

 sows proved great producers. One had a litter of seven 

 pigs one of which was used at the head of the herd for 

 years. Three of this litter were made barrows for show 

 at the International Exposition, where one of them was the 

 Grand' Champion over all breeds, and the others were win- 

 ners in class. All this goes to prove the value of a great 

 sire, which in this case gave a good record and brought 

 us a great sow for the herd, and $1,250, for the service of 

 the boar. 



There are many such instances on record, which emphas- 

 ize the value of the right kind of a pedigree as well as 

 "some hog" which is certainly very necessary. 



It is also of great importance that the same critical judg- 

 ment be used in the selection of the brood sows on which 

 the herd is founded that the future may be an assured 

 success. 



Every breeder should be constantly on the lookout for a 

 sire which he has reason to believe would help to improve 

 his herd. It is not likely that any man is so well fixed 

 in regard to sires that he need not think of better 



