Selecting Bkood Sows. 41 



xatlier than from ten to twelve pigs each, and believe I 

 could make naore pounds of meat and obtain better growth 

 for breeding purposes, than I could from extremely large 

 litters. Of course we occasionally find a good sow that 

 can grow a litter of twelve or more, but the pigs are not 

 apt to be as thrifty and as growthy as those of a litter of 

 eight or nine. It is better to have a litter of medium size 

 that are very thrifty, than one larger that cannot get 

 •enough nourishment to develop as they should. 



"DON'T BE A CRANK ON MARKINGS." 



In selecting brood sows of any breed, it is not so much 

 how they are marked as it is whether or not they are good 

 sows of the right type, quality and conformation. Of 

 course this trouble will not come up about those whose 

 color is solid, such as the Chester Whites, etc., but in 

 the Berkshires, Poland-Chinas and Hampshires, one 

 often meets a man, who is more particular about fancy 

 markings than he need be. I do not believe that a per- 

 fectly marked Berkshire sow, bred to a perfectly marked 

 Berkshire boar, would ever produce a litter that was per- 

 fectly marked, nor do I believe that a sow or boar with one 

 Hack foot, black switch, or a white splash on the jowl or 

 arm would ever produce a litter that was all marked like 

 the sire or dam. Of course the nearer the litters come to 

 being perfectly marked the more we are pleased, but we 

 should look more to conformation, size and quality, than to 

 the markings. 



We once paid $225.00 for a son of old Longfellow that 

 had a splash that nearly covered his entire left jowl and 

 face and I cannot recall that he ever sired a pig with the 

 same marking. This rule will apply to the Poland-China 

 breed, and to the Hampshires when the white belt varies in 

 width and shape as well as some of the feet having white 

 part way up the leg. First look for quality and size, then 

 let the markings be a secondary consideration. 



See also, in selecting your brood sows, that there is a 

 mellowness to the touch, which shows feeding quality. 

 Avoid one that is hard and coarse to the touch. 



