LOVEJOYISMS. 



159 



Generally speaking, the sire should be a little more on the compact 

 order than the sow. By this I do not mean a chunky, short, thick boar, 

 but one showing full development at every point, and of a strictly mas- 

 culine type. There is nothing so unsatisfactory as to have the head of 

 a herd show a feminine appearance. The boar particularly should be 

 of the proper type of the breed he represents. 



Careful attention should be given to the blood lines of the sire. He 

 should be what is known as an intensive breeder — one able to repro- 

 duce himself and improve the get. Such a sire is more often than 

 otherwise found in a strongly "line-'bred" boar, carrying the blood of 

 closely related ancestors. If of proper conformation he can be relied 

 upon to prove a good sire. 



Personally, I would never think of introducing a herd boar into my 

 herd of brood sows that did not carry much of the blood represented 

 by the sows, and yet it is not uncommon for a breeder to receive letters 

 from prospective buyers, insisting that a boar be sent that is in no way 

 related on either side to the sows to which he is to be bred. 



Many exhibitors seem to think that when they start out on the show 

 circuit they must stuff the animals with all the feed possible, not only 

 during the time they are on the cars going to and from the shows, but 

 each day while on the grounds. It has been our experience that the man 

 who follows this custom, generally arrives home with his hogs much 

 lighter in weight thaii when he started out; while if the hogs had been 

 given only water to drink enroute to the shows and fed lightly for 

 the first day after arriving, and given plenty of exercise, they would 

 wind up the circuit in much better condition than if they had been 

 stuffed all the time. 



Avoid radical changes in the rations. 



