BREEDS OF SWINE 53 



Breed types. — In a general way, the different breeds 

 of hogs may be di\'ided into two classes, dependent to a 

 large extent upon the relative proportion of fat and lean 

 they carry when finished. The two classes, or types, are 

 referred to as the lard and bacon types. The lard, or fat 

 type, predominates, and is best adapted to the corn-rais- 

 ing sections, where it economically converts all surplus 

 corn into pork. The several lard breeds differ but little 

 from one another in essentials, so that as a rule personal 

 preferences may be indulged in without disadvantage. 

 The bacon breeds do not have the tendency to fatten so 

 marked as do the lard types, however, and some breeds 

 are either lard or bacon type, depending on the environ- 

 ment in which they are placed. Nevertheless there seems 

 to be a tendency for the bacon type of hogs to gain in 

 popularity, and especially are they adapted to the con- 

 version of grazing crops into pork. This is one thing that 

 prospective producers of pork will have to watch, and 

 that is to see that the breed or animals they select are 

 adapted to grazing. In addition, color plays a part in our 

 southern climate. The strictly lard type of hog will 

 probably never be so popular in the South as it has been 

 in the Corn Belt. In the selection of breeds to meet our 

 particular conditions we cannot ignore types ; therefore, 

 in discussing the characteristics of the several breeds, 

 they are taken up in the order of their tendencies from 

 the lard to bacon type. 



The Poland-China. — This is strictly an American breed 

 that originated about the middle of the last century in 

 Butler and Warren Counties of Southwestern Ohio. It 

 resulted from the crossing of the Russian, Byfield, Big 

 China, Irish Grazier, and Berkshire on the native Warren 



