BREEDS OF SWINE 75 



The best breed.— There are 20 or 30 different breeds of 

 swine. Each of these is claimed to be the best by its 

 supporters. Strictly speaking, from a market standpoint, 

 this matter of breed is of but little consequence. Swine 

 are intended for the production of pork, and on the mar- 

 ket we find that they are bought and sold strictly upon 

 the basis of their pork-producing capacities. The prices 

 do not vary according to the breed, but according to 

 condition and quality. What one wants, therefore, are 

 breeding animals that will produce individuals which will 

 economically grow into pork. The principal considera- 

 tions are, therefore, the selection of those animals regard- 

 less of particular characteristics of some particular breed, 

 but emphasizing those points that make the animal a 

 more economical producer of pork. 



The question is frequently asked as to which is the best 

 breed of hogs. There is no best breed for all conditions 

 of soil, climate and food supply. The breeds have their 

 adaptabilities, and one might succeed admirably where 

 others would fail utterly. For the most part, however, 

 the selection of breed will be a matter of taste. The 

 special advantage and qualifications of each breed should 

 be carefully weighed before a final decision is made. 



The selection of a breed. — In selecting a breed to use, 

 the preferences of the breeder should have considerable 

 weight. The personal interest and belief in a breed has a 

 great deal to do with success. As a matter of fact, numer- 

 ous experiments at various experiment stations have 

 shown that no one breed is always superior to the other 

 breeds. The only exception to this is that in Canada the 

 Berkshires excelled the other breeds in a noticeable 

 number of instances. Generally it is better to select the 



