SHOWING SWINE 115 



Over-fitting for showing. — Swine that have been fitted 

 loi the shows are nearly always too fat to have been pro- 

 duced at a profit. For this reason the show-yard 

 Standards and the commercial standards are not exactly 

 in accord. The quantity and quality of fat usually de- 

 manded in the show ring are not only too great to have 

 been produced at a profit, but the show hog is generally 

 in too high a condition to suit the average consumer of 

 pork. In this respect the show yards are inclined to set 

 the wrong example for the grower. Of course, in fitting 

 for the show the matter of cost is secondary, yet if our 

 shows are to serve the purposes they should, more em- 

 phasis will have to be placed on whether or not an 

 animal has been profitably produced by its owner, and we 

 shall depend less on the old show standards that have 

 had their origins in conditions different from what exist 

 today in the southern states. 



The proper finish. — The proper degree to which to fit 

 show animals will depend on several factors. Different 

 judges have different standards, there are different 

 standards for the different classes, the amount of natural 

 fleshing is a factor, the degree of hardness of the fat is 

 another factor, and the competition that one has to meet 

 is still another. Showmen make a practice of obtaining 

 information in advance, where possible, of the fitness and 

 merits of the animals against which they will have to 

 show. This is not a bad practice. The proper condition 

 to which to finish is difficult to describe. If a market hog, 

 the animal must be finished, yet he must not be overly 

 fat and soft. Breeding animals do not require the condi- 

 tion that is demanded of the fat classes. Under no cir- 

 cumstances must the animals be too soft, and never so fat 



