228 SOUTIIERX PORK PRODUCTION 



sifications, a complete classification, such as one might 

 expect to find upon a large specialized market, is given : 



1. Prime hogs 10. Heavy packing 



2. Good butcher 11. Rough heavy packing 



3. Good butcher pigs 12. Throwouts 



4. Light pigs 13. Pigs 



5. Heavy rough hogs 14. Boars 



6. Mixed packing 15. Stags 



7. Light pigs 16. Government 



8. Light light 17. Cripples 



9. Heavy shipping 



These classes are in turn divided into grades, which 

 indicate the degree of fitness of the animal for the specific 

 commercial purpose which has determined its class. The 

 several grades that may occur in a specialized market 

 are from the best to the poorest, as follows : Fancy, 

 prime, choice, good, medium, fair, common, and poor or 

 inferior. Quality, condition, age, sex, conformation, 

 breed, finish and soundness determine to a large extent 

 the particular class and grade into which any hog or 

 group of hogs will fall. 



Market classes flexible. — It must not be considered 

 that market classes and grades are inflexible, for no two 

 markets have the same classification, and certainly all 

 kinds, breeds and ages of hogs will be shipped to both. 

 Also, even on the same market, the various classes and 

 grades will be made up of different kinds of hogs on 

 different days, for if there is a demand for a certain class 

 or grade of hogs and there are none or but few of these 

 to be had, the deficiency will be supplied from other 

 classes or grades. Therefore, we must not conclude that 

 market classes and grades of swine are absolute and dis- 



