212 SWINE 



A pig farrowed on the last day of February would be 

 only one day older than one farrowed on the first day of 

 March, but would have to show in the "under a year" 

 class as compared to one farrowed on March first being 

 able to show in the "under six months" class. While 

 this ought not to be such a great handicap, nevertheless 

 it is in many cases considerable of a disadvantage because 

 size is a point of great importance and with many judges 

 exercises much more influence than it should, especially 

 under such conditions as when the pigs are of different 

 ages. For the majority of breeders the conditions that 

 determine the time at which sows are to be bred are of an 

 entirely different nature. 



Market Requirements. — The time at which pigs for the 

 pork market are to be marketed should be taken into con- 

 sideration in determining the time at which they are to be 

 farrowed. The market requirements in general are for 

 light hogs during the summer season and for heavy hogs 

 during the winter. While it is true that hogs of any de- 

 scription and of any weight sell at all seasons of the year, 

 the summer season is called the light hog season because 

 hogs of this description are in greatest demand, while the 

 winter season is the heavy hog season because such hogs 

 are in greater demand at that time of the year. The sum- 

 mer is the light hog season because at this time of the 

 year many hogs are cut up for the fresh meat trade. 



A light hog, weighing 150 to 250 pounds, makes a bet- 

 ter and more desirable cut of fresh meat tlian a heavier 

 hog would. Meat of this description finds various out- 

 lets, such as to foreign markets, to the south and east, and 

 even back to the country where hogs are produced, a de- 

 mand which is largely curtailed during the winter season 

 because of home supply. Hogs that are produced in the 



