Judging 411 



to tail ; the flank should be low and full, and the length 

 of the legs medium. The shoulders should be smooth 

 and compact; the back and loin broad, showing great 

 spring of rib ; there should be no doubt about where the 

 back and loin stop and the sides begin. There should 

 be great uniformity of width from the front of the shoulders 

 clear back to the base of the hams, along the middle 

 and bottom lines as well as along the top. The heart 

 girth should be full and the sides straight and even ; the 

 hams should be long, deep, wide, and thick. The head 

 should be broad and the snout of medium length. The 

 eyes should be large, prominent, and clear; the neck 

 short, full, and joining smoothly with the shoulders on 

 top and along the sides. All these parts should be joined 

 together in a manner to give great symmetry and smooth- 

 ness of form. 



The sow or boar in breeding condition should not appear 

 so lowset nor so thick as the same individual in show condi- 

 tion. Defects in conformation are more apparent when 

 the animal is medium in flesh than when fat. For this 

 reason it is important that the judge in the show-ring 

 correctly estimate the effect of fat on the appearance and 

 form. 



The ideal type or form of the brood sow is the one 

 which best qualifies her for the work she has to do. The 

 form here described is one which permits of regular breed- 

 ing habits and at the same time insures constitution and 

 feeding capacity in her pigs, and their ability to top the 

 market when sold to the butcher. 



Form or type seems to be more or less influenced by 

 size. Extreme size frequently means extreme length of 

 leg and lack of thickness or spring of rib. It is also too 

 often associated with a slack heart ^rth, flat rump, and a 



