THE BREEDING OF SWINE 489 



Cooperative breeding. — Pure-bred boars are likely to be 

 costly, and to get the most out of them should be kept in con- 

 stant use. Since the average farmer does not possess sows 

 enough to get the maximum use of the boar, it is often a 

 good plan for a number of farmers to cooperate in the purchase 

 of a boar. Such cooperation not only reduces the cost of service, 

 but aids in increasing the uniformity of the animals in a locality. 

 Furthermore, when a number of farmers cooperate in the pur- 

 chase of a hog, a much better animal can be secured than if each 

 purchases in his own account. 



SELECTING BREEDING STOCK 



Many practical questions enter into the selection of swine for 

 breeding purposes. As a general rule, the animals chosen should 

 be rather large for the breed to which they belong. In the past 

 few years there has been a tendency to reduce the size of mar- 

 ket hogs, and this has extended to the brood sows, with the re- 

 sult that many of the sows now used for breeding are decidedly 

 too small for the farrowing and raising of two large and strong 

 litters of pigs each year. Probably the greatest fault of im- 

 proved swine breeding is the striving for too great refinement. 

 If large litters of strong pigs are to result, the sows must possess 

 much size and length and a good constitution, as shoAvn in suflB- 

 cient width and depth of the chest region. 



The type. — A consideration of prime importance in the selec- 

 tion of a breed or type is the likes and the dislikes of the breeder. 

 One is much more likely to succeed with the animals he likes and 

 to fail with other animals of equal merit that he dislikes. Other 

 than this there is little to choose, as each breed has its weak and 

 strong points. In some sections, however, certain breeds will 

 remain the most popular because of their adaptability to the 

 climate. Thus in certain parts of the United States, especially 

 the West and South, white hogs are not looked on with favor 

 because they are more liable to be sun-scalded, to have scurvy 



