24 SWINE PRACTICE 



stock. Therefore, the producer of pure-bred swine has two outlets 

 for his hogs, as they may be disposed of for breeding stock or for 

 pork. 



The scrub hog, i. e., the "razor-back" type, lias been responsible 

 for extensive losses on many farms, because such hogs consume more 

 feed in proportion to tlie weight gained than pure-bred swine. The 

 difiference in the amount of feed necessary to finish scrub hogs and 

 pure-bred hogs makes a good profit in favor of the pure-bred. 



Many farmers and a few pure-bred breeders maintain that there 

 will soon be an oversupply of pure-bred hogs and that the market 

 will be glutted. There is no immediate danger of there being an 

 oversupply of any breed of pure-bred hogs when it is considered that 

 the ratio at present is, not to exceed, one pure-bred to seventy grades 

 of scrubs. 



One reason why the pure-bred swine are limited in number is 

 probably due to a difference of opinion as to the required charac- 

 teristics of a given breed. The breed organizations are in most 

 instances amalgamating the views of the different breeders and thus 

 obtaining unity of the breed. 



The most popular type of swine in the United States is the^ so- 

 called lard hog. It is the hog that when ready for slaughter contains 

 a large amount of fat in the form of leaf lard and subcutaneous 

 deposits. The bacon hog is more favored in other countries although 

 they are becoming popular in this country and there are many 

 breeders that are successfully breeding the bacon types of hogs. 



The following is a brief description of the principal breeds of 

 the lard type of swine. 



POLAND CHINA 



The Poland China hog appears, according to the early history of 

 the breed, to have had its origin in southwest Ohio about 1816, 

 although the name was not established until 1872. 



Characteristics. — Head medium length and breadth, jowl rather 

 full. Face straight, with very slight dishing. Cheeks full and 

 rounding. Bars medium heavy to heavy and drooping. Neck medium 

 short and thick. Shoulders smooth. Back moderately well arched, 

 loins and ribs thickly covered. Sides long and deep. Hind quarter 

 typified by thickness throughout the entire ham. Legs mediimi long, 

 set well apart. Bone extra heavy. Hair straight and fine. Color 



