462 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



capacity. The underline should run straight from front flank 

 to rear flank, giving the side an even width throughout its 

 entire length. Sides should be firm and smooth, and free from 

 wrinkles and flabbiness. Wrinkles and creases, particularly- 

 just back of the shoulders, are of common occurrence and are 

 usually objectionable, as they indicate uneven fattening and 

 poor quality of flesh. While the development of the shoulders 

 and hams is usually much greater than the sides, thus leaving 

 a marked depression just back of the shoulder and in front of 

 the hams, this should not be; the sides should be even with the 

 hams and shoulders and carry the fullness well down, giving 

 the animal a symmetrical and well-balanced appearance. 



The belly should be low, giving the side good depth and in- 

 dicating great feeding capacity ; it should be straight from fore 

 to rear, giving an even cut to the sides, and it should be firm 

 and smooth, as wrinkles indicate lack of lean and general flab- 

 biness. The width of the belly should be in proportion to the 

 hog in general. A very narrow belly is objectionable. 



The hips should be as wide as the body in general and smoothly 

 covered with flesh. Narrow hips are very objectionable, as this 

 is the region of valuable meat. The hips should be so smoothly 

 covered that their location is not apparent to the eye. It is 

 commonly held that the hips should be rather low, as a very 

 high hip is not likely to be well covered. 



The rump should be long, wide, and fairly level. It should 

 be long so as to increase the length of the ham. The width 

 should be carried back proportionately with the back, as a 

 peaked rump is very objectionable. Narrow, peaked rumps 

 mean thin 'hams, which do not sell well on the market. As 

 a rule hogs droop considerably from the hips to the tail ; never- 

 theless the nearer the rump approaches the level, the better 

 the cuts of meat will be; for this reason extremely drooping 

 rumps are to be avoided. The rump should be evenly and 

 smoothly fleshed from hips to tail. 



