736 SWINE 



The Spotted Poland-China 



The Spotted Poland-China is a type of Poland-China that has 

 been receiving more or less public attention since about 191 2. Its 

 promoters assume it to be essentially the same thing as the old- 

 fashioned spotted hogs of this breed of long years ago that had 

 been bred more or less pure in Indiana for many years. On 

 January i, 1914, there was incorporated in Indiana the National 

 Spotted Poland-China Record Association for preserving the 

 purity and promoting the welfare of this family by registration 

 and otherwise. An official publication of this association states : 



There are a number of well-known breeders in central Indiana who have been 

 breeding these hogs to the exclusion of all others for many years, and they 

 have become so popular and widely known that in the opinion of most men 

 in this section they are not only superior as the most profitable pork producer 

 and all-around farmers' hog, to any other breed, but also to any other type of 

 Poland-China. 



The characteristics of the Spotted Poland-China are as follows : 

 the color is a well-defined black background, over which is scattered 

 irregular white spots of varying size. The general form is that of 

 the Poland-China, excepting that it is characterized by good length 

 of body, heavy bone, and some coarseness of ear, tail, and hair, as 

 compared with the medium type. The Spotted type weigh up to 

 800 pounds or more at maturity, farrow from 9 to 1 2 pigs, and the 

 sows are excellent nurses. "' Evenness of litters, or the absence 

 of runts, is a matter of common knowledge and frequent comment." 



In 1915 the association championing the spotted type had some- 

 thing over two hundred members, of whom a large percentage 

 were located in Indiana. A few herds are owned in Ohio, Illinois, 

 Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and perhaps in other states. 

 Large exhibits of the Spotted Poland-China are made at the 

 Indiana State Fair, but thus far to no great degree elsewhere. It 

 is very likely that the spotted hog will meet with growing favor on 

 account of its large size and prolificacy, the two chief arguments 

 in its behalf. This association up to 19 18 had published four 

 herdbooks, with registrations numbering up to 21,210. 



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