1921.] 



Pigs for Pork. 



611 



to have had an influence in determining^ the demand for the 

 particular class of meat in the different districts. In selecting 

 the parents for breeding pigs for pork one of the chief points 

 for consideration is the abilit}^ to mature early, so that with 

 liberal and judicious feeding the young pig will have become 

 fat enough in early life to furnish a carcase of pork, with a 

 full proportion of fat to the lean meat — or as it is commonly 

 termed a ripe carcass of pork, with a comparatively small pro- 

 portion of bone and otfal. Excessive length of body is not so 

 much a consideration as it is with pigs intended for conversion 

 into bacon, as a long pig is generally one which requires some 

 considerable time to develop and there is not so great a varia- 

 tion in the value of the different portions of the fresh pork from 

 the porker as there is in the side of bacon — in which the middle 

 portion of the side is about one-third more valuable on the 

 market than the two end parts. Both boar and sow should 

 therefore possess in a marked degree quality of bone, skin, hair 

 and flesh in addition to those other qualities which are essential 

 to success in breeding. 



Although there may be some of the smaller types of pigs 

 common in the southern parts of the country which will pro- 

 duce passable porkers, it is considered to be necessary for the 

 boar at least to possess a considerable amount of improved 

 blood of such a type as the Middle White or Berkshire breeds. 

 These two breeds and their crosses furnish the pigs which are 

 well nigh perfect for the manufacture of small pork. Should 

 the white colour in the crosses be a point to be considered, 

 as it is in many of the chief markets, this can best be secured 

 by mating the INIiddle White boar with the Berkshire sow, 

 when nearly all the produce w^ll be white in colour or with 

 occasional blue spots, whereas if the reverse crossing be 

 adopted, there will be a far greater probability of the young 

 pigs being dark in colour. Apart from this the first-named 

 cross is perhaps to be less recommended, as the Middle White 

 sows are considered to be generally somewhat more prolific 

 and better mothers than the sows of the Berkshire breed, to 

 be of a quieter disposition and to produce somewhat more milk. 



At one time it was commonly believed that a cross-bred pig 

 from two pure-bred parents of different breeds was superior to 

 the pure-bred produce of either of the two pure breeds, and it 

 must be confessed that there might have been some substantial 

 ground for this belief in the past when so much greater con- 

 sideration was given to line breeding than to the equally 



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