554 



The Middle White Pig. 



[Sept., 



These young pigs are also very hardy and good foragers, being 

 particularly well suited for the open-air system of pig feeding, 

 as the writer has proved during more than half a century. The 

 Middle White, Hke the Berkshire, can be fattened at any age 

 and furnishes pork of fine quality and flavour with a good propor- 

 tion of lean to fat. 



As the demand for small joints of meat is becoming more 

 marked, boars of the Middle White breed are being extensively 

 used for mating with the larger breeds of pigs, which have in 

 far too many instances been bred with a view to the production 

 of pigs of a size not demanded by the purveyor of pork nor by 

 the consumer. Another objection which is made to the very 

 large pigs is the far too great proportion of bone. This trouble 

 is much reduced by the infusion of blood of the Middle White 

 breed. The improvement thus made might probably be increased, 

 rather than reduced, if the breeders of Middle White pigs were to 

 pay rather more attention to the length of the bodies of their 

 pigs and give less consideration to the very short heads and 

 heavy forequarters. Length of carcass is not so much esteemed 

 in the pork pigs as in the pig intended for conversion into bacon, 

 but length of body is nevertheless demanded not only by the 

 pork butcher but is a necessitv to the breeding sow which is 

 expected to rear large litters of pigs of a regular size. It has also 

 been remarked that a sow with a long body usually possesses 

 moderately light forequarters, and it may be equally true that 

 thick shoulders and heavy forequarters are seldom associated 

 with heavy milking qualities. 



These critical remarks, from w^hich the previous articles have 

 not been free, may be taken as a proof that the perfect pig has 

 not yet been evolved, but it is hoped that they will at least 

 impress upon the breeders of all pedigree pigs the urgent necessity 

 of giving every attention to the utiHty points of their respective 

 breeds of pigs, and to the requirements of the consumer. The 

 continued success of any breed of pig will depend to a very large 

 extent on its supplying a commercial want. 



The standard of excellence of the Middle White pig issued by 

 the National Pig Breeders' Association is as follows : — 



Colour. — White, free from black hairs or blue spots on the skin. 



Head. — Moderately short, face dished, snout broad and turned up, jowl full^ 



wide between ears. 

 Ears. — Fairly large, carried erect and fring-ed with fine hair. 

 Neck. — Medium length, proportionately full to the shoulders. 

 Chest. — Wide and deep. 



Shoulders. — Level across the top, moderately wide, free from coarseness. 



