THE HOG. 
213 
with Chinese, is about the best porker I can mention. In every case, 
•whether your object be pork or bacon, the points to be looked for are — 
in the sow, a small, lively head, a broad and deep chest, round ribs, 
capacious barrel, a haunch falling almost to the hough, deep and broad 
loin, ample hips, and considerable length of body in proportion to height. 
One qualification should ever be kept in view, and, perhaps, should be 
the first point to which the attention should be directed, viz., smallness 
of bone. 
Let the boar be less in sjze than the sow, shorter and more compact 
in form, with a raised and brawny neck, lively eye, small head, firm, hard 
flesh, and his neck well furnished with bristles — in other respects seek 
the same points we have described in reference to the sow. Breeding 
within too close degrees of consanguinity, or, breeding in and in, is calcu- 
lated to produce degeneracy in size, and also to impair fertility ; it is 
therefore to be avoided, although some breeders maintain that a first 
cross does no harm, but on the contrary, that it produces offspring which 
are disposed to arrive earlier at maturity. This may in some instances 
be the case ; it is so with horned cattle, but as far as swine are con- 
cerned, it is not my own experience. 
Differences of opinion exist as to the precise age of boar and sow, at 
which breeding is most advisable. They will, if permitted, breed at the 
early age of six or seven months ; but this is a practice not to be recom- 
mended. My advice is, to let the sow be at least one year old, and the 
boar at least eighteen months; but, if the former has attained her 
second year, and the latter his third, a vigorous and numerous offspring 
are more likely to result. The boar and sow retain their ability to breed 
for about five years, that is, until the former is upward of eight years 
old, and the latter seven. I do not recommend using a boar after he 
has passed his fifth year, nor a sow after she has passed her fourth, 
unless she has proved a peculiarly valuable breeder; in which case, she 
might be suffered to produce two or three more litters. When you are 
done with the services of the boar, have him emasculated — an operation 
that can be performed with perfect safety at any age — fatten or sell 
him. When *it is no longer desirable to breed from the sow, kill her. 
Before doing so, it is a good plan to put her to the boar, as she takes 
fat afterward more rapidly than she otherwise would. 
If a sow be of a stock characterized by an unusual tendency to take 
fat, it is well to breed from her at an unusually early age — say eight or 
nine months ; for this tendency to fat, in a breeding sow, is highly ob- 
jectionable, as conducing to danger in parturition. Let her have the 
boar a couple of days after pigging, and let her breed as frequently as 
she is capable of doing. This will effectually check the tendency to 
fat ; and, after having taken a few litters from her, you will find the 
rapidity with which, should you desire her for the butcher, she will 
take flesh' quite extraordinary. In the case of such a sow, do not give 
the boar before putting her up to fatten. 
Feed the breeding boar well ; keep him in high condition, but not 
fat ; the sow, on the other hand, should be kept somewhat low, until 
after conception, when the quantity and quality of her food should be 
gradually increased. The best times for breeding swine are, the months 
