state Convention—swine. 
3*5 
In the human race, as distinctly as in the animal, this law is 
recognized. The breeder is an artist, and in order that he may 
obtain success it is absolutely necessary that he should possess a 
perfect idea or type of that which he would produce or create, 
and have an eye single to that law that like begets like. Every 
breeder has observed marked peculiarities in his animals, a want 
of uniformity, a great difference in the intrinsic value, and the 
object of the intelligent breeder is to search out the rules which 
gives the results he seeks to obtain, and ascertain what system he 
can adopt to make sure of obtaining such results. 
In order to breed with certainty, it is essential that the qualities 
we desire to obtain should be inherent in both parents. We all 
know that animals bred for a length of time with care, have a 
tendency of transmitting their good qualities in the highest degree 
for several generations, or in other words, it becomes more fixed 
from generation to generation when the respective parents possess 
similarity of character. 
Take a thorough bred Berkshire boar and cross with native 
sows that have no fixed characteristics, gives the sire advantage of 
transmitting his good qualities in a higher degree than in well 
known breeds. Here we strike the key note to improve our 
stock. 
s 
The ordinary farmer cannot afford to create improved breeds 
and must avail himself of the labor of others. Yet as a rule he 
cannot afford to buy an entire stock of the pure bred. But he 
can afford to buy a pure bred male to be coupled with his best fe¬ 
males, and the only way to bring up your stock is by thorough bred 
sires and the best dams you can get from your own stock, and 
by following up that system, getting rid of your bad animals and 
taking the best dams to breed from, you will soon have the ani¬ 
mals you ought to have. But I have a question, and it is a proper 
one in this place, what age females would you use? If the sires 
are of some fixed, well established breed like the Berkshire, and 
the intention is to continue the stock pure without special refer¬ 
ence to modification of form or characteristic, it is safe and often 
best to retain them as breeders so long as they produce good size, 
healthy litters, and are careful mothers. When they have ceased 
to do so from any cause, they should be turned over to the butcher. 
