316 Wisconsin state agricultural society. 
If they are of mixed blood or belong to any of the recently formed 
breeds, and there is a purpose to improve the stock, or at least to 
prevent deterioration, they should not be allowed to bear more 
than two litters, unless for some special reason. 
Crosses can be made more frequently, and therefore desirable 
modifications can be effected in much less time by breeding ex¬ 
clusively from young females. It is taken for granted that only 
well bred males, of good points and type you desire to obtain, are 
used, and that they are changed at proper intervals. If, there¬ 
fore, there are no females among her progeny as perfect as the 
dam, she is clearly not worthy of being kept longer; if there are, 
what reason is there for retaining her? But the produce of the 
cross should be an improvement of the dam, and hence a selec¬ 
tion from the litter should take her place as soon as possible. It 
is a matter of fact within every breeder’s knowledge, that this is 
the only rule upon which rapid development can be produced 
with certainty. It is well known that the Berkshires impress 
their likeness with great certainty upon other breeds. I have ob¬ 
served, in different neighborhoods, that the introduction of Berk¬ 
shire boars for mixing with their native sows has substantially 
improved their breed of hogs. In many sections of country it is 
hard to find poor looking hogs, so general has been the improve¬ 
ment. Many are half-bloods, some more, but commonly either 
less, or so mixed up on both sides that it is hard to say how 
much improved blood they contain. Such crosses make better 
pork, the hogs cost less to keep for the same amount of food, and 
they sell readily when the raw bones go a begging. 
I have known instances where the use of the Berkshire boar 
with common native stock has given pigs and older hogs that would 
sell' at once for double price and in a much quicker market. I 
think it is safe to say that the improved value of this stock is full 
forty per cent, over the old native breed. I say nothing about 
the other improved breeds, simply that I have not had the oppor¬ 
tunity of witnessing the results. 
Here comes in one of the great errors, forgetting the great fun¬ 
damental principle of breeding with no particular type in his 
mind. He is struck with the beauty of a half blood that he has 
raised from a cross of a full blood obtained of his neighbor ; he 
