1 Jay., 1900.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 13 
as wide as the shoulders, nearly flat across the top, and drooping but little to 
the root of the tail; they should be well rounded behind, and come well down 
on the stifle, so as to make the lower part of the ham full and plump. The legs 
should be short, straight, set well apart, and strong enough so that the animal, 
even when well grown, will walk wholly on his feet and not upon his hocks and 
dew-claws. The bristles should be fine, soft, and sufficiently thick to hide the 
skin. Coarse, stiff, erect bristles indicate a coarse animal, which will mature 
late and unsatisfactorily, while if they are so few and short as to show the skin 
plainly they indicate a weak constitution and consequent liability to disease. 
FORM OF THE BOAR, 
The form which the boar should have will, of course, be modified by the 
breed, but there are certain essentials of form which all boars should have, 
whatever the breed. ‘They should be of strong build, and yet without coarseness. 
The neck and body should be short for the breed, and the limbs inclining to 
short rather than long. These qualities are desirable for the reasons: First, that 
they are associated with bodily vigour; and, second, that they indicate easy 
feeding. Compactness of form, or an approach to it, is always more important 
in the boar than in the sow. In the yery long-bodied breeds it is very important, 
indeed, that close attention be given to choosing males from those types not 
unduly long in body. Good strong shoulders, much width of chest, good 
strong backs, deep sides, and large quarters are all important, and good heart 
and flank girth are doubly important; nor should good width and chest girth be 
overlooked, as it is so intimately associated with constitution. And symmetry 
in a boar is important. Symmetry means a happy relation of all the different 
parts to one another. It is the opposite of undue development of one part of 
the body, followed by lack of development in some other part. A boar with 
uncommon development of the shoulder and weak loin is decidedly inferior to 
one possessed of good medium development of shoulder and good medium 
development of loin, and so of all the other parts in their relation to one 
another. 
SOME ESSENTIALS TO PIG-REARING, 
One of the essential features in the successful rearing of pigs is to select 
some good breed and stick to it, breeding so as to improve all the time. —- ’ 
Another thing necessary is a good pasture for the pigs to run on, as: they 
will get half their living there. They should not be turned on the pasture until 
after it has got a good start. The pigs should be fed well and at regular 
intervals. Brood sows should be selected which have long, deep bodies, and an 
inferior boar should never be mated with them. Use only a pure-bred boar, 
of first-class quality. If this rule is followed, you will have a good lot of pigs 
both in quality and numbers. 
MANAGEMENT OF BOAR. 
Assuming that the boar is of suitable age, healthy, and the sows are at 
service when he is tried with them, he must have some physiological defect in 
the genital organs if he repeatedly refuses to notice such sows. Such a defect 
may not be perceptible during life except by results ; therefore it is quite easy 
for such an animal to be pronounced all right after an ordinary examination, 
even by an expert, unless he possessed some knowledge of his previous conduct. 
Tt is doubtful whether any treatment will alter this state of things, as in these 
cases Nature invariably asserts herself, unless there is some good reason for her 
not doing so, sooner or later, if it be only a temporary disablement. You may 
change the diet somewhat, using a little stimulating food such as barley-meal, if 
the boar be not already too fat, and you have not already tried this. Powdered 
cardamom seeds in ten-grain doses may be given him night and morning in his 
food for a few days. With the boar, slop or light feed, especially of a character 
hab as a tendency to fatten rather than to form bone and muscle, should be 
avoided. 
