Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-01-14
Breeding Swine for Use.

The Bnfuio Stock Jonrnol pub
fishes some sensible views on swine
breeding to which we give our hearty
endorsement 1t says:
"The pure breeds are of the great
est value to the country and should
be encouraged by all progressive
farmers; but are we not unwise i'll
attempting to introduce pure breed
ing so widely in the expectation of
fancy prices?
The pig is not an animal kept sim
ply for beauty or for the qualification
Of an educated taste for graceful
lines OF contour, is not dotted upon
like a horse till a ripe old age, and
then buried with honor and an cpl
taph; but he is reared for simple
utility, for the number of pounds of
good food he brings to the nourish-
ment of the human rice. lie is 4
simple element in the food supply,
and the only legitimate question that
can arise is, how can the most and
best food be produced from the pig?
The pure bred Berkshire has fixed
characteristics of great value, 4 com
pact form, with the greatest weight
in the useful parts, and early ma
turity.
"But if the whole country were to
decide that ell the good points be
longed to this breed, yet it would be
impossible to adopt them for pure
breeding except on a limited scale,
for they are not to be had. 1t is the
same with the Essex, Suffolk, York
shire and others; the pure breeds are
quite too limited to permit their sup
planting all the common swines III
the country. 1t is folly, then, for the
common farmer to expect fancy prices
in breeding pure. His great aim
should be to improve the breed he
has by crossing with the hoars of the
pure, early maturing breeds, and this
from Il pure utilitarian view.
mo farmer can afford to breed
from Il common boar when he can get
one of better breed for rea sonable
price; and he should be very particu-
lar tn; he gets good animal as Il
pure blood. The purity CT the blood
does not make the pork any more
valuable in the particular animal, but
it makes the progeny Of the cross
much more valuable, in that they feed
better, mature earlier, produce ten
to twenty per cent. more meat for a
given amount of food. The only
hope Of general improvement i'll the
swine of the CO untry is, from cross
ing with the better blood.
"This blood of the pure breeds is
better, because by 4 syslem.of selec-
ton and breeding to n particular fam
lily, the form has been SO improved as
to have the least possible amount of
offal, and by the most intelligent
mode Of feeding, they have come to
utilize the food more perfectly and to
develop so much earlier than 4 hun
dred weight Of meat can be produced
AT a largely reduced cost. Besides,
these characteristics have become so
fixed, and the pure-bred boar so pre-
potent that, when crossed upon com
mon sows, the progeny have AL the
feeding characteristics of the boar
SO remarkable is this improvement
Of the cross that it often happens
that these pigs feed as well and some
times better than the pure Bred
The cross has an infusion Of new WIG
or. But the cross-bred swine must
not be bred together; the breeding
must always continue with the pure
bred boar.
"Coarseness in the boar should be
avoided, no matter what the pedi-
gree. Amcdium sized, compact torn
should be sought in the boar, and II
large rangy form in the common SOW.
BY selecting the best animals to
breed from all over the country, mil
lions Of dollars would be saved in
the expenditure of food to produce
our 4,O0o,O0O,000 pounds OF pork
Pure breeding can only produce suifi
clent animals to cross upon the com
mon stock, and tins must be done rs
a matter Of utility, not fancy"