Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-11-08
The Hog for the Farmer.

The object of the farmer in rearing
swine is very different from that of the
professional breeder. The object of the
latter is to improve his breed, and, if
possible to attain to higher standard
of individual excellence, while the
former is more interested in securing
that animal which will most advanta-
geously convert the products of the
farm into more profitable and eatable
commodities. The farmer can afford
to spoil pedigree for the sake of i'm
provement in health, growth, and gem
eral qualities of the pig which he de-
sires to fatten, for when it brings him
the same price at the shambles, with
probably little less expense, the great
end is attained. Butchers do not make
many. inquiries about pedigrees. They
generally busy themselves in feeling
the ribs to determine the condition of
flesh. But the breeder must reach the
same end, and preserve the value of the
pedigree, that the farmer does in the
cross. 1t is much easier for a farmer
to find perfect ham in the Poland
China sow than in a Berkshire, and he
can find a far higher degree of perfec-
ton in the chest and neck of the Berk-
shire boar than in a Poland China,
while the breeder must perfect these
points by careful selection in his own
breed.
The crossing of pure breeds seems to
heighten the general development of
the offspring, and secure to the feeder
an animal having more aptitude to fat
ten. 1t gives that tone and vigor to
the system not attained in any other
way. We therefore recommend cross
to the farmer, and it should be secured
by coupling the Poland-China SOW with
the Berkshire boar. For the reason
that Berkshire boar always begets a
litter of pigs that are uniformly small
and do not cause difficult labor in
farrowing, while if the cross is made
by coupling the Berkshire sow with the
Poland boar, the sow often dies from
the effects of difficult labor, from the
largeness of the pigs. The Berkshire
SOW is not so prepOtent over the Poland
boar as the Berkshire boar is over the
Poland sow. The Berkshire and the
Poland-China are the best breeds we
have, and happily the points lacking in
the one are found in the other If
we could combine the excellence of the
two breeds and at the same time dis
card the defects, we would have a per-
feet animal. There is a tendency in
this direction. The broad, deep and
full chest of the Berkshire and the long
square frame of the Poland-China are
fixed points, and are retained in the
cross. The head of the Berkshire is
strongly set on a heavily fleshed neck,
and has firm erect ears. The head of
the Poland is too pendant, like the ear,
and the neck thin. The chest of the
Berkshire is an example of perfection,
being broad, deep and full around the
heart; that of the Poland-China is flat,
often sunken behind the shoulder, and
narrow in the region of the heart.
Owing to this fact the Poland-China is
not as hardy as the Berkshire. The
ribs of the Berkshire are nicely sprung
or arched, while they are more flatten-
ed in the Poland-C China. But now we
come to the point in which the Poland
China is par excellence, namely, the
ham. The originator of this breed
must have been great fellow for ham
and eggs The ham is certainly very
highly developed. This point is a little
below par in the Berkshire. The light
ham is traceable in the Berkshire clear
back to the wild hog of the European
continent. However, there are fine
specimens of this point in some families
of the Berkshire, yet there is still ten
deney for the ham to run out in the
Berkshire The bone of the Poland is
larger than that of the Berkshire.
The Poland is lengthier hog, and
will grow to an older age and attain
larger size than the Berkshire. The
Berkshire fattens during the age of
pighood better than the Poland-China
pig. The Berkshire SOW is a better
mother, but the Poland-China sow "a
better suckler The Berkshire is bet
ter grazing hog. The Poland-China is
a more docile animal. The flesh of the
Berkshire is finer grained, and viii uni
formly sell for a higher price. The
Berkshire is more compact, and meets
the demands of the Philadelphia mar
ket-D. 4. Kent, IN Western Farm
Journal.
4