Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1885-09-05
The Middle Ground in swine
Breeding.

hCH arc SONcIHCu III tue extremes
they aim to reach in breeding swine, not
by what the constitution OF the hog will
stand with safety, but by their own,
oftentimes over. Jealous, efforts to excel
other breeders in the production Of short
faces, short legs, and excessive fatness,
High cultivation in the direction named
affects animals that are bred with a
view to excessive development Of fat,
and an accompanying dimunition Of
bone and other offal, in the same man
ner that fruits and edible tubers are af
fected. Thus. fruits that once con
tanned an abundance of large seeds,
and were encased in thick skin, the real
ly edible and savory parts being scant
when compared to the refuse portions,
have had their desirable paris greatly
increased, the skin reduced in thickness
and the quantity of seeds also greatly
reduced. However, this system of i'm.
provement cannot be applied to swine;
simply because the two cases are not
parallel. The quality Of fruits is i'm
proved without curtalling the vital forces
of the tree that bears the fruit; while,
in the case of the pig, it is quite the re-
verse. As the fattening tendency Is
bred in, the bony frame, which is to
hold this up, is diminished in the same
ratio, thus getting, little by little, away
from the natural formation. AS the legs
and snout are shortened, the natural
provision of readily getting around after
food, and the hogs prehensible means
for handling his food, are decreased.
In other words, what approaches 100
nearly to being an artificial pig, is the
result. This creates a necessity for such
artificial surroundings and appliances
as tend, from year to year, to still
farther push the over-rehning process.
When we take into the account the cap
acities for rapid multiplication IN the
case OF swine still in possession Of
health, and permitted to get too much
loaded with adipose matter, we see in
this how quickly the characteristics Of
the scrub hog can be changed TO a mid
die ground; and, on the other side, ii is
quite apparent how quickly it is posi-.
BILE to breed away from all points Of
usefulness, the result being a lardy,
overloaded, Wheeling monstrosity.
In selecting the latest specimen on
both sides 10 breed from, combining these
in close quarters, and feeding the most
concentrated kinds of food, but one re.
suit can follow, namely, lessened vital
force in every direction. The progeny
from such parenlage must be nursed
with tender care, and when sold TO 60
into the hands of the average caIe-taker
the results will be Disappointing. For
the common uses upon the farm, those
hogs that have been so oyer-refined and
with such strong leaning toward fat
accumulation, if kept for breeding,
should be given as wide pasture range
as they will travel over, that the bony
and muscular systems may be freely de.
veloped, the tendency to excessive
obesity being prevented while they are
in use as breeders. Experienced swine
growers know this to be the true doc.
rine, yet those who have less experience
buy breeding animals in an over.fatted
state, and pride in appearances, coupled
with Ignorance Of the results, induce
continued excessive feeding, restrictions
as to exercise and access to grass. 1t is
the unduly refined hog that melts in the
heat, or freezes in the cold on the way
to market. 1t is the over.re6ned breed
ing sow that brings limited number OF
pigs, the runts of the litter being ex-
cessively weak and difficult to save.
Amateurs are expected at this time to be
casting about at the fairs and other
places for breeding stock, and these re.
minders are intended for their benefit.
--NOtionei Lire Stock Journal.