The Yale expositor., 1901-09-06
The PoIand-ChInn.

The Poland-ChIna.
While 1t is fact that we owe prac-
tically all of our improved breeds OF
live stock 70 foreign countries ii Is q
matter for satisfaction that at least
one breed of swine has originated in
America. We refer of course to the
Poland-China breed of hogs. Certain
ly, too, this is breed well worthy OF
the fame it has attained not only here
but abroad, for expectation of hive
animals for breeding purposes has
been carried on to some extent of late
years, and 1t may be said that if for
eign consumers of American pork and
pork products knew that the Poland
China furnished most of this product
they would more thoroughly appre-
ciate the breed as an American "in-
stitution." 1t is prominently a lard
hog, but at the same time the staple
producer of farm bacon and hams and
Of great proportion of all pork prod
ucts in the market. Yet while it is an
American breed pure and simple it is
known by the complex, perplexing
name "Poland-China"! What had
Poland to do with it's formation? Not
a thing that we have been able to dis
cover and China had almost as little.
When the breed found it's starting
place back in the rich Miami valley of
Ohio it is said that in 1916 John Wal
lace introduced to that county three
breeding hogs called big Chinas. ="
They were bought in Philadelphia and
were said to be from China or bred
from Chinese stock. This is the only
trace of China we can find in the
early history of the breed and facts
regarding any Polish blood having
been used are entirely absent so that
1t may be taken for granted that no
such blood was utilized. 1t is evident
then that our native breed Of swine
is poorly named for while it originated
in America neither the Polaks nor the
Chinese contributed anything to its
success or formation yet receive the
credit in its designation. The breed
should have been called the miami
County hog" or possibly the War
rem County hog" as it was once called,
or should have been given some other
name more correct and American than
Poland-China. 1t is now too late to
change the name and pc" will stick
to the breed in all probability through
out the future. Though the name will
remain the same and has since we can
remember it, the breed itself has
changed and will continue to change
in some slight respects as the result
of continued breeding towards de-
sired standard. The first specimens Of
the breed we can call to mind were
much coarser than those of the pres
ent day and had more white spots up
on them, in fact some Of them showed
about as much white as black as may
easily be seen by referring to some Of
the old cuts of Poland China swine
such for instance as those published
by A. G. Moore of Canton, ILL.,, and
other early and extensive breeders. 1t
would seem to us too that the hogs
have grown shorter and blocker, a
fact that cannot altogether be consid-
cred an improvement except for lard
production; it certainly has not made
the breed more prolific in breeding
indeed it must we think be confessed
that the breed Is less prolific now than
twenty years or more ago. 1t has
much improved in head and ear being
heater and finer and this may also be
said of the bones which are less in
bulk and possibly stronger in texture
than when "all corn" was the prevail
ing method of feeding. In capacity
for lard production this breed has
taken the lead of all competitors and
as an all round farm hog, for feeding
and killing it has very evidently given
universal satisfaction so that along
with our breed of trotting horses, also
an American breed, we have at least
two examples of successful breeding
which will successfully compare with
anything the foreign countries have
been able to contribute. American
corn made the Poland-China. Ameri-
can corn is fast becoming cosmopoli-
tan in its utilization as a food for
man and beast and may yet change
the type of the foreign breeds or
swine should il come to be fed in
large quantities. Too much corn has
proved dangerous to our swine but the
increased foreign demand by increas-
ing the value of corn will reduce the
amount used for swine feeding in this
country and inevitably lead to i'm
provement of our swine the first i'm
provement being increased prolificacy
of the Poland-China.
Improving the sest Corn.
The Illinois Seed Corn Breeders AS