The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-08-06
THE HOG OF TODAY.

The hog Is more of an individual
han machine, and his breeder
should treat him as such Methods
which may be accepted as establish
cd have been worked out in swine
breeding, hut adherence to all OF
ihenl cannot, for many practical rea,
sons, be rigid. The breeder himself,
Ills breeding stock, environment, feed
resources, climate and other factors
are so largely involved that one mans
success may spell another mans fall
ture.i A common-sense breeder con-
stitutes combination best calculated
for satisfaction and profit during. a
succession of years.
Live stock husbandry represents a
high type of constructive effort, and
swine breeding offers as much salts
faction and gain as any other branch.
r may profitably engage the attention
IF the man who raises hogs. merely
from financial motives, but breeder
who astains foremost place in his
sailing. has an interest in his business
not inspired solely by rewards in
money. The compensations Of swine
raising are ample for the man who
desires to make his work profess
zion, as hundreds who have Just
pride in their achievements can testi-
~.
Intelligence used in his breeding
land care has raised the hog from the
Rlane Of the veries. savage, unsought
except when hunted like any other
wild beast, to that of a benefactor.
contributing a wide variety of meats
among them the mos toothsome
known to the epicure, and other prod
nets essential to the best tables. to
commerce and the trades. The hogs
disposition has yielded to the infiu-
ences Of good breeding and changed
from that of the outlaw, ready for
conflict with man or beast, to the
peacea(b'e temperament belonging
with propriety to the barnyard resi-
dent His conformation has been
nodded by skillful methods from
hony, angular uncouthness into q
structure OF massive width, depth and
thickness, affording a marvellous yield
Of pork and lard. incidentally, by
demonstration and generations of
breeding him for early maturity and
quick fattening. the length Of his in
festines has been increased, it is
claimed by scientists, more than 100
per cent.
Cw;nn ara a. S,,coortih1a &C other
animals to the influences of environ
nient, and three or four generations
cover period long enough to bring
hbout great changes in them. Expert
rents made at the Wisconsin station
IN crossing the wild or razor-back
M gs and their crosses with the i'm.
proved and approved breeds showed
that a marked improvement in appear
ance and quality in the wild hogs
progeny was possible, although in con-
stitution and gains OF flesh they did
not compare with pure-breds. and
when cholera struck the station herds
these supposedly harder hogs were
the first to succumb. Their feeding
habits were irregular: on one day they
would gorge themselves SO that they
would be found fasting for the next
day or more. These compelling forces
of heredity made plain that both
right breeding and right environment
are essential to the attainment of
right results. At the same time en-
vironment may be. in some cases, as
destructive in its results as in other
cases it is beneficial. Swine typical
Of the hest breeding require but two
or three generations Of wrong environ
nent to degenerate to the level OF
the most unapproved types. Much,
therefore, depends upon the breeder
and his provisions for and care in
handling.-From Swine in America"
by F.. D. Coburn.