The St. Mary banner., 1909-10-30
THE HOG OF TODAY.

IHE HUG OF IODAI.
The hog is more of an individual
than a machine, and his breeder
should treat him as such. Methods
which may be accepted as establish
ed have been worked out in swine
breeding, but adherence to all OF
them cannot for many practical rea'
sons, be rigid. The breeder himself,
| his breeding stock, environment. feec
| resources, climate and other factors
| are SO largely involved that one man
success may spell another mans fail'
| ure. A commOn-sense breeder con-
stitutes a 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.
It may prof1tably engage the attention
of the man who raises hogs merely
from financial motives, but breeder
who attains a foremost place in his
calling 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 a profes
sion, as hundreds who have Just
pride in their achievements can testl-
fly.
Intelligence used in his breeding
and care has raised the hog from the
plane of the veriest 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
ucts essential to the best tables, to
commerce and the trades. The hogs
disposition has yielded to the infu-
ence of good breeding and changed
from that of the outlaw, ready for
conflict with man or beast. to the
peaceab,e Temperament belonging
with propriety to the barnyard resi-
dent. His conformation has been
nodded by skillful methods from
bony. angular uncouthness into 4
structure OF massive width. depth and
thickness, affording marvellous yield
of pork and lard. Incidentally, by
domestication and generations OF
breeding him for early maturity an
quick fattening. the length of his in
testines has been increased. it is
claimed by scientists, more than 130
per cent.
Swine are as susceptible as other
animals to the influences Of environ
rlent, and three or four generations
cover a period long enough to bring
about great changes in them. Expert
rents made at the Wisconsin station
in crossing the wild or razor-back /
ht gs and their crosses with the i'm |
proved and approved breeds showed |
that 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 best breeding require but two
or three generations of wrong environ
nent to degenerate to the level Of
he most unapproved types. Much,
depends upon the breeder
and his provisions for and care in
Swine in America
~ F. D. Coburn