Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-05-06
The Best Hoo 10 Raise.

O" WHAT yOu lhluA
constitutes good hog. l fear that
tnere are many so called hog-breed-
eIS that have no more idea from
year to year what their efforts will
produce then though they were
mixing two separate breeds.
No breeder ever accomplished
anything either by Topping around,
trying to follow the fads and fancies
and notions Of every other fellow.
The first thing to do is to get clearly
IN mind what you think constitutes a
good hog and what you want to pro-
duce. Then find a sow that as near
ayas possible comes up to your model
for a starter. Feed judiciously,
watch the results of mating, keeping
in mind at all times what you are
trying to produce, and what it would
look like if you saw it.
For my part have never yet seen
what | called perfect hog. l do
not recognize the so called large and
small types. There are the right and
the wrong, or the superior and in
ferior kinds of hog, whether it be
Berkshire, Duroc or Poland. Being a
Poland China breeder, l naturally
think the Poland the best hog on
earth; but hog sense will apply to
any breed.
believe the Poland China SOW
Perfect Tecumseh 1857 now owned
by Al. Erhart, Adrian, Mo-, to be
the best SOW that l have ever seen.
She comes nearer up to my standard
than any l have ever been able to
produce. This SOW Was farroWed in
April, 1907. will endeavor to give
you description Of her as she was
in March 1910: Weight 692 pounds
in good breeding condition. Length
from between ears 10 root of tail IS
inches. Around body at heart 81
e inches. Around body at flank SO
inches. Face slightly diShed, fairly
short head. Back slightly arched
and broad. Sides deep and free
from wrinkles. Flank we'll let down,
hams with shoulders about the same
width. A good, straight belly line,
and we'll defined teats. A good,
straight leg set we'll out under each
corner Of body. Very active In
getting around and possessing quiet
disposition.
Now take you tape line and scales
and see how many SowS you can
find that will come up to the above
weighing and measuring. You will
be surprised at how scarce they are,
and when you do find one freeze onto
her, You will have it we'll instilled
into your mind what kind of SOW
will look like. Perfect Tecumseh
vas weighed and measured when she
vas two months in pig, which &C
counts for her greater body girth
then length. l would not select a
SOW that measured more in girth than
in length were she not in pig.
Upon the handling and feeding of
a brood SOW depends great deal as
to the success with which she will
raise her pigs. At all times be quiet
and kind to the sow. She should be
thin in flesh when bred, as flesh will
render her more difficulty to get with
pig and will also have tendency to
make the number of pigs in the litter
fewer. From the time she is safe in
pig she should be kept gaining in
hesh until the narrowing time. l
want them fat but not corn fat, at
narrowing time. Here are two ways
in which l differ from many breeders
e as to flesh in which the SOW should
be and the amount Of bedding she
should have at the time to far.
row.
A SOW should have nothing but
water II hours before and for "a
hours after faroWing. If she is fat
she has reserve flesh to draw upon
and consequently does not have a
Taving appetite and will remain more
quietly in her nest than were she