The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-01
THAT WILL
 INTEREST THE FARMERS

hogs went below se which seemed to create some degree of excitement
 among the people who had been feeding high priced feeds. This is a condition
 that cannot exist long, for the law gov
 erning the price of hogs is production | and consumption. The prices have all ready started upward and will con- tinue up till production overtakes con- l sumption. This is far distant so the l farmers need have no fear but thai they will be able to get a good price | for their porkers.
 Selection of sOws
 In the issue of last week we dis cussed the growing of hogs from what we would term a practical standpoint Now that we wish to start a herd it Is of prime importance that we give
 much attention to the first selection of
 breeding stock. The effects of nismat- ing are exceedingly difficult to breed out of a herd, and besides 1t Is very discouraging to the beginner to be con fronted with such an obstacle. It is the very best economy to make haste slowly at the outset.
 As in all lines of breeding, it is best
 to begin on a small scale; two, three, or five sows are plenty to make a start It is also better to buy one good animal tran five poor ones. This would be real economy and the profits from the herd would soon be sufficient proof to con- vince the most doubtful.
 It is of utmost importance that much attention be given to the selection of both sows and boar. It is true that the male represents one-half the herd, but the sows represent the other half, since there is uniform prepotency in both sexes The sows and boar It Is true that the male. the boar, and they be permitted to rear one litter each before the boar is pur- chased, for this gives the owner chance to know how to select male more suit l ed to his conditions.
 If the beginner Is to start successful herd it is best to have some experienced
 breeder help him select his first stock.
 He may select and purchase these while still pigs or he may wait to purchase un- til the sows are In pig and about one year old. Anyway, the sows should all be of of the same age and show some what like characteristics Their indi- vidual characterittics should especially be | looked to. Sex characteristics always constitute marked feature in a good brood SOW and she should show feminity The smoother forehead and lighter, finer reck are points of distinction from the signs of masculinity in the boar. We should look for broad forehead between the eyes, a clean and trim throat, a me dium thin neck and smooth and deen
 
 back, and good wide and deep chest, which show that there is plenty of room foi the vital organs, well-sprung ribs and straight, long, deep sides. In short we would want a long, deep capacious
 body from end to end.
 Individuals with pinched chests and
 narrow waists should not be selected.
 We must work for long bodies in brood
 sows as this Is regarded as an indication of facundity. but at the same time we must not purchase this length at the ex- pense of quality. There is a loose-ioint- ed. long-coupled, slow-maturity, slow fattening type that we should not allow to come into herd. The best and surest way to select prolific breeders is to keep an accurate record of the herd and cull out all individuals that do not yield q certain percentage of pigs yearly. Each sew selected should especially be pro- vided for nourishing a large litter by
 havin at least 12 or 13 well-developed teats. But there Is another important fac tor to be taken into consideration. namely, the points that are demanded in market hog. These characteristics
 are demanded by the butcher, and since we are producing for the butcher we cannot overlook these points. The prin- cipal qualifications in the animal from the butchers standpoint are broad. l smoothly covered shoulders, a wide,
 straight, slightly arched, and deeply fleshed back, well sprung ribs, straight deep sides, broad trump and deep,
 well-rounded hams The brood SOW should also have a well developed
 pelvic cavity which insures easy par | turition in a SOW. The legs should be l moderately short and straight, and a
 medium sized hone. The animal should
 stand up well on toes and not have . t~v. k>s swx~y y1s l.
 instead of the toes. This weakness is more marked In the boars than in the
 sows as . usual occurrence.
 The sows should be uniform In type.
 In selecting as to uniformity there are two forces to be looked for, namely the
 inner and outer forces, or the inherent ! characteristics such as the reproduce