Evening star., 1939-08-25
Pigs Twice as Large
As Present Crop
Are Predicted
New System Of Breeding
Explained at Edinburgh
By D. G. Geneticist
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Aug 25
Pigs OF the future may be twice as
big as the average of the present
race
This possibility was forecast be-
fore the World Genetics Congress,
meeting here today, by DR.. Hugh C.
McPhee of Washington, United
States Department of Agriculture
geneticist.
1t is an indisputable fact, DR.. Nc
Phee pointed out, that in the last
few years selective breeding of mice
for weight has produced in 16 gen.
erations animals double the average
size. 1t must be recognized, he said,
that the same quick results cannot
be expected with domestic meat ami
mails. These have been bred for
weight by man, however unscientifi-
cally, since the dawn of history, and
good many of the genetic posi-
bilities of the types already have
been exhausted. 1t is to be expected
that swine, sheep and cattle have
certain structural limits which they
cannot excel, he pointed out.
new system OF Breeulng.
The hope of vast improvements,
however, lies with a new system of
breeding followed in new regional
experiment stations set up by the
United States Government and also
in several European breeding sta
tlons. In the past, DR.. McPhee
stressed, breeding has usually been
from the qualities of the parents
rather than from those of the off
spring. That is, when two fat pigs
or two fast horses were mated it
was assumed that they would pro-
duce tat pigs or fast horses. This,
as has been stressed by Secretary of
Agriculture Henry A. Wallace, may
be only incidentally true. The fat
pig may not be the best transmitter
OF fatness to offspring. In addition,
DR.. McPhee said, the new genetics
makes the breeding problem much
more complicated since it is neces-
sary to determine what qualities
are transmitted by the mother and
what others may be transmitted by
The father. Also, he said, artificial
standards have been set up in the
past for judging animals at fairs.
some of which have little relation
to the practical value of the animals
to the farmer.
The United States Government.
he said, is engaged in a large-scale
experiment with swine, sheep and
poultry and the work is under way
on a scale which guarantees signifi-
cant results
Much the same sort of programs
are under way on a smaller scale in
both Sweden and Holland, according
20 reports by Dr. G. A. BONNER of
the Swedish experimental station at
Eldtomta and Drs. A. L. Hagedoorn,
w. K. Hirschfeld and G.. M. Plank
OF the Netherlands stations.
Fallacy of System.
All stressed the fallacy of the old
pedigree breeding of farm animals
and DR.. Hagedoorn told of setting
up In Holland so-called nucleus
scheme" intended to take the place
OF the existing haphazard system of
animal breeding. A number of
breeding males, he said, are Judged
according to the quality of their
progeny, regardless of their own
qualities. Only a few males will be
chosen that have produced only
highly valuable offspring. The male
breeding stock of the future will be
the exclusive product of those few
sires.
This nucleus scheme, he said.
tends to concentrate in the hands
OF very few specialists virtual
monopoly in the production of male
breeding stock. The nucleus" to
serve eventually as the sires of all
the domestic animals in the country,
will be carefully isolated. 1t will
entail, he said all the advantages
and none of the disadvantages of in
breeding.
Actually, DR.. Hagedoorn stressed.
the system will not be greatly diff
ferent from that followed in most
countries at present, where a few
sires, selected for show qualities,
are used in breeding to a great ex-
tent. But in this case the only
qualification for being a sire is that
of producing the right kind of off,
spring, not taking blue ribbons at
the country fair, and it is entirely
possible that in many instances the
chosen sire will be personally a bad
looking animal.