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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
SYLLABUS 16

see Contribution from the States Relations Service, A. C. TRUE, Director
In cooperation with the Bureau of Animal Industry, A. D. MELVIN, Chief

ay — et pees | Originally issued July 1, 1914

ILLUSTRATED LECTURE ON SWINE
IN 7H oh) STATES

By

WALTER B. JESSEE, B. S., Junior Animal Husbandman
Bureau of Animal Industry

CONTENTS

Introduction ...... +... 1 | Feeding Mineral Matter
Construction of Houses ; Cost in Gains from Birth to Maturity
Practical Conveniences and Safety De- Farm Economies with Swine
vices Types of Hogs

- Sanitation and Disease Control . . . . Quality and Condition

_ Selection of Breeding Stock

Management . .

_ Cost of Production . .

Lins

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WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1916

Menegraph

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Originally issued July 1, 1914
Reprinted February 12, 1916.

Laos DEPART MENT,OF AGRICULTURE,

STATES RELATIONS SERVICE.
A. C. TRUE, Direcror.

In cooperation with the Bureau of Animal Industry, A. D. Melvin, Chief.

SYLLABUS 16—ILLUSTRATED LECTURE ON SWINE
IN THE UNITED STATES.’

By Water B. JESSEE, 15S z
_Junior Animal Husbandman, Bureau of Animal Industry.

INTRODUCTION.

On January 1, 1915, there were 64,618,000 swine on farms Vie™
in the United States, having an average value of $9.87 per head
and representing a total value of $637,479,000. The dis-
tribution among the several sections of the country was as
follows: 1

Number and value of swine in different sections of the United States Jan. 1, 1915.

Section. Number. Value ine Total value.
Bonu MAAN ICs M3228 ete 52 352 Sos S Aa e 2,551,000 $13. 97 $35, 646, 000
DOUbheATIANbIC) -_ 5.2. 595--5-=- grees oessocasscsees 7,074, 000 8.01 56, 717, 000
North Central east of Mississippi ----.-...--.---.-- 15, 812, 000 10. 80 170, 808, 006
North Central west of Mississippi.-......--.--.-.-. 22, 988, 000 10. 47 240, 860, 006
SouchiCenmtrall: sess 452 aaes see ee oes eye Sh. ae 13, 467,000 7.79 105, 006, 006
iat \W@SiG@ian DEUS. Joe e noses posceereTes tos eeeaeneS 2,726, 000 10. 43 28, 442, 000

The total value here given is about 38 per cent less than
that of the wheat crop of the United States in 1914.

The average age at which hogs are usually marketed in the
United States is 11 months. The lowest average for any

State is 9 months, in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New
York, and Michigan, while the highest is 15 months, in
Louisiana.

Exports of swine in 1914 amounted to 10,122 animals, valued
at $133,751. As far as ascertainable, exports of pork and its
products totaled 921,913,029 pounds during 1914, while the
exports of pork lard amounted to 481,457,792 pounds.

1This syllabus has been prepared by direct cooperation between the Bureau of Animal
Industry as regards subject matter and J. M. Stedman of the States Relations Service as regards
pedagogicalform. It is designed to aid farmers’ institute and other extension lecturers in pre-
senting the subject before popular audiences. The syllabus is illustrated with 53 lantern slides.
The numbers in the margins of the pages refer to lantern slides as listed in the appendix.
20690°—16 ,
iple 4

View

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CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES. \qI&

No single type of hog house can be recommended that will
meet all conditions. The hog house of the continuous or
combination type has advantages in housing because it gives
storage room for feed and bedding, saves labor, affords more
protection from the cold, and permits the feeder to mix feeds
and care for his hogs indoors, thus saving heat and energy that
would be required to keep warm in a smaller house. In case
of an outbreak of disease, sanitation is more difficult in a hog
house of the continuous type. .

The hog house should be so constructed that it will afford
the greatest amount of light at the proper time. ‘The windows
should be placed at the proper height to secure the maximum
of sunlight at farrowing time. The interior arrangement
should be carefully worked out and feed and mixing rooms,
scales, and watering troughs put in so that the work of feeding
and handling the herd can be accomplished with the least labor
possible. Except in the coldest parts of the United States, a
double walled house is not needed, and a single-walled house
is quite as serviceable and more economical. No house should
be built that will permit an accumulation of filth and trash.
Proper flooring is essential. Concrete offers a floor that can
be relied upon and is permanent if properly put in. A wood
or cork brick sleeping pen is needed with a concrete floor.

The hog cot or individual house has its advantages because
it is easily moved from one pen or pasture to another, affords
a quiet, free house to a sow and litter or to the herd boar, is
cheaper to construct, and gives a good amount of air, light, and
opportunity for exercise. It can be moved away from the
herd in time of an outbreak of disease. In summer it can be
opened and provides a shaded and cool place for the hog.
A cot to be of value must usually have a floor to keep the hogs
from lying on the damp ground. If the hog plant is on a
well-drained dry soil, flooring may possibly be left out. If
the cot is to be used for farrowing purposes, it should have a
guard rail around the sides to keep the sow from lying on the
young pigs. The cot can be used in early spring pastures or
in fields that can not be reached from a central plant. How-
ever, a hog farm equipped solely with cots requires much more
labor than one with a continuous-type house.

It will be seen that neither system offers ideal arrangement
in itself, but a combination of the two would often seem the
most judicious plan. Then the central house can be used for
storing feeds and bedding, and for winter feeding, while for
summer work the cots could be used to a greater extent.

3

PRACTICAL CONVENIENCES AND SAFETY DEVICES.

There are many devices that are simple in construction and
valuable aids in managing the herd. The hurdle is valuable
in driving; V-shaped trough in watering or feeding; the breed-
ing crate in breeding; and the creep for feeding young pigs
away from the sow or other older hogs. The concrete feeding
floor makes a good place to feed the hogs. Itsaves much grain
and gives the pig a chance to eat clean wholesome food. Its
saving of grain will soon pay for the cost of construction,

_ which is the only cost it has.

SANITATION AND DISEASE CONTROL.

Sanitation in the hog house, lot, and herd is no small prob-
lem. Swine are affected by many and serious diseases and
parasites. ‘Tuberculosis and cholera, lice, and mange take
vast numbers of hogs and money value from swine growers
each and every year. Thumps cause great loss in thrift in
young pigs. Sunlight, dry clean beds, and plenty of exercise
with nutritious foods are essential to a proper control or
lessening of these losses. Dusty or damp sleeping quarters
are especially favorable to disease infection, because they fur-
nish a favorable place for germ life. Dipping furnishes an

excellent means of controlling external parasites, and the dip-_

ping vat is an economical and convenient part of the equip-
ment of any large piggery. ‘The concrete dipping vat shown
in view. 21 is a permanent part of the equipment. Galvanized-
iron vats are cheaper and easier to put up but do not last as
long.

The hog louse makes pigs unthrifty, and though the actual
loss due to this cause can not be estimated because it rarely kills
an animal, its annoyance to the pig is an important factor in de-
creasing the rapidity with which gains are made. ‘The louse is
easily and effectively controlled by repeated dipping in almost
any of the standard dips if they are used in strong solutions.

If a vat is not available, one of the three following methods of

treatment may be found to suit conditions: (1) Spraying with
kerosene emulsion; (2) putting up a rubbing post filled with
crude oil; or (3) putting crude oil or kerosene on the surface
of the water in the pigs’ wallowing vat. Mange is a serious
though not so common parasite as the louse, and is best and
most effectively treated by dipping.

HOG CHOLERA.
During the year ended March 31, 1913, the loss from disease of

swinein the United States amounted to110.1 per1,000, or atotal
number of 6,738,283. A conservative estimate shows that the

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View. yearly loss from cholera must amount to more than $18,000,000.

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Investigations of the United States Department of Agricul-
ture have placed the people in a position to save all or a greater
part of this cholera loss. These investigations have shown
that hog cholera is caused by a microorganism of such minute
size that even our most powerful microscopes do not enable
us to determine its form or structure. By inoculating with
hog-cholera serum a greater part of this enormous loss can be
prevented and swine growing be put on a safer basis. Cholera
can not be cured, but the serum-inoculation method effectually
prevents it. Serum is now prepared by most of the State
experiment stations, and more than 1,000,000 hogs have been
given protective inoculation with most satisfactory results. If
hogs are not inoculated before the outbreak of cholera they
should be as soon as possible after it is known. No new hog
should be placed with the herd after arrival until it has been
isolated at least two weeks, and in case of an outbreak of
disease the unaffected hogs should be separated from the sick
ones and placed in clean quarters as soon as possible. All
dead hogs should be burned or buried so deeply that their
carcasses will not be found by dogs, buzzards, crows, or other
animals and the disease spread from them.

SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK.

The brood sow is the first animal to select in laying a founda-
tion for a herd. The better she is the greater the chances for
success.. A good brood sow must possess depth and length of
body, a good heart girth, smooth shoulders, well-sprung ribs,
and long, deep, well-turned hams. Her sides should be long,
deep, and straight. A slightly arched, or straight, broad back
is much desired, as it is much stronger than a low back. The
back should carry its width and the side lines should be
straight. She should stand up well on her toes and have
smooth, straight jomts with hard but not coarse bone, and
must have feminine characteristics, which are indicated by a
rather small head and ear, a fully developed, even udder, and
absence of shields in the shoulders. A brood sow should show
early maturing qualities and have sufficient capacity to do the
work for which she is intended. A smooth coat of fine hair
and a broad head with sufficient weight for her age are good
indications of early maturity. If selecting more than one sow,
uniformity of the lot is desirable and important. The nearer
alike the sows the more probability of the pigs beg uniform.
If pure-bred sows are selected, breed type should be carefully

a)

observed. ‘‘Breed type” means the characteristics of a breed, View.
and will be discussed later.

In selecting the herd boar the same points are essential, 27
except that the animal should show masculinity. A strong,
broad head and neck, sufficient bone, with strong, straight -
pasterns, hock, and knee joints, are important. He should
show early maturing characteristics, and have well-developed
testicles. Shields, or thick plates of skin, should not show
on the sides of the shoulder before he is one year of age. A
strong, slightly arched back, with large heart girth, is essen-

‘tial in a first-class boar, for he must have room for the vital
organs, namely, heart, lungs, etc. Remember that the boar is
at least half of the herd as far as breeding is concerned, and
he is usually more, so his selection can not command any
too much care or patience. Get a good boar and he will pay
you well.

MANAGEMENT.

BROOD SOW AND LITTER.

The farrowing pen should provide a quiet, safe, and com- 28
fortable place for the sow. Light, cleanliness, and freedom
from dampness and drafts are essential. A guard rail should
be provided to keep the sow from crushing the pigs.

Feeding the sow so that she is properly nourished and not
overfat is the most important of the herdsman’s duties. She
should have succulent feeds, such as pasture or forage in sum-
mer, and in winter bran or other laxative feeds should be
given, so that constipation and fever may be less likely to
develop.

At farrowing time no feed except a little bran gruel or oat- 29
meal gruel should be given and only moderately warm water
for afew days. A little bran or green feed can then be offered,
and as the litter grows and all signs of fever leave, more con- 30
centrated feeds may be given. Corn and other heating feeds
should be fed in limited quantities for some time, but as the
‘pigs grow and there is more demand on the sow she should be
fed liberally.

There is no place equal to good pasture for the brood sow
and her litter. Alfalfa, clover, rape, oats, rye, vetch, peas, 31
or native pasture afford succulent nutritious feeds which keep
both sow and pigs in good condition. Little pigs will learn
to eat the forage with the sow at 10 days of age if they have
some palatable pasture.

Sunlight and clean, dry sleeping pens aid materially in
starting the pigs off and in securing rapid, economical growth.

View.

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Feed the sow well and teach the little pigs to eat as soon as
possible. Cause both the sow and pigs to take plenty of
exercise whether or not on forage or pasture crops.

The dry sow or bred sow should be handled as economically
as possible, so they should have pasture and be fed a well-
balanced ration and just enough of it to keep them in good con-
tion without permitting them to become fat. As farrowing
time approaches the sows should be separated in order to pre-
vent their crowding or injuring one another.

THE HERD BOAR.

The herd boar is best handled by giving him a pasture lot
by himself. His feed should be liberal enough to keep him in
good breeding condition only. This will be very light when
he is not in use for breeding purposes, but during the breed-
ing season his feed should be increased, His ration should
consist of some high-protein feeds along with mill feeds and
a little corn. The care of the boar is important because of
his relative importance in the herd, and his care, quarters, feed,
and watering should be carefully seen to and provided.

SHOTES.

The term shote is applied to all swine from the time the pig
reaches weaning age until the fattening or breeding age is
reached. Pigs should be weaned at from 8 to 13 weeks,
depending on whether or not the sows are to be bred again.
It is always wise to have them taught to eat well before wean-
ing in order that the rate of gain may not be checked. Wean-
ing should be done gradually, the sow’s feed being reduced to
cause her to dry up properly and at the same time increasing
the feed for the pigs. The pig at this age should have a ration
rather high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

The boar pigs should be castrated after weaning but before
they reach breeding age; usually a week or two after wean-
ing is a Satisfactory time. The loss in gains or by death
is less if done while the pig is young. Spaying the females is
not advisable under modern conditions and will not be found
profitable enough to justify the risk of the operation.

COST OF PRODUCTION—FEEDING.

Cost of producing gains in pigs is influenced by a number of
factors, chief among which are breeding, feed, water, exercise,
shelter, mineral matter, disease, parasites, and environment.
Intelligent feeding and sanitation include most of the essen-

tials of success in making the production of pork profitable.

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sec i SOS 3 in i Set Simm me

7

In the first place, however, pork can not be profitably pro- view.

duced by the use of scrub breeding stock. But, given good
pigs and careful, cleanly management, with proper feeding,
pork production is a safe and profitable business proposition.

There are three general classes of feeding, as follows: Dry-lot
feeding; feeding on dairy by-products; and feeding on forage
crops. In the following comparisons the rations were consid-
ered properly balanced and the cost in each case was fair
under the conditions.

The Missouri Experiment Station reports that for five forage

_crops grown the average grain required to produce 1 pound

gain was 3.54 pounds, while five dry-lot experiments required
5.11 pounds grain for 1 pound gain, or a saving of 30.7 per cent
of the grain for each pound gain when fed on forage. Gains on”
forage crops, where $10 an acre was charged for rent, labor,
seed, etc., cost 20 to 30 per cent less than gains made in the dry
lot. Corn fed in the dry lots brought 66 cents per bushel, while
that fed in forage brought 80 cents per bushel after rent and
labor bills were paid. Skinner and Cochel, of the Indiana Ex-
periment Station, state that ‘‘skim milk has proven to be the
most efficient supplement to shelled corn or corn meal used in
the experimental feed lots at the station for the past five years
infattening hogs.” Results of numerous experiments seem to
show that the best ratio to feed skim milk and corn is 3 to 1 for
pigs under 100 pounds and less milk for larger pigs.

By dry-lot feeding is meant feeding in confined pens; pasture
means native pasture, as blue grass, etc.; forage crops include
alfalfa, and the crops which require to be planted each year;
and dairy by-products are skim milk, whey, and buttermilk.

The value of a ration depends on its meeting the needs of
the animal to which it is fed. A balanced ration is one in
which is supplied enough but not too much food nutrients to
supply the needs of an animal for 24 hours.

A ration for a young, growing animal requires a larger per-

centage of protein than one for fattening or for mature animals.

As the shote increases in age and size the protein may be grad-
ually cut down until the standard for a fattening hog is reached.
Forage crops have been used more economically as a source
of protein than purchased feeds and have the advantage of
supplying it in a palatable, succulent form. Alfalfa probably
furnishes the cheapest and best forage for swine when it can
be grown. Even during winter alfalfa hay can be fed in racks
and with ear corn furnishes a well balanced feed for almost
all kinds of hogs.

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Clover, cowpeas, soy beans, peanuts, rape, rye, oats, wheat,
vetch, and Canada field peas are all valuable forage crops for
swine of any age. The proper grain ration to feed with them
consists of such feeds as corn, barley, etc., with the legumes,
and with the nonlegume plants the use of a small percentage
of tankage and oil meal will be found advisable. The amount
to feed will depend on the rate of gain desired. If rapid gains
are sought, afull ration of grain should be used, but if economy is
more desirable smaller proportions of grain will be better, while
if itis only desired to carry the pig crop over a period of low
prices they can be kept on a minimum grain ration. It is best, -
however, to keep them growing, and to do this a small amount
of grain, 2 or 3 per cent of live weight, will be found most satis-
factory. According to tests at the Missouri station, forage crops
proved their value for pork production. ‘The test was con-
tinued through three summers, and 10 pounds of gain were ac-
credited to each bushel of corn before gains were accredited to
forage crops. Grain was fed at the rate of 2 or 3 per cent of the
weight of the hogs. Blue grass produced 295.2; alfalfa, 596.8;
clover, 572.2; rape, oats, and clover, 394; sorghum, 370.5;
cowpeas, 224.5; soy beans, 183.1; corn, 395.2; and rye grain,
244.3 pounds for each acre pastured. Valuing this pork at 6
cents per pound, alfalfa leads with $35.71 per acre per year;
clover is second with $34.11, followed by corn, rape, oats, clover,
sorghum, blue grass, rye grain, cowpeas, and soy beans. No
account was kept of the fertilizing elements left on the ground.

Dry-lot rations that will give satisfactory returns are not
easily obtainable. Corn is most often used as a basis of the
ration. Mill feeds, shipstuff, bran, etc., with some protein
feed, as alfalfa, tankage, oil meal, soy beans, or cowpeas, should
be used to balance the ration. Where milk is available, it can
be used to advantage, as noted before. It is best to feed a full
ration, or what the pigs will clean up in a reasonably short
time when in a dry lot. For a pig weighing 15 to 50 pounds
live weight a full ration for one day would be about 6 pounds
of grain per 100 pounds weight, and for the larger pigs the
ration will continue to grow smaller in proportion to weight
until the 300 to 350 pound pig will only consume a daily ration
equal to about 2.4 per cent of his weight.

For feeding on native pasture a smaller percentage of protein
is needed than in the dry lot, but some high-protein feed is
still needed. Pasture feeding is better than dry-lot feeding
under most conditions because it induces exercise and gives
succulence to the ration, causing the animals to keep in better

9 «

health in this way. Blue-grass pasture is used extensively view.

and is usually considered economical by the farmer. During
the early season it is a valuable feed, and if some forage is pro-
vided when the blue grass dries up it can be made to produce
gains at a very low cost.

FEEDING MINERAL MATTER.

Mineral matter should be supplied the herd in the form of
hardwood ashes, lime, finely ground rock phosphate, charcoal,
and salt. ‘These minerals are of value to the hog in keeping
up his health and general vigor of constitution. They are
needed to build the framework of the body and to develop

young animals. The suckling sow, young pigs, shotes, and the .

herd boar each profit from eating these substances.
COST IN GAINS FROM BIRTH TO MATURITY.

The little pig makes a pound of gain on less feed than the
older pig or grown hog. The amount of grain to each pound
of gain increases gradually until maturity. Henry gives the
gains in live weight made per week as follows: 7.4 per cent for
pigs under 100 pounds; 6 per cent for 100 to 150 pound pigs;
5 per cent for 150 to 200 pound pigs; and decreasing to only
3.1 per cent for 300 to 350 pound hogs.

View 40, taken from a bulletin of the Wisconsin Experiment
Station, gives the net gain and the cost of gain per pig from birth
to maturity. Note that while the pig gains nearly four times
as much, as shown by the first column, during the eighth period
of four weeks as during the first four weeks the gain costs about
three and one-half times as much per unit gained. The second

column shows that it requires $1.17 worth of feed to produce

100 pounds gain in the first four-week period and $4.20 to
produce 100 pounds gain in the eighth four-week period. This
table was-made from the records of 86 pigs of Berkshire, Po-
land-China, and razorback breeding. It shows clearly and
accurately the relative cost of gains in young and older pigs
and also the relative rapidity with which these gains were made.

FARM ECONOMIES WITH SWINE.

The pig’s place on the farm can not be filled by any other
animal. He is not only a profitable animal when grown as a
crop in himself, but some very important places filled by him
come from his ability to make use of feeds that would otherwise
be lost. Thus he saves waste and utilizes materials around
the farm which only he can use and converts these into a
marketable product and cash. The pig is known as the

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View.

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“mortgage lifter,’ and this appellation is certainly well
deserved.

Because of the pig’s ability to utilize the grain droppings
from steers, the pig often makes steer-feeding operations profit-
able that would not prove so without his aid. Mumford
reports in a summary of 10 different experiments that the
gains made by pigs following steers paid for from 0.94 per
cent to 16.67 per cent of the feed given the steers. These
pigs were thrifty shotes and did not receive additional feed.

Considering the relative economy of the different kinds of
live stock, the pig takes a place among the most economical.
For the whole fattening period the ox requires 1,109 pounds
of dry feed to produce 100 pounds gain; the sheep, 912 pounds;
and the pig, 420 pounds.

Among the classes of farm animals the pig ranks second as a
producer of human food from a given amount of digestible
matter consumed. The milch cow leads in her power to con-
vert crops of the field into human food, with the pig second,
poultry following, and the steer and cee coming lowest.

Feeding pigs on the farm has another value, and that is in
relation to soil fertility. The man who feeds He grain to pigs
sells a very small amount of fertilizing elements off of the farm
as compared with the one who sells grain. Furthermore, in
using forage or pasture crops the value of the manure scattered
over the fide is considerable.

Swine farming, like other branches of live-stock farming,
gives employment to labor during the entire year and enables
the farmer to keep-hired labor throughout the year and does
not congest it at harvest time. The hog is the only farm ani-
mal that can safely harvest the corn crop, and this practice is
gaining ground from year to year among the most progressive
farmers, resulting in no little saving of labor to the breeder
who grows his own corn.

TYPES OF HOGS.

The lard or fat type of hog is the most common market type
in the United States. In conformation he is a compact, thick-
bodied hog on rather short legs. He is of a quiet disposition.
The butcher desires a hog that will dress well and yield the
largest percentage of high-priced cuts of meat. The breeder
or feeder should endeavor to supply these, but he must have
constitution and feeding capacity to make his operation profit-
able. From the breeder’s or farmer’s point of view prolificacy
and early maturity are most desirable. Good quality is wanted
by both farmer and butcher and is indicated by the fine, silky

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hair and smooth, mellowskin. The head should be broad and view.

rather short; neck short and joining the shoulder without
creases; jowl full but not flabby; and the shoulder smooth,
deep, and well covered. The hog should have a broad, long,
straight, or slightly arched back, with a deep, smooth covering
of fat. The loin should be broad and strong and level with
the back. Hams should be long, deep, thick, and well let down
onthehock. The body should be long and deep, the ribs being
well sprung and the sides thick and side lines straight. Condi-
tion in the fat hog is important from the market standpoint.
Itis desired to have a thick, even covering of fat over the entire
carcass, free from wrinkles or ties. Market demands vary,
but a pig of 175 to 300 pounds usually will command ready
sale at the best prices. ;
The bacon type of hog is less common in the United States,
but is grown almost exclusively in other countries, especially
Denmark. The bacon-type pig is less compact and carries less
fat than the fat-type pig. Heis characterized by greater length
and depth, relatively, and with longer head and lighter ham,
shoulder, and jowl. The side is the main point emphasized
in the bacon pig, and the shoulder and ham should be light and
level with the side. Depth of body with moderate width is
sought, and a smooth carcass with firm flesh is desired. The
head is longer and the pig stands on longer legs than the lard-
type pig. The bacon pig should be marketed at 175 to 200
pounds, and his weight should not be made up of fat, but rather
of firm flesh. .
f . QUALITY AND CONDITION.

Quality in the pig is indicated by fine hair and small, hard
bone; fineness of parts in general indicating high quality.
High quality is essential to secure the best market price. The
butcher or packer wants a hog that will dress a high percentage
of edible meat. This is not secured from a coarse, rough, or
poorly fed hog. To secure as much quality as possible and
still retain health, vigor, fecundity, and early maturity with
good feeding qualities should be the aim of the feeder and
breeder. Too fine quality must be carefully avoided, because
it is usually accompanied by loss of the best breeding and
feeding qualities.

Condition in the lard hog is indicated by the covering of fat.
The fat should be even and thick over the entire carcass, and
free from wrinkles and creases. Condition is desirable because
it enhances the value of the hog. Condition in the bacon hog
is indicated by a smooth, firm covering of flesh, and deposits

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View. of fat are not wanted, but a mixing of fat and lean. There

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should be no wrinkles or ties in the flesh and the carcass is not
wanted thick or heavy.

View 44 represents the range in prices by months for mixed
packing hogs on the Chicago market in the year 1912. This
difference is caused by the quality and condition of the hogs
offered for sale by the farmer. As can be seen, there is a
difference of more than $1 per 100 pounds live weight
most of the time during the year. If the farmer or breeder
would breed for higher quality and feed till his hogs attained
a higher finish before sending to market, he could easily change
his product from the lower to the higher class. A herd boar
that will sire pigs fit to go into the higher class will cost com-
paratively little more than one that will sire pigs only good
enough for the poorer market price, and the good boar will
soon pay for his extra cost and return greater profits there-
after.

BREEDS.

In studying, judging, or selecting breeding stock of pure
breeding the first thing to remember is breed type. By breed
type is meant the characteristics of the particular breed under
study. Each breed of swine has a set standard of desirable
points as to size, conformation, form, color, and disposition.
There are some points in common in nearly all breeds, with
enough variation to give one almost any kind of hog desired.

The Poland-China is one of the extreme lard, orfat, type. It
originated in Ohio, and is the most common breed of hogs in the
UnitedStates. The Poland-Chinapigis black or black and white
in color; has ashort, broad head, with slightly dished face; the
ears start strong, but break and drop about one-third of their
length. The body is thick, broad, and compact, and deposits
of fat are quite thick over the entire carcass. The hams and
shoulders are heavy; the back is strong and broad, and its
early maturing qualities are remarkably good. _

The Duroc-Jersey breed originated in the United States.
It is a prolific breed and they are good feeders and mature
early. The Duroc type of pig is of the fat, or lard, type and it
isredin color. The ears are slightly larger and the face longer
in some strains than in others, but the best type has ears of
moderate fineness and with a rather short, slightly dished, face.

Chester White swine, also a United States breed, are of the
lard, or fat, type. They have pendent ears and large, long
bodies, and reach heavy weights. They are good feeders and
breeders. It is a white breed, and only fairly numerous.

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The Berkshire breed is of a medium to lard type, having
length and depth with less width of body. They have erect
ears and strongly dished face. This breed is of English
origin and is black, with white feet and a little white in face
and on tail, making “‘six white points.”

The Large Yorkshire is a white, bacon breed of English
origin. A prolific breed and one which attains large size. It
is not an early maturing breed to any marked extent, but
rather inclined to keep on growing. They have deep, long
sides with rather narrow backs. The ears incline to be heavy
and droop, but should be fine and not loppy.

The Tamworth is a red hog of English origin. They are

_ of the extreme bacon type; good grazers; long in head, leg,.

_ and body, but having deep, long sides. The ears are large
and erect or leaning foward. Its early maturing qualities are
rather inferior, but it is a very prolific breed, and the sows are
good mothers.

The Hampshire is a hog of the bacon type, and it is usually
black, with white belt about the body, but there are some plain
black animals. This breed of bacon hogs is of somewhat
obscure but undoubtedly American origin. It is very pro-
lific and of medium size. The sides are of moderate length
and depth, with rather light shoulders and hams. The quality
of Hampshire pork is superior.

View.

50

d1

52

53

APPENDIX.

LANTERN SLIDES.

No. of

view.

Sow and pigs.

Hog house—central type.

Ground plan of hog house shown in view 2.
Practical central type hog house of moderate cost.

Hog house, United States Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Md.
Hog house, United States Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Md.

Individual pen to show concrete floor with wood overlay.
Lovejoy hog cot.

Lovejoy type of hog cot in use, St. Clair, Mich.

Hog cot at United States Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Md.
Hog cot at United States Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Md.
Hurdles.

V-shaped trough.

Breeding crate.

Device for hauling water.

Handcart for hauling water or liquid food.

Concrete feeding floor for hogs.

Stanchion for ringing.

Unsanitary hog house.

Keep the house disinfected and sanitary.

Dipping vat.

The hog louse.

One way that hog cholera is spread.

- Another bad condition.

A better way.

Poland-China sow in field condition.
Duroc-Jersey boar in field condition.
Farrowing pen.

An unprofitable litter.

A good sized profitable litter.

Sow and pigs on rape and oats forage
Creep and self feeders for little pigs.
Pigs at weaning time on cowpeas.
Pigs on oats and pea forage.
Pasturing rye.

Hogging down corn.

Pigs on rape pasture.

Rack for feeding alfalfa.

Alfalfa rack in use.

Exterior.
Interior.

General view.
Shown open.

. Table showing average net gain of each pig and average cost of feed for 100

pounds gain from birth to maturity.

Champion Berkshire barrows, lowana Farms, Demauey Towa.

Champion Tamworth sow—1913—hbacon type.
Quality pigs.
Graphic chart of selling price of pigs on Chicago market.

Champion Poland-China sow, “‘ Beauty 2nd,’’ W. J. Baker, Rich Hill, Mo.
Duroc-Jersey sow, owned by ‘Wallmeyer TENOR. Melbourne, Lowa.
Champion Duroc-Jersey boar, ‘‘ Big Wonder, ” owned by O. P. Stevens, Ripley,

Towa.
(14)

15

48. Champion Chester White sow, ‘‘Myrtle B,’’ owned by Thomas Kent, Walnui,
Towa.

49. Champion Chester White boar, owned by E. D. Summerville, Monroe, Iowa.

50. Berkshire sow.

51. Large Yorkshire sow.

52. Champion Tamworth boar.

53. Hampshire sow, ‘‘ Pearl’s Choice,’’ International 1913.

REFERENCES.

Dairy By-products as Supplements to Corn for Fattening Hogs. Indiana Sta. Bul,
137.

Pork Production with Forage Crops. Missouri Sta. Bul. 95.

The Food Requirements of Pigs from Birth to Maturity. Wisconsin Sta. Bul. 104.

_ [Statistics of Agricultural Products.] U.S. Dept. Agr., Yearbook 1912, pp. 666, 700,

726. .
[Statistics.] U.S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Statistics, Crop Reporter, February, April, and

Seasumne, 1913..°

The Feeding of Farm Animals. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 22.

Rape as a Forage Crop. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 164.

Pig Management. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 205.

Canadian Field Peas. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 224.

Forage Crop Practices in Western Oregon and Western Washington. U.S. Dept. Agr.,
Farmers’ Bul. 271.

A Successful Hog and Seed-corn Farm. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 272.

Cowpeas. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 318.

Forage Crops for Hogs in Kansas and Oklahoma. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 331.

Alfalfa. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 339.

The Computation of Rations for Farm Animals by the Use of Energy Values. U.S.
Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 346.

Soy Beans. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 372.

Hog Cholera. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 379.

Feeding Hogs in the South. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 411.

The Peanut. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 431.

Hog Houses. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 438.

Red Clover. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 455.

The Use of Concrete on the Farm. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 461.

Concrete Construction on the Live-stock Farm. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 481.

Sweet Clover. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 485.

Vetches. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 515.

Boys’ Pig Clubs. U.S. Dept. Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 566.

FORMULAS.

Formula for kerosene emulsion.—Dissolve 4 pound hard soap in 1 gallon boiling
water. Add 2 gallons kerosene and stir for 10 minutes. Dilute to 20 gallons and
spray. ;

Formula for arsenical dip.—A self-boiled arsenical dip recommended by the Bureau
of Animal Industry of this department is prepared as follows:

In a 5-gallon metal kettle or pail place 4 pounds of dry granulated caustic soda (not
less than 85 per cent pure); add 1 gallon of cold water, and stir with a stick until the
caustic soda is practically all dissolved. Have ready 10 pounds of finely powdered
white arsenic, and without delay add it in portions of a pound or two at a time, as fast
as it can be dissolved without causing the solution to boil, stirring all the time. If the

16

liquid begins to boil spontaneously, stop stirring and let it cool slightly before adding
more arsenic. The secret of success is to work in the arsenic fast enough to keep the
solution very hot, nearly but not quite at the boiling point. The result should bea
clear solution, except for dirt. If the liquid persistently remains muddy or milky it
may be because the operation has been conducted so fast that much water has heen
boiled out and salts are beginning to crystallize, so add another gallon of water and stir.
If the solution does not then clear up, the caustic soda must have been very low grade,
and the undissolved substance must be arsenic. In that case put the kettle over the
fire, heat nearly but not quite to boiling, and stir. As soon as solution of arsenic is
complete, dilute to about 4 gallons, add 10 pounds of sal soda, and stir until dissolved.

Cautions: It is necessary to avoid splashing. Hence never work hurriedly; stir —
deliberately and regularly; do not dump in the arsenic and sal soda, but carefully slide
it in from a grocer’s scoop held close to the side of the pail and to the surface of the
liquid. Perform the whole operation in a well-ventilated place, and avoid inhaling
steam. Have all materials ready to hand before starting. Keep caustic soda tightly —
closed from air.

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Syracuse, ‘N. Y-

PAT, JAN. 21, 1908

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

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