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Show TO MAKE SWINE PROFITABLE Beginner Will Do Well by Adopting One Breed, Standing by It and Work for Improvement. With the number of excellent breeds of swine from which any one at the present day may make a choice it is a waste of time for a breeder to undertake to create a strain of his, own by crossing the Chester White on the Poland China pig, although, there are some instances where this has been done with pronounced success. suc-cess. The beginner will do better by adopting one breed, standing by it and working for improvement in the family rather than in the race. A man with even limited capital may be able to get a good start by knowing know-ing what to purchase. Excellent young sows bred for fall or spring farrow can be bought for from $40 to $50, good male pigs for $25, or those old enough for service for $50, writes W. F. McSparran in the Country Gent tleman. There is a question whether one need ever pay any more than these prices for some of the very best ; untried stock. The animals shouid be fed well and wisely, as their subsequent improvement improve-ment will result from feed, care and selection. The sow should produce two litters a year, about ten pigs the, first year, although often she will do' much better than that and sometimes ! ' ( v- tW'V't Decidedly Unprofitable. not, so well. If she is bred too young or is too fat at the time of breeding, the first litter, at least, will probably he small in number. The breeder must know the type of animal he desires and select with that in view. If the offspring of a given sire have predominating characteristics characteris-tics of the kind approved, by all means breed this sire to his best daughters, and if his points of merit are prepotently fixed one can expect to secure the proper offspring. Do not scoff at pedigree, for it means the record of the blood of your herd. Also, do not pay money for a pedigree, but spend it liberally for the ideal hog with a pedigree equal to his merits. There is abundant chance for selection from prolific swine. The young sow may farrow at from twelve to sixteen months of age. A mature sow should produce twelve to eighteen pigs a year, which will give you plenty of stock to select from. |