Make your pig gentle. An hour a day should be spent teaching the pig to stand still while being examined. While it is not customary at big shows to hold pigs while they are being judged, yet at a contest of this kind the best trained pig will be looked upon with special favor, since such a pig will signify to the judges that his master has done everything possible “to bring him out.”
3. Marketing the pigs. The October pigs will be ready for the market this summer, probably as early as July. Study carefully the market classes and grades described in [Part III]. Determine to which classes and grades your pigs should belong. Watch carefully the daily market reports in the papers. Seek the best advice you can get on the important business of marketing your pigs.
4. Concluding work. Finish all records called for in [Part IV]. Achievement, as one boy puts it, is “getting into the game, sticking to it, and finishing the job.” Here is your chance to achieve not only a successful and profitable piece of work for yourself, but a man’s service in adding to the food supply of your country.
PART II
PRACTICAL EXERCISES
1. Wild relatives of swine. Pupils should prepare written reports upon the following wild relatives of the hog: peccary, wart hog, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, wild boar. Consult geographies, natural histories and encyclopedias for such information.
2. Swine on the home farm. Let each pupil report on the swine on the home farm by filling out the following table:
| Types and Breeds | Number of Each | Characteristics of Each | Average Weight | Estimated Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3. Market prices. Pupils should record the market prices of hogs in a tabular form, every day for a period of two weeks. Such daily quotations may be obtained from the newspaper. If possible, record the number of the “run” of hogs which were offered for sale at the market where prices are quoted. Note any relation that may exist between price and number of hogs.