6. A Razor-Back
Sus Indica, a native of China, was a small, fine-boned animal much prized by the people of southeastern Asia. Descendants of Sus Scrofa, the wild boar of western Europe, are still hunted in forests and private game preserves. The wild boar is a large, ferocious animal with thin hams and a heavy shield. From its Chinese ancestor the modern hog has derived its form and quality; from the wild boar it has obtained its size and vigor.
Swine were probably introduced into this country by early Spanish explorers. For many years wild hogs were found in the everglades of Florida. It is recorded that Jamestown had to be fenced to keep out the wild hogs, descendants of those brought over by earlier settlers. Although the ancestors of the hog came from China and western Europe, it remained for English breeders to blend the two and develop the earlier breeds.
The earlier breeds like the Berkshire were developed where corn is not grown successfully. Under such conditions the bacon-type of hog was produced.
Bacon-type. The bacon hog has a longer side, less fat and a smaller ham. Canada, Denmark, and Ireland produce the finest hogs of this type. Bacon hogs furnish the “Wiltshire side,” in which ham, side, and shoulder are marketed in one piece. This cut commands a higher price on the European continent than pork from the lard hog. The weight of this type of hog for market varies from 160 to 200 pounds. The form of the bacon-type is quite different from the form of the lard-type. The hog has longer legs, the body is not so thick or deep, the shoulders, neck, and jowls are lighter. The hog should be longer from shoulder to ham, with sufficient depth and thickness to denote good constitution. Quality, as in the lard-type, is indicated by a smooth coat of hair and an unwrinkled skin. The finished bacon hog “handles” firmer to the touch than a finished lard hog. The bones of this type are larger, but they should present a clean-cut appearance. The loin is the most valuable cut in this hog, and should be as wide as the rest of the back, full, strong, and well packed with flesh. The ribs should spring out boldly from the backbone and turn sharply downward, giving a straight, flat side. The leading breeds of the bacon-type of swine are the Tamworth and the Large Yorkshire. Sometimes the Hampshire is so classed.
Lard-type. The lard hog is a native of the corn belt. This type of hog has a compact, thick, deep, smooth body. The ham, back, loin and shoulders are the most valuable parts and are developed to a higher degree. The production of lard and fat is the principle aim of this type. Quality is denoted by fine hair, smooth, clean, unwrinkled skin, rather fine bone, and an even distribution of flesh. The jowls should be broad, plump, and full, and the belly not baggy in appearance. The hog should have short upright pasterns. The snout should be fine, the face wide between the eyes, and the space between the ears wide and full. Width between the eyes and fullness and width between the ears indicate a good feeder. The neck should be short and deep and should blend smoothly into the shoulder. The shoulder should be well developed, blending smoothly into the body and covered evenly with flesh over all parts. The back should be broad, slightly arched, of medium length and thickly fleshed. The ribs should be well sprung, the sides deep and even between the shoulders and ham. The ham should be broad, deep, plump, and heavily fleshed well down toward the hocks. The rump should be as wide as the back. The legs should be short, straight, set well apart and squarely under the body. The above brief description is general for all breeds of the lard hog. The Poland China, Chester White, Berkshire, and Duroc-Jersey are the popular breeds of this type of hog.
Breeds. The selection of a good breed by a pig club member is an important matter. He should be influenced by two conditions: the breeds raised in the community and his own preference. The community which confines its efforts to two, or better, to one breed of hog, will attract buyers and its stock will command fancy prices. On the other hand, a breeder will be most successful with the breed in which he has confidence.
To make an intelligent choice, every club member should become familiar with the characteristics, advantages, and shortcomings of the several breeds of hogs. It should be borne in mind that there is no “best breed.”