ine character. The almost certain result
of selecting the neatest of the female pigs followed, the fat pigs sent
to market were light in weight, deficient in lean meat and rightly named
"animated bladders of lard." Within about the same distance of time it
was the common practice of exhibitors of pigs at the Smithfield Club's
Shows to provide pillows in the form of round pieces of wood on which
the fat pigs rested their heads so that these were raised in order to
prevent the pigs becoming suffocated. In addition, the pigs were fed on
forcing foods until they were at least one and a half year old and
allowed to take, or were given little exercise, with the result that the
pork consisted mainly of soft fat or lard. To such an extent had this
craze for neatness been followed that the bacon curers and consumers of
pork wellnigh ceased to purchase or consume pork.

At the present time we are afraid that the tendency is in the opposite
direction, and mere size is receiving far too much attention. At some of
our agricultural shows the judges select for honour great unwieldly sows
which could not possibly perform with any amount of success those
maternal duties which a brood sow is supposed to be kept solely to
perform. An extremely large sow is very frequently a poor milker, the
quantity of milk she gives is not large, nor does she continue to give
even this reduced supply for a period long enough to allow her young to
grow strong enough to make a good start in life on their own account.

Another great objection to a sow of extreme size is that her produce
almost invariably take after her to such an extent that it is difficult,
if not wellnigh impossible, to make them fat until they are from nine to
twelve months old, and by that time they are too large and heavy for the
general demand which is at the present time, and likely to become still
more so in the future, for small joints of meat which carry a large
proportion of lean and a limited quantity of bone. The most successful
manufacturer is he who most nearly supplies the consumer with that which
he requires or fancies. We are not moved by the contention of breeders
of pedigree pigs that the most valuable pig is the one which possesses
in the greatest degree those special points which are characteristic of
the breed, as, for instance, size in the pigs of the Large White, the
Large Black, and the Lincolnshire Curly Coated pigs, therefore the
biggest pigs should be held in th