become further apart. When the pig is about five months, the fourth
molar in either jaw shows itself in the gums, then at six months the
wolf teeth show between the tusks and the premolars, and the fourth
molar is nearly level with the first premolar. The corner incisors and
the tusks usually disappear, and are replaced by permanents when the pig
is nine months old. The second permanent molar also shows itself. At
twelve months the two central temporary incisors give place to the
permanents; these last are more square in form than the temporaries, and
are thus easily distinguished. The three temporary molars will also be
ready for displacement by three permanents. These last will be level
with the other permanent molars when the pig is fifteen months. The two
lateral incisors will also have given place to permanents. At eighteen
months the third permanent molars will be coming through, and at the age
of twenty months the pig's teeth are fully developed.

CHAPTER V

SELECTION OF THE BOAR

The hackneyed saying "The sire is half the herd" appears to have a
different meaning to varying persons. To some it conveys the idea that
the selection of the sire is of far more importance than the selection
of the dam because the influence of the sire is so much more powerful
than that of the dam on at least the external form and character of the
produce. The late Mr. James Howard, who took a particularly keen
interest in the breeding of pigs, used to declare that the appearance
and form of the young pigs far more generally followed those of the sire
than of the dam; whilst the influence of the latter was more shown in
the character and constitution of their joint produce; or in other
words, that the boar stamped his character to a greater extent on the
external points of the young, whilst the sow more strongly influenced
the internal parts of the youngsters. It is quite possible that this
idea has gained ground to a large extent from the fact that the use of a
pure bred sire on ordinary or grade females has been very much more
common than the crossing of pure bred females by the ordinary or
non-pedigree sire; as also from the far greater numbers of young which
each pure bred sire would improve, than would be improved by each pure
bred female which might be crossed.

If only for this reason alone, we would always recommend buyers who are
desirous of grading up and improving their farm stock to attempt to do
this by the pu