The Hampshire is a black hog with a belt of white from 4 to 12 inches in width encircling the body and including the forelegs. It is more upstanding than the lard-type breeds, and has a broad and fairly deep body. A narrow head with close set ears extending forward but not breaking are other marks of distinction. The Hampshire matures early, has good sized litters, and is a good grazer. The proportion of fat to lean meat is very desirable. Little is known of its early history other than that it originated in Hampshire, England, and that representatives were brought to Kentucky at an early date. =Selecting the pigs.= In choosing a breed a club member will do well to select the one which is most prevalent in his community, provided, of course, that it is a breed which meets the market requirements and in other ways is adapted to local conditions. This will be the case if he lives in a community of successful swine breeders. =Getting started.= After a breed has been decided upon, the next thing is to pick out the individuals. A pig club member may start with a pig or pigs after weaning, or a bred gilt may be purchased. Wherever possible a pure-bred sow pig or gilt should be secured. Two things are to be considered, the pedigree and individuality of the animal. Unless you are familiar with pedigrees, it is best to leave that to the reliable breeder with whom you are dealing. Every pig club member, however, should be able to pick out a good pig. Four things should be considered in selecting a breeding animal: form, quality, constitution, sex character and type. It is true that the matter is more difficult with a young pig than with an older pig, but part or all of these conditions may be noted in the young pig. A pig with a comparatively long body and with good depth and width should be selected. It should stand squarely on short legs of good bone. There should be no wrinkles on the body. A good heart girth indicates plenty of room for the lungs and denotes a strong constitution. Quality is shown in fineness of bone and hair. Too fine a bone should be avoided. To judge type one must be familiar with the requirements of the various breeds. Above all, the pig selected should be a good feeder. =Care and management.= After the pig or pigs are secured, the next problem is one of care and management. Every pig club member should keep in mind that pigs require a variety of clean food, clean water, exercise and, a clean bed if they are to thrive and be profitable. Being a large feeder the pig will eat dirty food from a dirty trough if no other is offered. On this account it is often thought that he will get along under any sort of circumstances. Such is not the case. No animal will respond more quickly to careful, intelligent treatment than the pig. [Illustration: 14. A GOOD HOG HOUSE]