RliPORT OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 87 



is no kind of food of which pigs are fonder, or would probably 

 thrive better upon. The soporific property of the lettuce would 

 aid greatly in fattening. The custom generally is to give a 

 morning feed of the fresh whey, and the rest of the whey is 

 emptied into a cistern of some sort, in which it becomes acid, 

 being considered less laxative and more nutritious in that state. 

 The auxiliary food varies much on different farms, as boiled 

 small or tainted potatoes, hashed oats or beans or maize, turnips 

 or mangolds, thirds and bran and mill-dust, &c., sometimes 

 given as a warm mash, and sometimes in mixture with the sour 

 whey. A due portion of salt stirred in amongst the sour whey 

 is most beneficial for fattening, but the quantity must be care- 

 fully regulated, and not exceed about 1 oz. to each pig twice or 

 three times a week. The swine now on many farms are much 

 better cared for than the milch cows ! 



With a stock of about 20 milch cows, from 6 to 8 swine may 

 be fattened annually, weighing between 9 and 14 Ayrshire 

 stones of 24 lbs each, exclusive of offal and skin ; but the num- 

 ber much depends upon the amount and quality of other food 

 given auxiliarly with the whey. More attention is now being 

 paid to the breed of pigs bought in or reared, though there is 

 still room for improvement on this head ; but, at all events, the 

 greater number of swine that one sees now, are very different, 

 from the lank, long-eared, razor-backed brutes, largely imported 

 from Ireland not so many years ago. Within the last 10 years 

 or so, too, their comfort and cleanliness have been much better 

 cared for, by providing good slate-covered piggeries, and having 

 their whole premises (covered and open) regularly cleaned out 

 and freshly littered with dry straw ; and the increase of warmth 

 thus afforded assists in fattening; as much as a larger allowance 

 of food. Few kinds of live stock (if any) in Ayrshire, yield a 

 better return for any small extras laid out on them, either of 

 comfort or feeding; and, especially so now, with pork selling at 

 from lis. Gd. to 12s. 6d. per 24 lbs. The carcases are always 

 sold fresh to the wdiolesale curers. 



White-faced pet sheep are pretty common on the arable dairy 

 farms throughout the county, varying from 3 to 5 on the smaller 

 sized farms, and from 5 to 10 on the larger. Of what exact 

 breed they are is hard to say. Of or belonging to the " Leices- 

 ter " somewhat, in most cases, may best describe them. They 

 fatten to great weights, and one or two are often killed before 

 harvest to meet the larger kitchen demand occasioned by the 

 hairst-men. Their wool for family use besides is very service- 

 able. Lambs are taken from the pet-ewes, and mostly having 

 twins each. Six months old, these were selling in autumn 

 (1864) as high as 45s. a piece. Many of the tenants are in the 

 habit of buying a score or two of black-faced slack or drafted 



