THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



300 



While lie advocated warmth, he was very far from saying that 

 animals should be shut up iu places where the atmosphere was 

 at 100 degrees, or where there was no adequate provision for 

 ventilation. What he wished to point out was, that warmth 

 had an important and necessary connection with the food 

 which was given to animals. Having now said enough with 

 regard to the breeding of sheep, he would say a few words 

 with regard to sheep required as food for man. There was no 

 other animal so important in thia point of view as the sheep. 

 Mutton constituted the grand staple food of thia country ; and 

 hence, as he had before remarked, the improvement of the 

 breeds had a close connection with the increase of 

 population. The Royal Agricultural Society and the 

 Smithfield Club had both exerted themselves in the field of 

 improvement, by offering prizes and holding exhibitions 

 periodically; and great success had attended their 

 efforts. Similar exhibitions had recently taken place 

 in France ; but the result thus far was that the English 

 breeders and graziers who exhibited sheep swept away the 

 prizes, and, pocketing the money, walked away with it 

 (laughter). As regarded the distribution of the meat, some 

 preferred early lamb, and others preferred saddle of mutton 

 with a black foot, and had to pay for the luxury j while 

 others, agaiu, having less money to spare, made a different 

 choice. The whole thing was beautifully arranged, and the 

 culture harmonized well with the variety in the public de- 

 mands. Having been at Smithfield market early on Monday 

 morning, he had observed that the butchers from the West 

 End had the first choice of the market ; then came the pur- 

 veyors for the mass of the middle classes ; and, last of all, came 

 those whose business lay chiefly with the working-classes, and 

 who said they must have a great lot of meat for their money 

 (laughter). A very remarkable alteration had taken place of 

 late years with regard to the conveyance of sheep to market, 

 and the return to the seller. When he was a lad, living iu 

 Lincolnshire, his father's sheep and capital were a fortnight 

 walking to the metropolis, and they each lost eight or ten 

 pounds' weight of meat on the way. Of course no one got 

 the meat that was expended on the route— it was so much ab- 

 solute waste. Now, sheep were conveyed from Lincolnshire 

 to London in a few hours, and within thirty hours after they 



left the farm the animals were not only sold, but the farmer or 

 dealer had his money for them, and could thus employ it at 

 once. This was a very great improvement ; in fact, one of 

 the great facilities afforded by the railways. It was not ne- 

 cessary that he should say anything with regard to the dead 

 meat markets, as they were all familiar with them. Here, 

 again, how ever, was a comparatively new state t)f things. Meat 

 was now brought from Scotland and other distant parts of 

 the kingdom, which did not come formerly ; and rapidly as 

 people from various districts had located themselves in the 

 metropolis, the supply of meat had followed them in the same 

 ratio. The use of artificial manures had a close and interesting 

 connection with this subject. By using such articles the far- 

 mer was enabled greatly to increase his growth of turnips, and 

 before it was necessary for him to pay for the manures, he 

 had an ample return in the extra quantity of sheep which 

 he was thus enabled to keep and send to market. He must 

 now conclude. He had told the commissioners that it was 

 quite impossible for him, within a single lecture, to exhaust 

 the whole question of the culture of sheep. The wool pro- 

 duction he had not yet touched, and he believed it was to 

 be entered upon by a gentleman from the North of England 

 familiar with manufactures, who would take up the subject 

 where he (Mr. Smith) had left it. The wool collection in 

 the mnseum was by no means complete ; and as he had be- 

 fore intimated, he should, after his return home, do every- 

 thing that might be in his power to supply the defects. 

 The great importance of sheep, in relation to their wool- 

 bearing properties, was daily increasing. Beyond our 

 own growth the imports of wool from Australia, in 1807, 

 amounted to only 2451bs. ; whereas in 1855, the latest 

 period up to which the returns extended, the importation 

 was 40,810,1 371bs. In 1833 we received from India 

 3,7-211bs., in 1855 4,594,5201bs. The total imports of wool 

 from all places, in 1855, amounted to 99,300,44Glbs. 



The lecture occupied one hour and three-quarters, the 

 whole of which being given from notes, made it the more 

 interesting to the audience. The lecturer concluded by 

 thanking the audience for the patience with which they had 

 listened to him, and on retiring he was loudly cheered. 



ON PIGGERIES. 



Swine are filthy animals in the cleanest coadition in 

 which they can be kept, and emit an offensive smell that 

 is very disagreeable to other animals, as to cattle, with 

 which the nearest association is placed in the arrange- 

 ment of being reared and fattened. The manufactory 

 of pigs is best located in a separate position from the 

 farmery, but closely adjoining it, as the purposes are 

 combined, and require a juxtaposition of utensils with 

 which to work in unison. The site of the farmery, and 

 the elevation of ground, will very much dispose the 

 arrangements. The piggery may stand in the front range 

 of either wing, in a small distance removed, and with an 

 open front to the most benign aspect. The walls of the 

 erection being low, the position in front of the farmery 

 will not much exclude the sun from shining on the 

 farm-yard behind, and a space of twenty or thirty 

 yards being intervened between the piggery and the 

 front of the farmery, no inconvenience will happen from 

 the respective situations. As in all cases of the kind, 

 circumstances will direct the arrangements. 



The exterior shape of the piggery is best in a long 



square, differing in a third or fourth from the true 

 equality of fides. The shortest sides are placed to form 

 the back part and open front, the former being divided 

 into a cooking-house, and sheds for the boar and brood 

 sows ; the extent being always proportioned to the size 

 of the farm, and the number of swine that can be kept. 

 An end door in the food-house affords a passage along 

 the front of the breeding sties, and a ready access with 

 food and litter. A front door in the centre of the house 

 leads along a paved road between two rows of feeding 

 sties, in which the bacon hogs are confined, in two to- 

 gether, and provided with sty and shelter-shed of the area 

 of about 100 square feet. A light four-wheeled waggon of 

 thin iron carries the food along the passage, and the swine 

 are fed on the right and left with much convenience 

 and facility. The two rows of sties, and a centre pas- 

 sage in width, occupy the length of the food-house on 

 large farms; on less extents, one row of sties will be 

 placed, and an end-door will serve the feeding and 

 breeding departments. The front of the breeding sties 

 in width, the short side of the piggery, minus the length 



