ON THE RELATIVE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 

 OF VARIOUS BREEDS AND CROSSES OF PIGS. 



By JOHN HAMMOND, M.A. 



{InsLilule of Aninud Nulrilkni, School of Agriculture, Cmtihruhje.) 



iNTRODUCTiON. 



Few reliable figures (i) exist at the present time wliicli show the relative 

 qualities of the various British breeds of pigs in respect of their ability 

 to put on weight and the relative proportions of meat and offal in the 

 carcases. Weights and carcase percentages of German breeds have been 

 published by the German Agricultural Society (2). 



An investigation based on the records of the Smithtield Club's Fat 

 Stock Show was therefore undertaken to determine the relative merits of 

 the various breeds. 



Hitherto most of the work which has been done on the growth and 

 fattening of farm animals has been based on the chemical composition 

 of the body ; this, however, does not altogether show the economic side 

 of the question as it fails to differentiate between parts of different value 

 and edibility. 



In all interpretations of the results of this investigation given below 

 it should be remembered that the animals exhibited were all in a fat con- 

 dition and that the Show is essentially a butchers' show. The averages 

 quoted for the dift'erent breeds will be maximum averages for the best 

 animals of the breed; the commercial specimens of the breed would 

 normally fall below this average but there is no reason to suppose that 

 the relative positions of the breeds would be affected thereby. 



The results in general show the rate of growth and carcase percentage 

 of the different breeds at 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 months old; data on the rate 

 of maturity is also presented as well as figures which show the changes 

 that have been made in breeds during the last few years. 



In order to determine the actual amount of edible meat produced it is 

 necessary also to know the weights of muscle, fat and bone in the carcase, 

 but there are no data on this point in the records of the Show and this 

 remains to be discussed in another investigation. 



Journ. of Agric. Sci. sii 26 



