& 



John Hammond 397 



is about 2 per cent, greater thau tliat of tlie Native Danish. The investiga- 

 tion which was practical in nature was however limited to pigs of this age, 

 so does not show differences due to age. 



Seniinler(2s) found that the carcase weights of Berkshires were on the 

 average higher than those of German native breeds of the same type. 

 Henry (29) quotes from Cuvier that the intestine length of the wild boar 

 is 9 times the body length whereas that of the domestic boar is 13-5 times 

 and he found himself that in fat hogs it was 21 times. No weights are 

 given, however, and it does not follow that in<-reased length means in- 

 creased weight; if the diameter were decreased the absorptive area 

 would still be greater and the weight of contained foodstufi's the same or 

 less. Henseler's(i2) data shows that a starved pig of 9 months old had 

 an intestine length 18-1 times the body length, whereas in a well-fed pig 

 of the same age and from the same litter the length was only 16-9 times; 

 moreover, the intestine was 4-95 per cent, of the hve weight in the starved 

 animal, whereas it was only 2-8 per cent, in the well-fed. 



The average weights of pigs killed in the carcase competitions are 

 shown in Table IV which also gives tlie numbers exhibited and their 

 average age. These figures have been translated into lbs. per week in- 

 crease which are shown in Table V. The birth weight has been neglected 

 as the weights of the different breeds at birth were not known. Owing to 

 differences in age the weights of the different breeds given in Tal>le IV 

 are not strictly comparable. Table VI has therefore been prepared to 

 show all breeds calculated to common ages. 



If the live weights of animals exhibited in the "Carcase Classes" 

 given in Table VI are compared with those shown in Table III for the 

 "Live Classes" of the same age it will be seen that, as has been pointed 

 out by Long (30), the live class animals are much heavier. With Berk- 

 sliires the difference at 3 months is 12 lbs., while at 11 months it is 

 154 lbs. and again with Large Whites at 3 months the difference is 19 lbs., 

 while at 11 months it is 156 lbs. The reason for this is probably that the 

 "Live Class" animals are more heavily fattened. Evidence, which it is 

 hoped to pubhsh shortly, has been accumulated on this point in sheep 

 and it shows that the difference in weight and composition of the body 

 of animals from the Live and Carcase Classes is one of fat alone. It would 

 seem probable that this result would also apply to pigs and that the 

 difference in weight between the two classes is due to extra fat in the 

 Live Classes, wliich from the butchers" point of view is superfluous. It is 

 worthy of note that the Tamworth, a breed which does not put on 

 superfluous fat easily, has only a difference of 45 lbs. between "Carcase" 



