118 The Journal 
number in the Canton region, although 
as many as fifteen are frequently seen 
with one sow. 
During the day the sow and pigs 
roam at will in the narrow, stone streets 
of the villages, picking up what edible 
garbage they can find. Sometimes, 
however, the sow is muzzled when thus 
turned out with her family of pigs. 
Pigs are usually castrated and spayed 
when they are six to ten weeks old and 
still sucking, although animals weigh- 
ing as much as 100 pounds are some- 
times thus operated on. The Chinese 
consider it just as necessary to spay 
gilts as to castrate boars. Meat from 
unspayed gilts is somewhat coarser than 
that from spayed animals, and better 
growth is also obtained by spaying. 
Both operations are considered art; 
and practiced only by a few experts. 
Spaying is never attempted by the 
farmer himself, and castration only 
when the services of an expert cannot 
be secured. A professional usually has 
an apprentice along to assist him. After 
a time the apprentice performs the op- 
erations himself and becomes an ex- 
pert provided he can work rapidly 
enough. The methods used are the same 
as those in western countries. Spaying, 
however, is somewhat different. 
No disinfectants are used, nor is the 
operator particular about the pig, or 
his own hands being clean. No doubt 
many of the few losses which do occur 
are due to this lack of sanitary precau- 
tion on the part of the operator, and 
because of the fact that feed is not re- 
duced either before or after the opera- 
tion. In the fall of 1918 the service of 
a local hog “veterinarian’”—if he should 
be referred to by such an honorable 
title—was secured by the College, and 
four gilts weighing about forty pounds 
each were spayed. The operator was 
allowed to use his own methods. No 
disinfectants were used, nor was the 
amount Of feed reduced, either before 
or after the operation. The operations 
were successful in every case. Very 
of Heredity 
little discomfort was shown by the pigs 
after the operation, and they did not get 
“off feed.” 
HOG FEEDING PLANTS IN CONNECTION 
WITH DISTILLERIES 
Hog feeding plants, feeding from 100 
to 300 hogs at a time, are usually found 
in connection with rice wine distilleries. 
In Honam, south of Canton, there is a 
representative plant of this kind. This 
is a rice wine distillery, with a hog feed- 
ing plant run in connection. The writer 
last visited the plant on November 2, 
1918. At that time about 200 hogs 
were being fed, which was the full 
capacity of the plant. No brood sows 
are kept, but pigs weighing about 50 
catties* are purchased from the village 
farmers. Brewer’s grains from the dis- | 
tillery form the largest part of the ra- 
tion fed, although some rice chop and 
wheat bran is also fed. About 600 
catties of dry feed are required in this 
plant to make 100 catties of gain in 
weight. The hogs are fed for from 200 
to 250 days, and, when sold, weigh 
from 140 to 200 catties. The size of the 
hogs when sold and the length of the 
feeding period depend on the individual 
hogs and on the market prices and de- 
mands. 
The price paid for rice chop varies 
from $3.00 to $4.00 (local silver *) for 
100 catties. Brewer’s grains sell for 
40 cents for 100 catties. Manure from 
the plant sells for 30 cents for 100 
catties. The price received for the 
hogs on the market is variable. The 
average price during the years from 
1916 to 1918 was $20.00 (local silver) 
for 100 catties, varying from $16.00 to 
$24.00. The prices paid for market 
hogs depend on the size, condition, and 
the demand at different seasons. Hogs 
weighing about 150 catties usually bring 
the best prices; and the prices are 
usually higher during the winter than 
at other times of the year. Stags and 
sows, even when fat and in good condi- 
tion sell for about three-fourths the 
8A catty, the common unit of weight in China, is equal to 1 1/3 pounds avoirdupois. 
4During past two years about $1.30 local silver has equalled $1 U. S. currency. 
