COST OF PRODUCING A STONE OF PORK 381 



A pig produces flesh fastest when from about 9 stones to 

 12 stones weight, and will then consume about 10 Ibs. to 

 12 Ibs. of meal, and increase over 2 Ibs. live- weight, or nearly 

 2 Ibs. dressed pork, per day. It is thus most profitable to 

 kill when a pig is estimated to weigh about 12 to 14 stones 

 dead-weight. Any of the improved breeds should do about 

 the same as the above. It is the usual practice to give pigs 

 rather more time to grow, and to allow them to run freely 

 about while young. This permits of their being fed upon 

 home-grown green food. At eight months old, after going 

 into close confinement for the purpose of feeding off, they ought 

 to reach the weight of 12 stones. The flesh of pigs fed 

 entirely under cover is soft and inferior as compared with 

 that of those which have access to open air and to sunlight 

 and heat. The hair on the latter also develops better, and 

 the animals are altogether more healthy both in look and in 

 reality. 



The price of mixed pig-meal, exclusive of grinding, 

 should not average more than Jd. per Ib. (4, 133. 4d. per 

 ton), which gives the following cost of producing a stone 

 (14 Ibs.) of pork, with labour estimated at 73. 6d. for each 

 12-stone pig : 



Cost of producing a Stone of Pork. 



Labour . . . . . . .^009 



14 Ibs. x 5 Ibs. = 70 Ibs. grain at d. = 2s. lid., 



ErgO) 83 x : 100 :: 2s. nd. : o 3 6 

 Grinding grain per ton 8s., and carriage, say 6s. 6d. = 143. 6d., 



or per stone of pork . . . . .006^ 



Average price of a young pig, ^i, is. = 3 stones live- 

 weight = 2^ stones of pork at 6s. = 155. 

 2 is.- 1 55. = 6s. for the life ; 6s. -M 2 (the number of stones) 



= cost of life per stone . . . . .006 



L S 3ir 

 Deduct for offal is. per 1 of the price (12 stones at 6s. = 



^3, 1 2s.), viz., 35. 6id-r 1 2 (stones) . . .003^ 



Average cost per stone . . . .,050 



1 The rule which adopts 83 p.c. of dead to live-weight is here taken 

 in place of the one showing 91 p.c. of increase of carcase, as the calcula- 

 tion is intended to indicate the average cost of producing pork at all 

 stages in the life of the pig. 



