15 



fields. Mr. Smith buys all his pigs at about 4 to 5 months old and unially has them 

 ready for market after two months' feeding. He usually has 200 pigs feeding and these 

 cost about $1 each to feed per week. In August the feed given consisted of barley meal, 

 bran and low grade flour made into a slop with milk and water. The grain mixture 

 consisted of two parts barley meal, one part bran and one part flour. This was thp 

 standard for all stages except that the slop was made a little thicker near the end of 

 the fattening period. In winter mangels are fed whole once a day, and peas and beans 

 are given instead of so much bran. In summer a good deal of rough grass, clover 

 and other green fodder is given to keep the pigs thrifty. 



Other feeders in the neighbourhood feed much after the same system as the two 

 Messrs. Smith. One other feeder, it might be mentioned, makes cheese at home from 

 the milk of sixty cows. The whey is fed with barley meal to pigs. It is mixed one 

 meal ahead. Both pigs and grain are purchased. The pigs at 4 months old cost $10 

 each, while barley meal cost $1.35 per 100 pounds. At this time the price of pigs was 

 practically 13 cents per pound dressed weight, equal to about $9.50 per 100 pounds* 

 live weight. This feeder claimed his pigs made a good profit. 



On one farm visited pigs are bred and fattened. The litters are weaned at 8 

 weeks, then allowed to run out for 4 to 6 weeks before being put up to fatten. They 

 are made to dress 180 pounds at from 6 to 7 months old. They are fed three times a* 

 day on one part bran and five parts barley meal made into a slop with milk and water 

 mixed, one meal ahead. Another feeder finds virtue in the use of raw linseed oil. 

 Half a gallon given to 64 pigs per day in their feed was claimed to keep the digestive- 

 system in fine condition, insuring rapid gains. 



Breeding and Rearing. 



A large proportion of the pigs fed in the county of Wiltshire are bred in the east 

 of England, chiefly in the county of Suffolk. Many finished pigs cured by the Harris 

 firm are shipped from this county. To learn how pigs are bred and reared the Com- 

 mission visited Suffolk where they were taken charge of by Mr. Maurice Wright, who 

 manages the pig department of the Eastern Counties Co-operative Farmers' Associa- 

 tion. Mr. Wright handles about 1,000 hogs per week for the members of this associa- 

 tion. He keeps in touch with all the available markets and sells to the best possible 

 advantage. By the adoption of this system of selling, a very effective combination of 

 middlemen buyers has been entirely broken up. 



In the part of Suffolk visited a very large number of pigs are reared. It is 

 estimated that fully eight brood sows are kept for every 100 acres of land farmed. 

 About 50 per cent of the produce of these are shipped out as stores to be fattened 

 elsewhere, many going to the Wiltshire district. A very general reason given the 

 Commission for raising so many pigs was that it afforded an excellent means of keep- 

 ing up the fertility of the soil. Through the co-operation of the members of th& 

 association heavy supplies are avoided in seasons of probable low prices. Many of 

 the sows kept are of the Large Black breed, and these are usually crossed with the 

 Yorkshire. Pies bred in this manner are extremely popular with the farmers visited. 

 Comparatively little milk is available for pig feeding in this county, hence the selling 

 of so many hogs in store condition. Not only are feeders anxious to have milk for 

 finishing, but packers of Wiltshire sides are extremely partial to milk fed hogs. Shorts, 

 bran and roots comprise a large proportion of the foods used for both breeding and 

 young pigs in Suffolk. To these foods barley is added for fattening hogs. Where 

 raisers have available pasture land sows are given their liberty in summer, but high 

 rents make this unprofitable on many farms. 



SCOTLAND. 



The districts in Scotland visited by the Commission consisted chiefly of the 

 counties lying between Glasgow and the southern coafet. In this part of Scotland 

 dairy farming is the rule. Nearly every farm has a good milking herd from which 



