SWINE HUSBANDRY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND DENMARK 



GREAT BRITAIN. 



There is much to be learned from a study of the methods of British swine raisers. 

 In many districts hogs are reared in large numbers on almost every farm, and in swine 

 feeding as in other branches of the live stock industry, profitable methods of feeding 

 are followed; nor are farmers afraid to buy feed for pigs or other stock. It would be 

 difficult to find a stock farmer who does not have feed bills to meet. High rents have 

 to be paid for the land, which make it necessary to insure good crops, and without 

 manure, and plenty of it, full returns from the soil are not obtainable. It is true 

 that fertilizers, as such, are purchased for many farms, but a great many farmers 

 depend more upon yard manure than upon ' artificials,' but the yard manure must be 

 good and it cannot be so unless the stock making it are well fed. It therefore follows 

 that the farmer in buying food for his stock feels, that besides getting a direct return 

 in meat or milk, he is feeding his land in order that it may yield a full return for the 

 labour and other expenses put upon it. It must not be inferred, however, that to 

 secure fertilizer is the only or the chief object of the farmer of Great Britain in 

 feeding hogs. He does this for direct profit and is seldom disappointed in getting a 

 fair return in spite of the comparatively high prices that have to be paid for food 

 stuffs. 



Statistics covering twenty-nine years show that the number of pigs reared in 

 Great Britain does not vary much from year to year. Since 1879 the number has never 

 gone below the two million mark, nor has it reached three millions in any one year. 

 The figures for 1908, 2,823,482, are practically the same as for 1904, 1897. 1896 and 

 1891, while in some of the intermediate years it has gone a little below 2,200,000. The 

 number for 1908 shows an increase of 186,710 over the previous year. The rise was 

 confined to England and Wales, there being a decrease of 2,850 (about t^^•o per cent) 

 in Scotland. 



In the total number Scotland plays only a small part, there being kept in that 

 country only one pig for each thirty-four acres of land under crop and grass, while 

 in England and "Wales one pig is kept for each ten acres of arable land. Compared 

 with other farm stock Scotland had in 1908, 143,784 hogs to 1,174,405 cattle; 204,507 

 horses and 7,439,495 sheep. In that year the stock population of England was 2,439,087 

 hogs; 5,980,125 cattle; 1,179,902 horses and 15.957,875 sheep; the ratio for Wales being 

 practically the same as for England. It will therefore be seen that the English farmer, 

 ,as a rule, gives much more attention to the breeding and rearing of swine than the 

 farmer of Scotland. 



ENGLAND. 



Swine raising is an important branch of English agriculture. On almost every 

 farm at least a few hogs are kept, while on many, pork production is the chief branch 

 of live stock husbandry followed. The English farmer is an intelligent husbandman. 

 He pays hea\'y rents and much money for hired help and must get the maximum of 

 returns from the land he cultivates. On every farm there is more or less by-product 

 suitable for hog feeding and this cannot be allowed to waste. English people prefer 

 home fed meats, whether it be that of the ox or the pig. Wiltshire bacon originated 

 in England, and those other countries that are now producing it are simply following 

 England in methods of production. Other cuts and kinds of pork and bacon have « 

 place in the English market, in fact almost every large city, of which there are many, 

 calls for a special kind of pork or bacon. Eor instance, Birmingham takes a heavy 

 pork while London is better satisfied with the lighter classes. In some cities the 



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