11 



This is mixed with water twelve hours before being fed, and in cool weather hot water is 

 used, to bring the food up to the temperature of new milk. Whenever skim milk is avail- 

 able it is substituted for water in an amount equal to its own bulk. 



Both in Ireland and England much was heard in favour of the Large Blacks. Wherever 

 these swine or these grades were seen by the Commission they made a favourable impression. 

 Advantage was therefore taken at the first opportunity to visit a prominent herd of this 

 breed. The herd visited was that of Mr. C. F. Marriner, in the county of Suffolk, that 

 has in recent years won a large number of championship awards at leading shows. Here was 

 found a large herd of brood sows and a few stock boars that individually and collectively 

 rank high among the herds of swine of England for the profitable production of pigs for 

 bacon requirements. In earlier years the Large Black was a bit rough in the shoulder, 

 short in the hind quarter and light in the ham. For years Mr. Marriner has given special 

 attention to these points until his present herd, which is uniform in type and lusty in vigour, 

 show none of these old defects. Many of the breeding animals were on grass pasture which 

 of itself seemed to be sufficient to maintain the stock in good breeding form. The heartiness 

 of these pigs was spoken of everywhere and the members of the Commission are satisfied 

 that the claim is well founded. Mr. Marriner claims that the narrow range of vision of the 

 Large Blacks, due to the drooping ears, is conducive to docility and thrift. 



The Berkshire in England as in Canada is being stretched out. In the herd of Mr. 

 Kimber, in which many prize winners have been produced, were many lengthy, smooth 

 shouldered, deep sided sows. There was an entire absence of the chubby, fat-backed, short- 

 faced pigs that were common in England some years ago. It is observed that the bacon 

 type Berkshire is a much better breeder and suckler, and, therefore, a more profitable hog 

 than the old fashioned kind. The appreciation of the British breeder of the new type was 

 apparent at an auction sale of Berkshires, attended by the Commission, where only the 

 more rangey. strong boned pigs brought good prices. A number of neat, fine boned animals 

 brought no more than pork values. 



FEEDING BERKSHIRES FOR BACON. 



Mr. Kimber, who is a tenant farmer, explained his system of feeding fattening pigs. 

 The litters, which are weaned at eight weeks, get green food, such as pulped mangels and 

 swedes, and whole dry grain, such as corn and beans. On this they are kept growing 

 nicely. At four months the grain is given ground and fed in such quantities as to have the 

 pigs at six months old weighing from 150 to 170 pounds. In winter the chop is mixed with 

 pulped roots twelve hours before feeding. In the early stages one part of meal is given 

 with three parts of roots, then as the pigs commence to leave roots in the trough, the meal 

 is gradually increased until when within two weeks of finishing the roots are entirely with- 

 held so as to get the pigs off as quickly as possible. The pigs are usually marketed when 

 they reach 180 pounds dressed. 



To induce a good flow of milk in a sow Mr. Kimber depends chiefly on shorts and 

 oat chop, with an occasional feed of roots or other green feed as a change. He does not 

 consider barley meal good for milk, but likes it for fattening swine. 



In the county of Berkshire pork production does not hold a prominent place in Agri- 

 cultural practice. Those who feed at all extensively prefer cross-bred stock, the produce 

 of Tamworth dams and Berkshire sires. This cross, it is claimed, gives a thrifty, heavy 

 weighing pig of a class to suit either the bacon or the pork and ham trade. In the district 

 visited very little milk is fed to pigs because of the demand for it for the London market. 

 Wishing to procure the best possible information on the rearing of pigs for the production 

 of bacon, the county from which the "Wiltshire" side takes its name was visited. At the 

 town of Calne, in Wiltshire, is located the curing house of the old established firm of bacon 

 curers, that of the C. & T. Harris Co. No name in the English bacon trade is better known 

 than that of Harris & Co., and no make of bacon is more firmly established. Harris Wilt- 

 shire bacon commands a fancy price in all parts of Great Britain, and for many years regular 

 large shipments have been coming to Canada, in response to a demand from families that 

 believe there is no other to compare with English bacon. 



