20 



of I he curers. The good doing qualities of the Large Black appeal to many of the farmers, 

 and the Department of Agriculture, through its premium boar scheme, is distributing many 

 hogs of this breed. 



The Department of Agriculture is carrying out an ambitious policy in the interest of 

 swine improvement. Mr. Wood, who has charge of this work, showed the Commission 

 the herds of Yorkshires and Large Blacks, kept at Albert Agricultural College, "Glasne- 

 vin, ' near Dublin, as well as many boars and their offspring throughout the country. The 

 object of the Department in its schemes is to encourage farmers to keep for service only 

 pure bred hogs of good type. To this end a sum of money is set apart each year to be used 

 as premiums for selected boars registered in the Royal Dublin Society Herd Book. The 

 eligibility of a boar for a premium is determined by an official inspector appointed by the 

 Department. Boars of the three breeds mentioned are eligible for premiums of $25 for 

 the first year, and $15 for the second. To secure the premium for an approved hog, 30 

 sows must be served the first year, or 45 the second, at a fee of one shilling each. The 

 demand for premium boars is large and increasing, and is frequently greater than the avail- 

 able supply. Practically all of the boars produced by the college herds of Yorkshires and 

 Large Blacks are sold as premium hogs. These are delivered to any part of the country 

 for $24.30 per head at five months old. Young sows in farrow are sold at the same price 

 but are not delivered free. 



This scheme for the improvement of swine has been in operation since 1901, when 

 151 premiums were paid. The number has gradually increased until in 1908 it had reached 

 340, which would be slightly exceeded in 1909. Of these, more than 200 were Yorkshires, 

 about 50 head Large Blacks and about 20 White Ulsters. The far-reaching effect of the 

 scheme will be better understood when it is pointed out that about 17 per cent of the boars 

 used in Ireland are premiums boars; and since these are selected from the standpoint of 

 the bacon industry, it must be conceded that Ireland is bound to go forward in the produc- 

 tion of fine bacon swine. 



In Ireland, as in Great Britain, many of the farmers do not finish the stock that they 

 breed. A much larger proportion of them either raise pigs to sell as young stores, or buy 

 stores to finish. As a rule the man who finishes stock of his own breeding makes the most 

 of his pigs from year to year, but the element of doubt on the one hand, and speculation on 

 the other, induces many to adopt one or the other of the two remaining systems. 



The Commission visited many representative swine rearing centres. It was found 

 that the character of the swine, and the manner of their treatment, differed in the north 

 and south. In the north the drooping ear and other characteristics of the Large Ulster 

 are most conspicuous, while in the central and southern counties the Yorkshire form is gen- 

 erally in evidence. In a few districts the spotted and black pigs are again coming in, the 

 result of the Large Black cross, and these are invariably highly popular. It is true that 

 in times of heavy supplies an excuse is frequently made by the buyers to discriminate against 

 the black skins to the extent of a shilling a cwt., but these pigs are such hearty feeders and 

 good thrivers that many feeders are bound to have them. When the markets are bare 

 the blacks go as well as the others. 



Housing and Feeding. 



Very few piggeries that would be called good in; Canada were seen in Ireland. At 

 the Albert College, a thoroughly comfortable and sanitary pen is in use, but at most farms 

 visited the pigs are housed in little stys, usually situated at the side of the barn. It is, never- 

 theless, true that improvement is being affected in this matter by the adoption of ideas on 

 the construction of piggeries circulated in pamphlet form by the Department of Agriculture. 



The Irish pig is, as a rule, well cared for. While hardly treated as a pet, it is 

 highly respected and carefully looked after. Where a farmer raises pigs in numbers he is 

 most likely to give this stock his personal care, while in the case of the smaller breeder with 

 one brood sow, she is usually looked after by the wife or daughters. No amount of trouble 

 seems too much to devote to preparing food. Almost all food is cooked and generally fed 



