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 fertilizers 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 186,716 over the previous year. The rise was confined to England and 

 Wales, there being a decrease of 2,850 (about two 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 pigs 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 heavy 

 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 a 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. For instance, 

 Birmingham takes a heavy pork while London is better satisfied with the lighter classes. 

 In some cities the demand is for quite heavy pork hard cured, while in others mild cured 

 is favoured. To supply these several varieties of pork meats the methods of pig raisers 

 differ materially in different districts. To thoroughly investigate swine raising in England 



