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as possible and avoids, as a principle, feeding a larger quantity than experience has taught 

 to be economical. The feeding is done with every care and regularity, usually by the same 

 person. The Scots feeder would teach the Canadian cheese factory patron that there is 

 profit in the intelligent feeding of whey in sweet condition to pigs from store to finished weight. 



The industry as conducted in Denmark has lessons for the Canadian pig raiser all along 

 the way. The top place in the bacon trade of England has been the goal in view, and the 

 energies of the Government, the pig breeder, the pig feeder, the curer and the seller, all 

 point in the one direction. As one man all interested in the industry pull together and 

 every branch separately works for perfection of the whole. The pig raiser wants only bacon 

 pigs, and these as prolific and good as possible. The feeder, with his eye constantly on the 

 grade his pigs shall ultimately reach, studies to gain this from the least outlay for feed 

 He does nothing by spells and spasms, but finds the road and persists in following it. Judg- 

 ment born of successful experience keeps his day to day practice right, and as a pig raiser 

 he succeeds. His conditions are not unlike those of the Canadian farmer who follows dairy- 

 ing, except that he has more feed to buy on account of his limited acres. He is succeeding 

 because he will keep only such pigs as are good mothers of vigorous litters ; in feeding them 

 only on such foods and in such a manner as he knows gives greatest ultimate profit; in 

 observing the demands of the market upon which the size of his pay cheque depends- and 

 by his confidence in his own efforts and those in charge of the other branches of the industry. 



Everywhere the ideas of pig feeders agree with those of the most successful Canadians 

 in regard to the best age to wean litters. Nowhere were breeders found weaning at less 

 than six weeks, and most breeders leave the litters on the sow until two months old. 



Both in Denmark and Ireland the results of feeding experiments agree with those 

 carried out at Canadian stations in that the cost of gain per pound increases with age and 

 live weight. In Denmark especially it is confidently believed by feeders that hogs that are 

 kept thrifty and growing from the time they are weaned until ready for market at five and 

 a half to seven months old, weighing about 200 Ibs., are more profitably fed than those 

 given longer time to finish or carried to heavier weights. 



The value of milk and whey in pig feeding was everywhere exemplified. The Com- 

 mission saw very few pigs being fed without one or the other, and nowhere were these foods 

 fed without a care for the greatest profit. 



Roughage in the form of roots or other green fodder is considered an essential part 

 of the successful pig raiser's food supply. These, it is generally believed, help materially 

 to maintain thrift in breeding and growing stock. Nowhere can these be cheaper grown 

 than in Canada and no pig raiser can afford to be without them. 



Another lesson gathered in each country visited is the importance of carefully grading 

 the ration according to the age of the pigs and the object in view. Everywhere young 

 pigs were fed on easily digested food rather light in character and with only a small per- 

 centage of green food. As the pigs get older roughage is increased to cheapen the ration 

 and strengthen and keep in tone the digestive organs. As the finishing approaches the 

 ration is made stronger which hastens the fattening and assures a high quality of meat. 

 A study of the feeding throughout the report will impress this important lesson. 



The Marketing End. 



The members of the Commission are aware that many Canadian farmers understand 

 well the economical production of pork, They are also familiar with the cry of a large 

 number who claim that they cannot make pig raising profitable even at the high level at 

 which prices of hogs have been maintained during the past two years. This, however, 

 does not fully explain the gradual serious decline in the production of hogs that has for some 

 time been going on, more especially in the province of Ontario, on which the export bacon 

 trade chiefly depends. Another problem than that of feeding confronts the Canadian pig raiser. 

 Between the feeding pen and the market there is a great gulf fixed and to bridge this most 

 concerns the pig raisers. The Commission hear it in their respective neighborhoods, the 



