156 My Little Farm 



subject to fluctuation in both price and profit. 

 I have seen the price of the young pig at ten 

 weeks vary from 133. to 453. in my neighbourhood 

 within twelve years ; and the price of the pig 

 matured and fat may vary now by 25 per cent, 

 between two monthly fairs in the same town, 

 while a still farther factor of variation operates 

 as between Ulster and the rest of Ireland. The 

 Ulsterman sells pork, killed and cleaned, so that he 

 knows exactly what he is doing. The other man, 

 exactly as I should expect, sells live pigs, subject 

 in the sale to additional elements of speculation, 

 which are obviously preferred and maintained 

 because they result in favour of the buyer and at 

 the expense of the farmer. Why do our bacon 

 curers not start establishments in Ulster ? It is 

 not for lack of good pigs there. It is for no reason 

 that anybody can see but because their gambling 

 method of purchase gives them cheaper stuff at 

 home, which means smaller profit for the producer 

 of the pig. I have no doubt whatever that the 

 pig would be as free from fluctuation as the cow 

 if it were equally free from Irishmen blocking his 

 way to the British consumer ; and I should expect 

 to see the Irish cow equally crooked in her current 

 values if her fatally clever countrymen could 

 command her freedom of access to the final 

 market. Here again, on the national scale, we find 

 the same destructive spectacle, of mind at cross 

 purposes with muscle, as described in the individual 

 case on my own little farm ; the same irresistible 

 delight of Irishmen to cheat and play upon each 



