THE BACON CURING INDUSTRY. 2i7 



has up to the present spent iT 13,000 in their improvement schemes, and 

 that for the past four years they have sent out over 1,420 boars, which were 

 placed as follows :—Tipperary 231, Galway lis, Clare 188. Roscommon 28, 

 Limerick 133, Kerry 6;. Sligo 24, King's County 51, Cork 91, Mayo 74, 

 Queen's County ;;, Kildare 2;, Wexford 115. Waterford 71, Kilkenny 108, 

 Carlow 18. 



Of late years the Congested Districts Board have included the distribu- 

 tion of boars in the good work in which they have been engaged, having 

 placed 230 boars ; Donegal having received 3;, Cork 15, Kerry 18, Mayo 83, 

 Galway 40, Sligo 7, Leitrim 15, Roscommon 15. 



The Department of Agriculture issued its first si-heme for the improve- 

 ment of the breeding of swine in May, 1901. The Department believe the 

 number of well-bred boars in Ireland is not sufficient to warrant them in 

 hoping that a very large number of premiums for these sires can be taken 

 up for the next few years ; but it is believed that the offering of the pre- 

 miums will have the effect of inducing more farmers to go in for the breed- 

 ing of pure-bred animals. Should it be possible to relax further the* 

 restrictions on the importation of swine from Great Britain, this class of live 

 stock may also be improved by the importation in greater numbers of pure- 

 bred boars. 



The text of the Department's scheme for 1902 is given hereunder : — 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION 



FOR IRELAND. 



Schemp. for Encouraging Improvement in the Breeds of Sivme. 



1902. 



SWINE. 



'* I. The joint fund available under this scheme for encouraging' im- 

 provement in the breeds of swine shall be applied chiefly in providing 

 premiums for selected pure-bred boars ; and the remainder may be offered 

 in prizes for swine, in accordance with the regulations of the Department's 

 scheme of prizes at county and local shows (see Clause 13, section iv. of 

 that scheme). 



"2. Under exceptional circumstances the Department may provide for 

 a county, as far as funds will permit, and under certain conditions to be 

 prescribed by them, by granting a loan for a short period to enable a 

 representative, appointed by the County Committee, and an Inspector of 

 the Department, to import suitable boars into the county on behalf of 

 approved applicants. 



" 3. Subject to the approval of the Department, premiums may be 

 restricted to any one or more pure breeds of swine. 



" 4. Only boars eligible for entry in the Register of Pigs of the Royal 

 Dublin Society shall be selected for premiums. The owner of a boar 

 selected for a premium must have the animal entered in said Register. 



" 5. Boars belonging to any Society or to any Association of Farmers 

 shall be eligible, if pure-bred, to compete for premiums. 



" 6. The value of a county premium shall be ;£S' tenable lor one year. 



" 7. A boar which was awarded a county premium in 1901 shall not be 

 eligible for a premium under this scheme. 



'• A boar which may be awarded this year a premium out of funds 



