PIG-REARING AND BACON-CURING 



Pig-rearing is an old industry in Ireland, When it began no 

 one can tell, but for generations the pig has played an important 

 part in the rural economy of the country. The improvement of 

 the breed is of more recent origin. The native Irish hog was 

 a long-legged, flat-hammed animal of the greyhound type, difficult 

 to feed, and therefore unsuitable to the farmer : containing a large 

 amount of offal, and therefore unsuitable to the bacon-curer. In 

 the early part of last century various attempts were made to 

 improve the breed, but with little result. In the 'sixties a more 

 systematic attempt was made. Prince Albert sent from his herd 

 at Windsor to Albert. Farm, Glasnevin, several boars known as 

 the " Improved Yorkshire." These were crossed with sows from 

 native herds, A better animal was thus produced. Subsequent 

 importations of the "Large Yorkshire" from herds belonging to 

 Lord Ellesmere ; Mr Sanders Spencer, St Ives ; Mr John Barron, 

 Barrowash, Derby ; Mr Philo Mills, Nottingham, and others, have 

 further improved the breed. Between 70 and 100 of these well- 

 bred swine are sold annually to the farmers of Ireland, and they 

 have done much to improve Irish stock. In 1905 the foundation 

 of a herd of large black pigs was laid at Albert Farm by the 

 purchase of boars and sows from herds belonging to Mr Banister, 

 Essex ; Mr Kenneth Clarke, Suffolk ; and Messrs J. & H, Eobinson, 

 Sussex. These have been most successful as breeders, and are in 

 good demand, particularly in Ulster. 



But it was the bacon-curers of Ireland who gave the greatest 

 impetus to the improvement in the breed of swine. There were 

 bacon-curers in Ireland from of old, but the public were less 

 fastidious then than they are now, and the ancient bacon-curer 

 did not concern himself much about the quality of the pig. The 

 bacon-curers of Munster, in 1877, however, probably realising that 

 they were soon to be face to face with a world-wide competition, 

 set about the improvement of the breed in that province. Ten 

 years afterwards an organised effort, with that object in view, was 

 made. But for that the competition of Denmark, which was then 

 just beginning, would have killed the Irish trade. The South of 

 Ireland Bacon-Curers' Pig Improvement Association was formed. 

 It established three breeding stations, one at Limerick, one at 

 Cork, and one at Waterford, This Association is still carrying on 

 its work. An inspector is attached to each station. He keeps in 

 touch with the boar-keepers in his district and sees that the right 

 sort of animals are kept, with the view of still further improving 

 the breed. The Association has sent boars into many parts of 

 Ireland, and has spent thousands of pounds in developing its scheme. 



The Department of Agriculture, when it came into existence. 



