PRACTICAL FARMING. 25 



with emphasis the evil machinations of the Agricultural 

 Wages Board. It dealt in fact with the economics rather 

 than the practice of Agriculture, and in that respect was 

 somewhat disappointing in view of the fact that he is 

 well known to be one of the largest and most successful 

 farmers in Sussex. 



Of the thirty-five individuals who opened discussions 

 rather more than one-half were actively engaged in farming 

 either as owner-occupiers or tenant farmers, while many 

 other practical farmers took part in the proceedings. 



At one of the earlier meetings Lord Bledisloe introduced the 

 subject of " Pig-keeping." At that time (April, 1918) every- 

 thing was looked at through war-time spectacles and the value 

 of the pig under war conditions was naturally emphasised. 

 Lord Bledisloe mentioned that within a few weeks between 

 seven and eight thousand pounds had been raised in Glou- 

 cestershire and Wiltshire to promote pig-keeping and potato- 

 growing. Among the practical points which arose was 

 that of the flooring of pig-styes. Lord Bledisloe favoured 

 coarse concrete as better than bricks. Pigs did not slip 

 on concrete, and bricks were liable to run into holes which 

 held the manure. Mr. George Nicholls said that when he 

 was earning i8s. a week he started with a pig and a quarter 

 of an acre, gradually increasing to 3 acres. He thought 

 brick flooring was good, but asphalt was better. Mr. Pad- 

 wick suggested that hurdles stuffed with straw and a 

 thatched roof made an effective stye. Captain Proby, who 

 described himself as an amateur pig-keeper, said the pig 

 was a greedy but also a hardy animal. He had watched 

 pigs on the outskirts of woods in France and it was remark- 

 able how they picked up a living in a hard winter. 



In discussing the subject of "Industrial Farming," Mr. 

 Orwin stated that the hedges on one side of the roads in 

 Oxfordshire had been calculated as occupying 1,500 acres. 

 If all unnecessary hedges were removed, another county 

 might be added to England. The manager of a large estate 

 in Nottinghamshire, who had pulled up hedges to facilitate 

 steam cultivation, reckoned that he had added 200 acres 

 to the estate. 



