170 THE HOG. 



We give it verbatim, as many of our readers have probably never 

 entered into such a calculation, or formed the least idea of the amaz- 

 ing quantity of animal food which may be derived from this kind of 

 stock : 



" I am indebted to a worthy and sensible friend, and a friend also 

 of the poor, for the following estimate of what I shall term ' pig 

 population,' and set it in array against the increasing demands of the 

 home populatiqn, which goes on at the rate of not quite 1 per cent, 

 per annum nay, little more than H by the last ten years' census. 

 I think, with the assistance of my above-mentioned friend, I can feed 

 the supernumeraries well, and in this way, at all events, save their 

 bacon. Would you credit the assertion that in ten years ten short 

 years and from two breeding sows, many millions can be pro- 

 duced ? Would you suppose (for I certainly had no conception of 

 the fact) that more than the present or even anticipated population 

 of the country for ten years to come is not equal to the number of 

 pigs to be thus born and bred in the same period, if we choose ? 

 But I shall proceed to proof and give the figures, which are un- 

 answerable arguments when well founded. His calculation, then, is 

 as follows, viz. : that in one year two sows (one year old) will 

 breed ten each, of which we shall assume that one-half are females, 

 and so proceed on that assumed equality. 



" The first year there will be males and females 20 



From which take the males 10 



And we have the result as breeders 10 



At the second year, then, we may fairly take the same ratio of ten to 

 each, viz, : , 10 



2)100 



And it gives us a hundred males and females, leaving, con- 



sequently, for the third year, breeders 50 



I shall now drop the text, and merely give the figures, the same prin- 

 ciple applying throughout 10 



Third year 2)500 



250 

 10 



Fourth year : 2)2,500 



1,250 

 10 



Fifthyear 2)12,500 



6,250 



10 

 62.500 



