Agriculture 147 



are also maintained on arable land; South Downs run partly on grass and 

 partly on arable land; while cross-bred ewes of various types are kept on 

 a few of the grass farms. 



The number of Pigs shows wide variations from year to year. Since 

 1932 the numbers have been considerably in excess of 100,000, which is 

 double the figures of 1913 and 1919. No one factor is wholly responsible 

 for this increase, but the greater part undoubtedly is due to the fact that 

 it has been more profitable to stock the yards with pigs than with 

 fattenmg catde. 



The stimulus to production given by the Pig Marketing Scheme has had 

 effects on the changes in method of pig management. To-day, pigs are 

 kept imder very varied conditions, e.g. some are kept tethered out of 

 doors aU the year round, while others spend most of the year in a modern 

 type of Danish piggery. Many barns, horse stables, and cattle yards have 

 been converted for the use of pigs, and in all such alterations an important 

 consideration has been to secure a layout which would allow of the 

 maintenance of the largest number of stock per unit of labour. 



Most of the store or fat stock coming on the market from Cambridge- 

 shire farms are pure Large Whites or of the Large White-Large Black 

 cross. There are numbers of pedigree breeders who favour these two breeds 

 and who fmd a ready demand for the animals which they offer at their 

 annual sales. There are also a few herds of the Essex and Middle White 

 breeds. 



Poultry Keeping has become an increasingly important branch of agri- 

 culture in Cambridgeshire as in other counties. It is mainly an activity of 

 small-holders and general farmers, who derive only a part of their income 

 from this source; but the number of specialist poultry farmers has 

 increased considerably in recent years. Most of these keep flocks of from 

 one to three or four thousand birds, and are interested both in egg pro- 

 duction and table poultry. There are few larger units or special hatcheries. 



CONCLUSION 



The post-war years have seen more far-reaching changes in Cambridge- 

 shire agriculture than in any other short period of its history.^ It is too 

 early, yet, to see clearly the effects of these changes on the fertihty of the 

 soil or upon the livestock industry. There is little doubt that the scarcity and 

 high cost of labour have led farmers to think more and more on the hnes 

 of mechanisation and to consider restricting the production of certain 

 commodities which make heavy demands on labour. A short time ago it 

 was not uncommon to fmd a number of farmers who were inclined to the 



' Sec p. 135 above. 



10-2 



