275 



During the winter of 1920-21 two young apple orchards, 

 which were on farms used as training centres for ex-soldiers, 

 were utilised by Mr. J. Lawson, the Middlesex county instructor, 

 who, hy way of demonstration to the trainees, undertook to prune 

 some of the trees. His treatment was thought by many to be 

 too drastic, but his work was fully justified by last year's crop 

 of fruit. Unfortunately only very approximate records were 

 kept, and no figures are available ; but as regards general appear- 

 ance and quality of crop these two orchards stood out above any 

 other similar orchards in the county. One orchard was visited 

 by several interested parties, and some of the older growers 

 expressed very high opinions of the crop. Doubtless the season 

 would in any case have produced a good crop, but the result of 

 Mr. Lawson 's work was seen in the outstanding quality, size, 

 and perfection of the fruit. 



Crops of this kind ought to be, and could be the rule rather 

 than the exception if there were sufficient skilled labour in the 

 county, but the unfortunate fact is that few properly trained 

 men exist at present, although the raw material is available. 

 One frequently meets highly enthusiastic young employees on 

 the fruit farms who if taken in hand by a capable instructor and 

 carefully trained, could increase the value of their services 

 tenfold. 



****** 



THE LARGE WHITE PIG. 



Sanders Spencer. 



Although some writers have essayed to describe the origin of 

 the Large White breed of pigs, and one or two have even men- 

 tioned the names of two or three men who were interested in 

 pig breeding some three score or more years ago as the founders 

 of the Large White breed, it must be admitted that complete 

 success does not appear to have attended their labours. Indeed, 

 if a claim had been made some fifty years ago that there existed 

 a distinct type of Large White pig it would have been most 

 difficult to sustain it, for the simple reason that the whit i pigs 

 found in Yorkshire and the adjoining counties had been so inter- 

 mixed by the artisans and mill hands who were the most 

 persistent and successful exhibitors at the many district shows, 

 that it had become impossible to foretell with any degree of 

 certainty the size and character of a resultant litter of pigs from 

 the mating of white boars and sows. 



