1921.] 



Pig and Potato Clubs. 



737 



silver challenge cups for competition amongst affiliated clubs; 

 the trophy to be held for the year by the club which provided 

 •evidence of having best furthered the objects of the scheme in 

 the following directions : — 



1. Membership of the club for the year concerned, 



2. Approximate population of tl)e district served by the club, if obtainable. 



3. Total number of pigs insured under the county scheme for the year. 



4. Particulars of arrangements made by the club for supplying members 



with feeding stuffs on co-operative lines. Methods adopted of 

 growing food for pigs should also be described. 



5. Efforts the club has made to encourage the breeding of pigs. 



6. Particulars of any effort made to purchase seed potatoes on co-operative 



lines for members. 



7. A general account should be given of the operations of the club, 



including any special features of interest ; also a statement of accounts 

 which will enable the judges to form an opinion as to the financial 

 position of the club and the methods of keeping accounts and 

 general management. 



Down to the present the challenge cups have been won by 

 the Sherborne and ^Yindrush Pig Club, the Maisemore Pig 

 Club, and Messrs. Price,Walker & Co.'s Employees' Pig Club, 

 Gloucester. In the case of the last-named club and also the 

 Gloucester Carriage & Wagon Works Employees' Pig Club, 

 the pigs are kept collectively, shares in the club being held by 

 the members, among whom the pigs are divided as they 

 become fit for slaughter. 



Co-operative Purchase of Scotch Seed Potatoes. — Since its 

 inception the movement has done much to increase the produc- 

 tion of potatoes on allotments and in cottage gardens, as it pro- 

 vides a means by which small growers can obtain genuine Scotch 

 seed potatoes on the same terms as farmers and large culti- 

 vators. The method of procedure is as follows. Seed potatoes 

 of selected varieties are bought in Scotland by the county com- 

 mittee on the most favourable terms, and the secretaries of 

 affiliated clubs are furnished with a list of varieties and prices. 

 Members of the clubs are invited to place their orders, which 

 are bulked, and a small amount is added to the quoted price 

 to cover the expenses of distribution. The benefits of this scheme 

 to individual members of clubs are two-fold. Firstly, by planting 

 fresh Scotch seed the grower gi'eatly increases his crop of potatoes 

 without any addition to his outlay for manure and labour. 

 ' Secondly, he buys his seed potatoes at wholesale rates, plus a 

 small amount to cover working expenses : this is a gi-eat con- 

 sideration when the figures are compared with retail prices. It 



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