1922.] Crate-Kod and Barrel-Hoop Trades. 819 



to nose up the door, which rests on its head, and does not with- 

 draw until it has finished feeding, thus entirely eliminating 

 waste. 



One difficulty with self -feeding is the cost of the feeders, most 

 of those on the market costing over £10 apiece. The one shown 

 in the photograph was home made, but farmers who have no 

 facilities for making them may purchase well-made feeders to 

 take four pigs at a time for the very reasonable sum of 

 £2 19s. 6d. each. 



There is little doubt that self-feeding pigs has come to stay, 

 as by this method the pig is correctly fed, little and often, all 

 pigs get the same opportunity, and there is a large saving in 

 the labour bill ; also the difficulty of correctly rationing the pigs 

 is eliminated with the self-choice system, as the pigs ration 

 themselves. 



* * * * * 



THE CRATE--ROD AND BARREL-HOOP 



TRADES. 



Katharine S. Woods, 

 Agricultural Economics Institute, Oxjord. 



Lack of Intercourse between Producer and Consumer. — 



Crates and barrels are in constant use for packing pottery, jam, 

 fish, bottles and many kinds of " dry goods," and in the south 

 of England are many acres of hazel whence rods and hoops can 

 be obtained. The Potteries of Staffordshire form one of the 

 important markets for crate-wood and barrel-hoops. The trade 

 probably survives spasmodically in most of the districts where 

 plenty of hazel can be found. But one suspects that many oppor- 

 tunities are wasted through lack of knowledge concerning mutual 

 requirements, and that with a better understanding at either 

 end the trade might be stabilised and greatly improved. Wood- 

 craftsmen and estate agents know little of the exact require- 

 ments of the trade or the press (u^e of foreign competition 

 and the reasons for it ; the coopers and crate-makers and potters 

 of Staffordshire know little of the woodland districts and the 

 conditions under which the wood is grown and worked. For 

 example, the owner of certain osier-beds which had not been cut 

 for four years wanted to sell the rods to a crate-maker. Unfor- 

 tunately he cut them too late in the season ; willow crate rods are 

 •used while green, but are not worth stacking for later use. 



D 2 



