340 



Pig Feeding and Pork Production. [july, 



PIG FEEDING AND THE 

 COST OF PORK PRODUCTION. 



Arthur G. Ruston, B.A., D.Sc. (London), D.Sc. (Leeds), 

 Lecturer in Farm Ecmiomics, the University, Leeds. 



It ma}/ seem strange that at the present time, when bacon is 

 commanding such a high price in the market and the value of 

 imports has so largely increased, there should be a decline in the 

 number of pigs, especially of breeding sows, kept in England 

 and Wales. The total value of the ham, bacon and pork 

 imported into the United Kingdom has increased from just 

 over £18,800,000 in 191 1 to more than £90,000,000 in 1919, 

 yet during the corresponding period the total number of pigs 

 in England and Wales has declined from 2,651,039 to 1,798,468, 

 a decrease of 32 per cent. 



3 E O.CCO 



' ^ 1.S0 coo 



K„ t^iio i^it. i'^^s (s;8 '^'^ 



Graph showing (i) The Value of Pig Meat imported annually into the 

 Uniied Kirgdcm. 1911-19 (black line) ; (2) The Number of Breeding Sows ia 

 England and Wales, 1911-19 (dotted line). 



During the same years the number of breeding sows in 

 England and Wales fell from 375,583 in 1911 to 250,752 in 

 1 919, a decrease of more than 33 per cent. While there was a 

 very marked fall in the number of breeding sows kept in 1912 

 and in. 1913, a partial recovery occurred in 1914, after which 

 the reduction in numbers, owing to the influence of the War, is 



