78 
The Agriculture of Pembrokeshire. 
and a little care so as to ensure a steady and continuous growth 
from birth, instead of the old course of leaving them almost 
from birth to struggle into dwarfed maturity by neglect and 
semi-starvation. 
The number of cattle of all ages taken out of the county every 
year is very great ; large numbers go to Northamptonshire and 
neighbouring counties for feeding on their rich pastures. The 
exports under this head may safely be put at 25,000 head 
annually. 
Pigs. — The pigs naturally come next, as being dependent on 
the dairy to a large extent. It is probable that, in reference to 
these animals, the Agricultural Returns convey no adequate idea 
of the enormous number reared in this county. The custom is 
to sell young pigs as soon as possible after they are about two 
months old, and as litters are born early in the year, the 
m^ajority of which are sold in the spring fairs and taken out of 
the county, these are missed by the census taken the first week 
in June. Again, the second litters will come about July, and 
these are all missed as well. 
The breed usually favoured is a cross between a long-bodied, 
flop-eared sow, and a short-faced, cock-eared boar. The pigs 
are allowed considerable freedom, and as a consequence good 
and healthy litters result. The young ones, being intended for 
market as suckers, get usually very fair treatment, being 
fed when a couple of weeks old on skim-milk and a little 
barley-meal. In the autumn, after the corn is up in mow or 
carried, all the pigs are turned on the stubble by day, and those 
not required afterwards are sent to the various autumn fairs in 
a capital fresh condition for fatting. Barley-meal is the staple 
feeding-stuff for pigs in this county, and certainly this material, 
combined with skim-milk, produces pork that is unsurpassed. 
IMaize and rice-meal are used, but for quality barley has the 
preference. The sows usually rear their first litter when twelve 
months old, and are fattened generally after two years' breeding. 
Horses. — Pembrokeshire horses have an excellent reputation, 
which, rumour says, is occasionally made use of by shrewd 
dealers, who come here and buy a few, then cross to Ireland to 
purchase more, and retail the lot as having come from this 
county. For farm-work, the quick-stepping, moderate-sized 
carter, standing 15 to 15^ hands, is preferred to the larger 
and heavier breeds. On a farm of the description before men- 
tioned, the working horses would probably number five, of 
which two or three would be mares. This would mean 
two teams, and an odd horse used for various purposes, such 
as going to market, &c., or to fill the place of one of the 
others, or be added to a team on emergency. Farm-horses 
