68 
The Breeding and Feeding of Pigs. 
them, they should be kept well ringed and have dry beds to 
lie in, and occasionally a little vegetable in the shape of 
mangold or potatoes will help to keep them in health. 
Marketing of Pigs. 
When pigs are ready for the butcher they are disposed 
■of in several ways, some are sent to the open market or 
auction sale of the nearest market town, or they are con- 
signed direct from the farms to a Birmingham salesman or 
a bacon factory. There are several objections to both these 
courses. When sent to the local auction sale or open market 
the graziers are often the prey of dealers who form rings and 
knockouts when an opportunity offers, the consignor has no 
means of knowing beforehand whether thei'e is likely to be 
a glut or a good demand for his goods, and he is often pre- 
cluded from buying them in, or protecting himself in any 
way owing to the existence of local swine fever restrictions. 
Besides this there is the inevitable wear and tear caused by 
travelling about and delay between the time they leave the 
farm to the time they arrive at the slaughter-house. This 
wear and tear is more than most people would credit, and is 
much more in proportion after about two days fasting. Pigs 
are also much injui’ed by being knocked about by the drovers, 
and by slipping on the greasy concrete of the floor of the 
pens. Beyond all this, when the pigs are sent to an auction 
sale they are sold with all latent defects, such as tuberculosis 
and oily fat ; the vendors, therefore, of carefully fatted and 
healthy pigs have no advantage over the others, and cannot 
expect to get the real tojj price for their produce, as the 
butcher must make allowances for the losses he is likely to 
incur, and for which afterwards he can obtain little or no 
redress, as he would be able to do in the case of private 
consignments. This very fact must tend to send a larger 
proi^ortion of questionable goods to the public sales than 
would otherwise be the case. The auction sales are not, 
however, without their advantages, and are no doubt of much 
assistance to the small grazier who is unable to sell more than 
three or four pigs at a time. 
The alternative system whereby pigs are sent by the farmer 
to the bacon curers, Birmingham salesmen or Midland butchers, 
is, of course, a great improvement to the other method, and, 
at first sight, seems about as perfect a method as could be devised. 
When one, however, takes a wider idea of what true marketing 
is, to supply the right article to meet the best demand at 
the time when the demand is greatest, it will be readily 
admitted that any agency that can make a study of the market 
and its requirements, keeping itself in touch with the various 
