594 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  24,  1903. 
that  of  thirty  years  ago.  But  wliea  we  consider  the  value  of 
pork-producing  foods,  what  a  difference  we  find.  ^leals  which 
then  'cost  Id.  per  lb  can  now  be  bought  for  9d.  per  stone,  a 
reduction  of  40  per  cent. ;  whilst  in  too  many  cases  farmers 
have  on  their  hands  quantities  of  unsaleable  corn,  which  only 
requires  grinding  to  provide  excellent  food  for  the  pigs.  Then 
there  are  enormous  quantities  of  Potatoes  which  are  damaged 
by  disease  sufficiently  to  spoil  them  for  market  purposes,  but 
are  almost  as  good  as  the  best  for  pig  food.  We  doubt  whether 
in  the  history  of  modern  farming  there  has  been  a  time  when 
good  pig  food  was  so  plentiful,  or  such  an  excellent  opening 
for  the  pig  feeder. 
There  is  no  question  about  the  folly  of  selling  well-grown, 
but  damaged  Barley  at  18s.  or  20s.  per  qr,  if  pigs  can  be  found 
to  turn  it  into  pork.  We  once  tried  an  experiment  with  a 
number  of  pigs  with  a  view  to  ascertaining  the  return  per  ton 
for  the  use  of  sound  Potatoes  of  small  size  and  low  quality. 
We  steamed  a  quantity  of  these  Potatoes,  and  used  with  them 
a  mixture  of  bought  Wheat  thirds,  and  home-grown  offal 
barleymeal,  charged  at  the  same  price.  After  charging  all 
labour  and  expenses,  the  balance  left  to  credit  of  the  Potatoes 
amounted  to  58s.  per  ton,  or  23s.  per  ton  more  than  they  would 
have  realised  on  rail  at  the  nearest  station.  The  price  of  pork, 
too,  was  rather  under  than  over  6d.  per  lb. 
During  the  last  few  years,  no  doubt  the  swine  fever 
restrictions  have  militated  much  against  the  extension  of  pork 
production  in  Great  Britain,  but  we  hope  that  these  restrictions, 
vexatious  as  they  are,  may  soon  be  relaxed,  as  the  object  for 
which  they  were  framed  is  fully  attained,  and  that  the  natural 
adaptability  of  this  country  for  the  breeding  and  feeding  of 
swine  may  receive  fuller  recognition.  The  effect  of  swine 
fever  restrictions  has  been  chiefly  to  pre\  ent  breeding,  and  for 
several  years,  until  the  present,  young  pigs  have  been  scarce 
and  dear.  During  last  summer  they  fell  to  a  comparatively 
low  figure  ;  but  they  are  dearer  again,  and  show  every  sign  of 
another  boom.  There  is,  however,  good  encouragement  to 
breed  from  gelts  of  a  suitable  age  ;  and  we  advise  our  friends 
■to  do  so.  There  is  no  better  time  for  sows  to  farrow  than  in 
March  or  April,  and  those  mated  with  the  boar  now  would  be 
due  during  the  lacter  month. 
Many  people  consider  that  a  gelt  which  is  somewhat  fat,  or 
as  they  term  it  “nice  pork  is  notsuitablefor  breeding  purposes.” 
Well  !  If  we  wish  to  produce  animals  of  a  thriving  nature,  we 
must  breed  from  such,  and  although  there  may  be  some  truth 
in  the  argument  that  such  animals  do  not  I’eadily  produce 
-offspring,  we  may  at  any  rate  give  them  one  or  more  chances 
to  do  so.  In  case  of  failure,  no  harm,  but  rather  good,  has 
been  done  to  the  process  of  feeding,  and  the  use  of  the  boar  is 
not  a  ruinous  item.  Amateurs  ar«  too  easily  scared  from  pig 
feeding  by  the  cost  just  at  first,  of  the  meal  supply.  They 
may  be  buying  in  anything  but  the  cheapest  market  and  using 
far  more  of  this  costly  commodity  than  is  economically  advis¬ 
able.  Of  course,  pigs  vary  in  constitution  as  in  appetite,  and 
the  ration  on  which  one  pig  would  do  well  and  giA  e  a  profitable 
return  may  be  quite  inadequate  for  one  of  quicker  growth  and 
larger  appetite.  In  feeding  with  food  of  our  own  production, 
we  have  to  cut  according  to  our  cloth  and  the  main  object  is 
fhe  profitable  conversion  of  that  food  into  saleable  pork.  If 
we  have  a  large  quantity  of  offal  Potatoes  and  are  fortunate 
enough  to  liav^e  little  unprofitable  grain,  there  is  no  reason  for 
spending  good  money  in  purchasing  meal.  Pigs  will  feed  on 
Potatoes  with  very  little  added  meal,  though  they  may  be  a 
little  longer  in  the  process.  A  large  pig  of  300  to  400  lbs. 
weight,  will  eat  70  to  80  lbs.  of  meal  per  week  and  many  will 
■eat  more.  But  with  Potatoes,  raw  and  steamed  (ad  Jib),  the  meal 
may  be  reduced  to  20  lbs.  per  week.  Many  a  cottager’s  pig 
has  scaled  .500  lbs.  carcase  weight,  after  being  fed  on  Potatoes 
almost  entirely.  Steamed  Potatoes  are  given  morning  and 
night,  and  raw  Potatoes  at  mid-day.  The  steamed  Potatoes 
.are. well,  mashed  while  hot.  The  allowance  of  meal  is  mixed 
with  boiling  water  and  left  to  stand  for  some  hours  before 
being  mixed  with  the  hot  mashed  Potatoes,  and  then  given 
immediately  to  the  pigs. 
Many  pig  feeders  do  not  approve  of  more  than  two  meals 
per  day,  for  their  animals,  but  it  stands  to  reason  that  in  such 
case  the  mea's  must  be  heavy  ones.  These  feeders  are  farmers 
or  their  men.  Tae  cottager’s  wife,  who  has  to  make  the  most 
of  her  food,  nrefers  to  feed  oftener,  but  gives  every  n'orsel  in  a 
cookeci  condition  and  hot.  The  one  point  in  favour  of  two 
mealsis  the  avoi  lanceof  disturbance,  for  the  lessfeeding-animals 
are  roused  from  rest,  the  better  ;  but  the  pig,  greedy  a  feeder  as 
he  is,  has  only  a  limited  capacity  of  stomach.  Is  a  term  of  12  hours 
too  long  a  time  for  the  stomach  to  go  unreplenished  1  If  the 
food  be  highly  concentrated,  perhaps  not ;  but  if  as  in  the  case 
of  the  cottagei’,  the  food  be  limited  (more  in  .quality  than 
quantity)  then  is  it;  necessary  to  feed  oftener,  and  the  virtue 
of  frequent  and  hot  meals  may  become  a  necessity. 
Work  on  the  Home  Farm. 
Although  there  has  been  little  rainfall  lately,  the  surface  of 
the  land  is  still  moist  and  sticky,  and  ploughs  do  not  run 
cleanly ;  yet  we  are  inclined  now  to  tackle  all  the  arrears 
which  can  be  made  up,  for  we  notice  that  the  land  dries  much 
more  rapidly  after  being  moved,  even  though  the  ploughing 
may  have  been  done  iinder  difficulties. 
We  have  never  had  such  a  large  breadth  of  cleared  Turnip 
land  requiring  ploughing  as  is  before  us  now.  We  have  always 
made  a  point  of  keeping  the  plough  moving  as  close  as  possible 
behind  the  sheepfold  ;  but  circumstances  have  this  season  inter¬ 
vened  and  prevented  us.  Now,  however,  there  is  an  oppor¬ 
tunity,  and  the  work  will  be  taken  next.  AVe  shall  plough 
with  the  ordinary  swing  plough,  and  take  a  9in  furrow  5in  deep. 
The  corn  trade  has  been  so  slow  lately  that  since  November 
little  thre.sbing  has  been  done,  and  few  waggons  ai-e  seen  on 
the  roads  witli  loads  of  grain.  The  contrary  is  the  case,  hdw- 
ever,  with  Potato  delivery.  A  considerable  quantity  is  now 
being  moved  on  to  rails,  and  it  is  fair  to  suppose  that  the 
markets  are  strengthening;  Our  experience  shows  that  the 
Potatoes  are  keeping  fairly  well,  but  nevertheless  the  quantity 
of  sound  tubers  is  small  compared  to  the  quantity  we  have  to 
discard,  and  after  every  effort  has  been  made,  the  buyer  is 
constantly  complaining  of  bad  sorting. 
The  boom  in  Northern  Star,  &c.,  has  had  a  lull,  or  rather 
it  has  been  eclipsed  by  the  boom  of  Eldorado.  Next  year’s 
crop  of  tills  Potato  for  November  delivery  has  lately  been 
booked  at  40s.  per  pound.  AVithin  a  week  the  demand  has  been 
such  that  the  price  has  risen  to  50s.,  and  now  to  60s.,  with 
every  likelihood  of  going  to  100s.  A^eritably,  wonders  never 
cease !  . 
The  fat  stock  markets  are  over,  and  our  local  ones  have  been 
most  successful.  The  quality  of  the  animals  has  been  of  all¬ 
round  excellence,  the  numbers  large,  and  prices  quite  satis¬ 
factory.  Some  of  the  best  beef  made  7jd.  per  pound,  and 
pork  sold  well.  Six  shillings  for  141b  was  easily  obtained  for 
the  largest  pigs  up  to  6001b  dead  weight. 
Alany  gates  between  fields  are  of  no  use  during  winter,  and 
are  better  brought  home  and  put  in  a  shed.  If  they  are  dry 
enough  they  may  be  painted  ready  for  rehanging  when 
required.  Black  varnish  is  a  good  substitute  for  paint,  and  the 
work  can  be  done  during  wet  weather,  and  find  occiipation  for 
otherwise  idle  hands. 
The  Potato  Boom. 
Some  further  remarkable  prices  have  been  realised  for  a  few 
pounds  of  Potatoes.  On  December  11,  at  the  Lincoln  market, 
a  local  firm  disposed  of  71b  of  Eldorado  Potatoes  for  £700,  or 
at  tbe  rate  of  £224,000  per  ton.  The  purcha.ser  afterwards 
resold  part  at  £150  per  j^ound,  which  is  more  than  double  their 
weight  in  gold. 
The  Manurial  Experiments  at  Alfreton. 
Professor  Blackshaw,  of  the  Alidland  Agricultural  and  Dairy 
Institute,  has  just  concluded  interesting  manurial  tests  at  the 
Shirland  Lodge  Farm,  near  Alfreton.  The  tests  tvere  made  to 
determine  the  value  of  artificial  and  farmyard  manures  in  the 
growth  of  Swede  Turnips,  and  which  was  the  most  economical 
and  productive  for  the  farmer.  In  no  way  have  the  experi¬ 
ments  been  carried  out  tu  disparage  the  use  of  farmyard 
manure,  but  to  enable  the  farmer  to  be  progressive,  to  keep 
abreast  of  the  times,  and  economise.  In  all  thirteen  plots 
were  experimented  upon,  and  it  is  clear  from  two  instances 
where  no  manure  of  any  description  was  applied  that  crops 
must  have  a  fertiliser,  and  some  forcing  power.  The  plots 
covered  one-twentieth  of  an  acre,  and  the  plot  which  was 
dressed  with  4cwts  of  superphosphate  produced  fourteen  tons 
17cwts  161bs  of  Turnips  per  acre.  The  plot  dressed  with 
Ifcwts  of  nitrate  of  soda  and  Icwts  of  superpliosphate  produced 
19  tons  5cwts  per  acre,  while  with  an  equal  quantity  of  these 
elements  and  2cwts  of  kainit  only  18  tons  IScwts  2qrs  81bs  per 
acre  were  produced,  thus  showing  apparently  that  kainit  was 
of  no  value  at  all.  A  double  quantity  of  these  ingredients 
raised  22  tons  3cwts  2qrs  81b  per  acre,  which  again  propor¬ 
tionately  proves  the  uselessness  of  kainit  on  the  experimental 
land.  Fifteen  loads  of  farmyard  mantire  produced  16  tons 
19cwts  per  acre,  while  ten  loads  i^i’oduced  about  Icwt  per  acre 
less.  The  same  quantity  with  assortments  of  artificial  manures 
increased  the  production  by  as  much  as  four  and  five  tons  per 
acre.  E.stimating  the  cost  of  tbe  various  manures  on  the  plots, 
tbe  plot  containing  superphosphate  alone  seems  to  have  been 
the  most  economical,  and  the  most  productive,  proportionately 
speaking.  At  the  same  time  it  was  stated  to  be  clear  that 
farmyard  manure  is  still  a  serious  ilv'’!  to  the  artificial 
dressing. 
