The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-04-18 00:00:00

Lab] attb time.

- Is !be adiva:
Arrinstplal.
• ifee.

Aweeritie ewer-
direst r
the
and

the sentences
-.Ler
ce;oi
_eriitwensy
Hurley each ter --

gfgriculturt.

CORN AVERAG.,B.—A statement showing the
quantities sold and average price of British Corn,
imnerial measure, as received from the inspectors and
, officers of ex•eiaa, in the week ended 8.11 Apiil, 1865
Wheat, 75,137 gra. 4 btishels, 395. 8d; per 'Sr. ; barley,
31,291 qrs. 7 bushels, 295. 5d.; oats, 4,483 gra 6
1 bushels, 21s. Bd.
BIRD SLAUGHTIR.—The Rev. C. Abbe, president
of the Naturalists' Field Club, estimates that the 6,000
sparrows killed by a member of a " Pparrow club" in
Essex, and for which he received a prize of 10a, would
have eaten 6,307,000,000 caterpillars. While the clod-
hoppers of Essex are killing sparrows by the thousand,
the Australian colonists are importing them at a con-
siderable expense from England, to act the part of pro-
tectors of the mop., and thereby of promoters of the
comforts of the people.
IRISH AGRICULTURAL STATTBTICEL—The Registrar
General for Ireland has i.sued his report for 1864.
According to the revised returns of the acreage in 1864,
there has been an increase of 12,421 acres under tillage
in 1864 compared with the previous year. Cereals
decreased by 121,782 acres. In potatoes there was an
increase of 16,310 acres. Turnips, tnangel wurzel, and
cabbage, taken collectively, decreased by 18,632 acres.
The acreage under fl in 1864 amounted to 301,693
acres, being an increase of 87,594 acres compared with
1863, the largest extent sown in any year since 1847,
when these returns were first collected. The area oecu.
pied by meadow and clover was 1,560,638 acres in 1863,
and in 1864, 1,609,569, being an increase of 48,931 acres.
With respect to the total produce, there bits been a
falling off in cereals of 1,062,704 quarters in 1864 coin.
pared with 1863 In the produce of potatoes there was
an increase of 866,439 tons. The produce of turnips,
mange] wurzel, and cabbage, diminished by 798,988
tons. In 6ax there was a large increase, amounting to
21,860 tons. The produce of bay diminished by 154,880
tons.

TAIL•LEBS PIOS.—Mr. Stearn in his Suffolk lecture on
pig breeding has a curious passage on this peculiar
disease of young pigs. "I have received letters from a
great many gentlemen at different times requesting me
if I could to inform them how to prevent little pigs
tails falling off. Now this is • thing I have given my
attention to for a long time, but I am sorry to say up
to the present I have not been able to solve the mystery.
1 have asked the question of a great many old pig
breeders, but no two thought alike. One would have
It that it is only the winter pigs which lose their tails;
another says that it comes from the easterly winds ;
another from breeding too close; another from feeling.
I have lost thousands of pigs, and tried • great many
experiments. Once or twice I thought I hat found
out the riddle. But, no; what seemed to do good at
one time took not the least effect the next. I found
that quite as many pigs lose their tails in the Spring and
Summer as in the Winter. I have bred as closely as
anything could be bred, just for a trial, and not one tail
has come off. Then, again, I have bred as far distant
as possible, and perhaps nearly half the pigs have lost
their tails. Some time last summer I had two sows,sisters
of one litter,put into a place with only% low partition to
divide them. They farrowed within an hour of one
another. Several pigs of one sow lost their tails whilst
those of the other lost none. Both litters were bred
precisely the same. In the coldest week last January
four of my sows farrowed; they averaged 10 pigs each,
and not one of them lost • tail. I have quite made up
my mind it is neither breeding, feeding, hot weather,
cold weather, nor easterly wind, which is the cause, nor
does it signify whether the pigs are black or 's-bite;
therefore I must leave it to some one with a wiser bead
than I have to solve this mysterious affair."
RANSOMS'S AND SIMS' FICIDING TsOOGRS.—Mr. Stearn
in his Suffolk paper on pig breeding thus explains the
origin of these feeding troughs. Not being able to buy or to
see atrough my short-legged heavy-faced pigs could eat
out of at all comfortably, I turned my attention to them,
and designed some which have been manufactured by
Messrs. Ransoms and Sims Ipswich. They are of
simple construotion, easily adjusted so as to suit pigs
of various uses, and will prevent waste and soiling of
food; are • good width from back to front, no that a
pig with the heaviest chap can feed with the greatest
ease and comfort as well as those animals that can eat
out of a quart mug. In fact they are most economical
in every respect. I have brought models with me ;
bet as the troughs hare been out some little time I
think it most likely many now present may have seen
them in use.