c e n t r e s ; the C on tro l A s so c ia tio n s ; the V e te r in a r y S y s tem ; and the Edu- I
c a tio n a l S y s tem for A g r icu ltu r a lists.
At the competitions for the breeding centres, which are managed hy
special juries, distinction is awarded as breeding centres to such herds I
as consist of prominent animals which are capable of transmitting their 1
good qualities to their offspring, and which also possess other charac- I
teristics proving that they can contribute in an essential degree to the 1
improvement of the breeds of cattle. The two competitions that have hith- I
erto been held, each of which lasted two years, included herds of j
Ayrshires, black-and-white Lowland cattle, and Alpine cattle, while, in 1
that which is now going on, there are no representatives o f the Lowland I
breed. The distinction of (being nominated as a breeding centre holds good I
for a period of three years, during which time the various centres remain I
under the control of the respective breeding-centre juries.
In order to promote the establishment of pig-breeding societies,: the i|
State contributes a grant towards covering the expenses, the grant in J
question being so Calculated that it ought to be an effective^ help I
towards the procuring of boars by the societies. The additional support |
of which the society and its members may be in need for the payment of I
their annual expenses is not given in the shape of a yearly contribution, I
but only in the form of prizes to be awarded at the prize-competitions; I
the object of these is to show that the breeding work done by the society 1
is based on correct principles and that it is carried on satisfactorily. As I
it is also a matter of importance for these Societies to have, from the I
very beginning, breeding animals whose offspring will give pork that can I
fetch the highest price in the markets of the world E 3 boars of the j I
large, white English breed and sows of the “ country” breed (Sw. lanfeas) I
— the State also contributes to support the various kinds of breeding I
centres from which it will be possible to obtain the breeding animals ( that I
are required.
The Control Associations have been of inestimable assistance in the 11
measures taken for the promotion of breeding, as their chief task has j I
been to investigate the individual productive powers of the animals, I
though the societies in question have also had other important missions to I
fulfil. Among other things, it has been their task to spread a knowledge |l
of, and to carry out, a rational system of feeding, and, if possible, to draw I
up estimates of the economy of the cow-house and the pig-sty, etc.
An account of the veterinary system of Siveden is given in a n o th e r I
place, so that it is not necessary here to do more than emphasize its great I
importance in the task of combating infectious cattle-diseases, especially
tuberculosis.
The Swedish system of instruction in agricultural subjects has exer- I
cised a very great influence on the development of live-stock rearing. Cap- I
able men have been sent out from the Swedish schools of agriculture, who I
have afterwards, as experimentalists, experts, teachers, or practical farm- I
T able 24. Number of Live-Stock, in 1911.
Horses
above 3
years
Horses
under 3
years
Oxen Bulls Cows
Young
ca ttle under
2 years
Sheep ■ Goats Pigs Reindeer
493 322 95163 144 277 52 467 1837 035 655 830 945 709 66 136 951164 276 084
f ers, spread information concerning breeding and the economy of the farm-
jyard. The experimental department is centralized at the Experimental-
ifaltet, in the immediate neighbourhood of Stockholm, and possesses a
[special division for live-stock husbandry, which, up to the present, has been
[occupied with a number of important questions concerning the feeding
iof cattle, horses, and pigs. The State has .appointed three experts in
¡the live-stock industry, viz., one for horned cattle, one for sheep and goats,
¡and one for pigs. In each of the Ians of Sweden there is, too, at least one
[expert appointed by the Agricultural Society of the district, who, among
¡other things, endeavours to improve the breeding of cattle. In addition to
¡the teaching given in the Agricultural Schools and the Farmers’ Schools,
[instruction in: live-stock husbandry is given in schools for farm-yard hands,
[at courses for control assistants, at courses for small farmers, etc.
The total number of live-stock, and of the various kinds of these domestic
[animals existing in Sweden in 1911, is shown by Table 24, which, together
with the other figures given below, has been obtained from the summary published
[by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
The total number of animals at the close of 1911 was 5 241 103. This
[amounted to : 942 per 1 000 inhabitants, as compared with 972 in 1910, 959
lin 1905, 1 025 in 1900, 1 061 in 1895, 1 038 in 1890, 1 048 in 1885, 1 024
'in 1880, and 1 072 in 1870. On the whole, therefore, the proportion has become
less satisfactory. The decline proceeded from the middle of the decade
[1891—1900, but the position has improved during the last few years. As regards
the numbers of the various classes of animals in proportion to the population,
[and the development which, in this respect, has characterized the last four decades,
[investigations show that the relative numbers of horses, bulls, and young cattle has
remained fairly stationary during the whole of the period. A very large decrease may
[be noticed, on the contrary, in the case of oxen, sheep, and goats. Nowadays, oxen are
Bound most numerously in Ostergodand and Smaland, and goats in Norrland -Mjamt-
land especially. Among the classes of animals that have increased more rapidly than
e Population during the last forty years are cows and pigs, the last-named
.especially, the relative figures for which have more than doubled during the
period in question, but even in regard to these two classes of animals, the
pgures bear witness to the fact that, during the last fifteen years, the development
mentioned has ceased, and, in the case of the cows, has been replaced by
I a re atave decline. In these calculations, consideration might be paid to numbers
f t b ibUt aU authorities 011 the subject agree that the quality of the animals,
P e horned cattle especially, has improved. Contemporaneously with the improvement
m the breeding of the live-stock that has taken place, greater attention
as been paid to the care of the animals, and, more especially, to the feeding
1 « 1 stock, thanks to the increased cultivation of fodder-plants and the larger
port of oil-cake and other foods.
staf +.°rder to obtain a better survey of the whole, it has been customary in
sties to reduce the live-stock of the country to "cattle-units”. This reduc