ON HOG-RAISING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2984, 23 January 1917, Page 8

ON HOG-RAISING

, AN ■AMERICAN' IN,NEW! ZEALAND. A former, resident of California, wild ao'w lives in Christchurch, wroto to ail old friend, Mr. J. A. Roberts, of .San Joaquin Valley 4 California, extolling New .Zealand's attractions some time ago, and Mi\ lioborts decided to come and 6eo them for himself. He is iii Ohristohuich now, and when ho was asked if New Zealand came up to his expectations, he said that the country far exceeded them and that he was astonished at the natural attractions he saw, the fertility of tho latid,. the prosperity of the people, and the prospects of. the community, He mentioned especially the grass lands along the Main Trunk railway on .the -journey from, 'Auckland 1 to Wellington, saying that, although he had been in many parts of the world, he had never before seen anything of tho same kind. . ' He has a hog and_ dairy ranch at i San Joaquin, which lies between San Francisco and Loa Angeles, and he intends to spend several months in New Zealand looking for a place where ho can'begin sheep and cattle farming. Chatting about his experiences he said that the raising of hogs for the great American packing-houses was a somewhat anxious business on- account of the animals' susceptibility to disease and tho persistency with which it spread amongst them. His ranch covered about 160 acres, and he sent to the packing-houses about 90 hogs of 2001b. each every month. He received • 8 dollars 60 cents per cwt. f.o.b. at the car, which, for medium light hogs, •averaged about £4 a head: The expenses were heavy. In the first place 'the land had'to bo irrigated. That was done by pumping the water. He employed an expert mechanic constantly. Irrigation, in -addition to the cost of plant, represented 'between seven and eight dollars a. day. The hogs were fed on lucerne and grain. When he left the latter was exceptionally expensive. Barley was about £10 a ton, oats £11, and wheat £12, while sugar and flour were £2 a cwt. Labour cost about the same as iu New Zealand. The cost of raising the hogs, after paying all expenses and interest on investment. but not rent, as his land was freehold, was about .50 per cent. ■- of the price received. He favoured tho -Durroc-Jersey breed of hog. which was very-prolific. From the lard point of ' view, by which the packing-houses 'judged, that breed was third on the list, the Polland-Chinas coming and the Berkshires second. ... Amongst dairv farmers in Mr. 'Ro.bnrts's part of the United State". Holstein" cattle predominate for niilk and huttr, with .Ter.ws next-. There are small creameries dotted over the country districts, but these av" owned mostlv bv stock companies and are not con- ■ ' dr" W on co-operative wincinles. , Mr. Roberts believes that *« soon as ■neace is declared Germany .will make a /heavy demand in f,, r relies / 'ef meat, and that these will denlen'sh +bo leeo.l market, and be thinks that 'New Zealand would be wise te meke 3 rTancements new +o op o n up the Ameri-. can markets for her lamb and mutton.