Points in Pig Raising.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 April 1910, Page 4

Points in Pig Raising.

\ —r-7-4 A TARANAKI PAPER. ) i Mi interesting paper on the vex<?d Question of pig-raising was read before tho Hawera branch of the Fariners' Union a few; days ago by MrM. R. Corrigan, president of the branch. lii opening his paper Mr Corrigan said most of those present would no ; doiiht like to find a remedy for the!present low price of pork.* The price in England run at (id to 7Jd per! lb, yet they could uob.geit more thai) about half that from the companies here. If farmers wished to take the matter in ha-nd, the first thing to do was to reduce the proportion of diseased" pigs. "It is recognised," continued Mr Corrigan, "that there is no animal so susceptible- to lung diseases as a pig; therefore it is necessary that above all things pigs should have a good, warm house and dry bed to sleep in. That is the fust step necessary in starting pig-farming. Secondly, feeding is very important'. To keep down disease in the pig all dairy factories should pasteurise the whey and skim milk so as to kill any microbes that may get'into it, and the farmer himself, should be have any animal fr.od to feed liis pigs, should always boil it well before giving it to them. If lie is nob in a position to boil it he should ' bury it. Ear better to do that' than to run the risk of spreading disease among his pigs. Then, again, there is-the- finishing off of the pigs, before they go into the- works. It is no use trying to finish off pigs to make first-class quality pork,without.you hav.e some, solid food of some sort or other to give them —either barley, maize, peas, or grain of some sort, otherwise your pork will he sure to come out second-class. ft may appear to you to be first quality, but I can assure you when killed and hungup you ca,n easily tell the difference. At the present time I have no hesitation in saying a Jot of farmers produce pork a,iis r a\p"ee,t': to get first (piality price foi-'it?, and yet they would not cat it themselves. Well, this sort of thing is injurious to the trade as a whole. The aim of every fanner should be to produce pork of .the- very best (piality, free from disease, a,nd then I feel sure we will always get a good payable price from the factories for it. Another thing a farmer should always try and aim at in producing pork, or meat of any sort, is to breed animals with as little bone as possible." Speaking of the best breed of pigs, Mr Corrigan said: "My experience is that the most useful breed of pigs for a dairy main to rear is the Tam-worth-Rerkshire cross. I find the Tamworth sow crossed with a good low-set wellshaped Berks-hire boar gives good results. Thev are good mothers and have large litters. The progenv are good qualitv pork, wit)' a good percentage of lean meat. The Tamworth pig has gone out of fashion of late, owing greatly to farmers not selecting the right sort for breeding nurposes. All animal* of any breed are naturally inclined to degenerate, find it is only by careful culling and proper mating of sire and dam that a high standard can be maintained. Fanners should be careful in mating their pigs and select a heg that has verv ptr-onre points of what l"'s cows ar ■ weak in, and rice versa."