PIGS VERSUS SHEEP.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 240, 7 November 1876, Page 4

PIGS VERSUS SHEEP.

At a recent meeting of the Kaiapoi (Canterbury) Farmers' Club the Chairman read a paper on "Pigs, their different breeds and breeding." He began with the early history of the animal, and pointing oat that it was met with in almost every country and climate. It was found to thrive in a .wild or tame stat^, Bnd resulted as a > rule, in a source of profit to its breeders. He drew attention to the characteristics .of the Berkshire, Chinese, Hampshire, .Essex, Suffolk, aud other less noted breeds, and gave preference to the first* named as most profitable for this province. Ho considered the following as-an outline of a good pig. The hog should possess a small muzzle, narrow forehead, large cheeks, eyes quick aod bright, ears short and ihin, and the jpeck from ears to shoulder almost as broad as the chine, and that of an equal breadth to the tail, belly almost touching the ground from hind legs to fore almost to muzzle, thighs and division between them- large, legs small and short, feet firm and sound, bones small, and joints fi_e aud thin, firm bristles, Bkin loose and. mellow. The sow which he should select for breeding would be a roomy one with plenty of length, good shoulders aud depth of body, and well down in hams with plenty of coarse hair. From such a one a good litter might be expected. He said no class of stock would mature quicker or give a better return uuder favorable circumstances .in. a shorter time. The usual way 01. feeding them wus on barley or crushed oats, whey, or refusa milk, and, in summer, peas, &c, with the run over a paddock. In the colony there was a very small amouut of artificial <feediDg, the rule seeming to be to feed . them through the winter at a trough, allowing them to run over a clover field, : and, after harvest, to put them on to stubble land and give them peas to shake out. His experience led him to conclude that pigs ought to be fattened ,up by May or June, ior if sold to the ciirer then he could get tbem out of the way before the' fly had a chance to attack the bacon. A very auiraated discussion followed the reading of the paper, and the principal questiou was whether sty fed .or paddock-fed piga wero most profitable. The opiniou of most ol thosa present was that. sty-fed pigs necessitated too much work in cleaning aud feeding, whereas pigs could be quite «.s well fed and made fit for tlte matkot if they vwtra allowed their liberty. A caloulu- • tion -was then made on the relative profit- 'oi keeping sheop and pigs, but '"' it resulted largely in favor of the latter.