A New Industry.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7065, 10 February 1893, Page 2

A New Industry.

Among the present visitors to New Zealand for the purpose of opening up trade with the colony is Mr A. Yecht, proprietor, or one of tho principal proprietors of a well-known large mess-pork business in Loudon. Their business, says tho Hawera Star, is in the way of supplying army and navy and mercantile marines, and various other large con* Burners, with cured pork, and it is their desire to get supplies from New Zealand, in addition to those they get from other parts of the world. Mr Veoht has just had an interview with a leading business man in this district, and, we understand, is willing to start works for killing and curing pork in large quantities, provided that at the outset he can get a guarantee or some substantial assurance of a supply. Two thousand well bred pigs a week during the season, of a weight of about I6olb a carcass, have bean mentioned as about the figures. Having made some ioquiea in this district, -Mr Techt is proceeding South, but it Is es-

peoted that he will return in the course of a month or two, when probably the best coarse : would be to hold a meeting of settlers to see : what could be done. Some settlers who hare thought upon the matter previously, to any suggestion of a local demand of the kind * being provided have always urged that there i ought td be money in pigs on this coast. It is a matter within everybody’s knowledge that - in America and’ other countries it has been a most profitable concern. Here where the ■ country is eo suitable for. dairying, pig-raising could, no doubt; be carried on with excep tional advantage, for in their earlier, stages the animals could be fed on herbage and on _ stuff which is now largely wasted, and later sOn with rootsj which no land grows more " prolifioly. Mr Vocht holds that a .couple, of. ■ weeks* corn feeding is quite sufficient to harden off the flesh of pigs previously well kept, and there can biirdly be. a doubt that the gro wing fcof pork io large quantities . which will fetch 2|d or 3d per lb would bo highly profitable to the farmer. It would be an especially valuable industry to the small farmers, working in well with other departments of farm work j and it is needless to say that the killing,, curing, and packing would give aplenty of employment to those immediately engaged in the work as well as to timber factories,'which would be required to supply kegs and boxes, etc. ' Therefore there is no doubt ; that if Mr Veoht comea "back this we hope ho will, and invites people to meet him he will find a ready re*, spouse. The difficulty hitherto has been an uncertain market for pigs, but this would rcmove the difficulty. 'Mr Yeohthas gone to Christchurch, because, although the pro-ducers-there. have hitherto found ready markets for their bacon-in; other colonies,-be thinks that the efforts of hostile tariff in Australia has opened the way for his. operations* 5 but even if‘there be a large supply' thero-he will still be prepared-.to take whatever ii offerecl him from here.