The Farm.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 21, 19 August 1893, Page 11

The Farm.

THE PORK INDUSTRY. We have been asked to publish the following letter, which recently appeared in the Otago Daily Times: —- Sir, —It was with, great interest and pleasure that I read in the Witness of .22nd June an article by Mr E. A. Haggen on “The Pork Industry,” and I then made up my mind to see Mr A. Vecht, the representative of the Intra-Marine Supply Company. I came across him when in Wellington 10 days ago, and with Mx* J. D. Ritchie, Secretary of the Agricultural department, had a conversation with Mr Vecht. I pointed out to Mr Vetch that the dairy industry was flourish! g in the south, and that there were several clusters of dairy factories, particularly in Southland, that roots and oats grew well, and that there was plenty of refuse grain, &e., from farms, that the refuse products from the dairy factories were generally run into the livers, and that owing, I thought, to the want of knowledge as to how to feed them the pig business in connection with the factories had been in almost all cases a failure. I urged him very strongly to come down, and let me take him round and see whether Otago and Southland did not offer a good opening for his business. He replied that it was entirely a question of pigs—that is to sa} r , could he get them in sufficient quantities to warrant him in spending money in the erection of factories. He told me that his own inclination and ideas pointed to Otago and Southland as the proper place to start, bnt that he had asked the advice of one of our leading men , an M.H.R. for Otago, and had been told that “ there were no pigs in Otago or Southland, and that the North Island was the best place to start.” I was astonished at such a statement having been made, Mr Ritchie was also somewhat astonished. I found that some 38,000 pigs were mentioned in the stock returns as in Otago, but I think there surel-f must be more than this. At any rate if there are so few the sooner we begin to breed the "better—3B,ooo to start with w 11 be a fair beginning. Let the farmers save every sow and commence 'breeding at once. I have persuaded Mr Vecht to visit Dunedin at the end of this month with a gentleman of his firm, who is an expert in pig feeding and rearing. I have asked them to meet my committee, and I hope then to show Mr Vecht and his friends round Otago and Southland, and I hope at least to arouse interest in this most important industry, and if possible spread such information as will make the pigrearing business more successful and popular among farmers and dairymen than in the past. Mr Vecht, in the presence of Mr Ritchie, gave me an order to buy as many pigs as I could, of 1281 b to 1601 b, in fair fleshy condition, topped off for a fortnight on refuse grain at 3d per lb, and all the year round ; and

he was good enough to say that he would put up one factory ih the North Island, and that he would not yet decide where the next was to go until I had shown him Otago and Southland. I intend if possible to visit with Mr Vecht the Shag Valley, Taieri, Clutha, Mataura, Invercargill and Western districts, calling on farmers and others interested, so that Mr Vecht may have the information he requires and be enabled to start a factory in the Mataura dislricL say for a start, and then in the others, for despite the opinion of the eminent “ leading man ” alluded to, I am of opinion that there is great scope for Mr Vecht and the “pork-packing industry ” in the above-named districts. At any rate this is an industry that can be quickly cultivated. I have great faith in the productive power of Otago and Southland. Less than 10 years ago we imported all our cheese from Canterbury and England. This year Otago and Southland have sent away not less than 2000 tons of cheese, besides supplying all local wants, and not taking butter into account at all. This matter, of course, has a most important bearing on the future of the dairy industry, and that is why I interest myself in it. New Zealand must more than hold her own in the dairy industry against all the Australian colonies, and to do this nothing that can cheapen manufacture must be lost sight of. I reckon that in the past our cheese factories have lost from £SOO to £IOOO per annum each by the absolute waste of whey, etc. Indeed Mr Vecht assures me that in Holland and Belgium the farmer gets as much out of the whey as he does for the cheese. I have seen his figures for this, and although it seems too good to be true, I cannot, as yet, gainsay him. However, Mr Vecht and his friend will explain these matters shortly to practical men. I know I am rather a sanguine man Sir, and Mr Haggen’s article gave me, perhaps, pigs on the brain, and since seeing Mr Vecht, “ I have got it rather badlybut nevertheless I think you must allow this matter demands full and patient investigation. Think of Chicago, built, one might say, on the pork industry, distributing over £5,000,000 sterling per annum to the farmers in that district for pig s - . This industry is most important to all farmers, great and small, and I believe the business of pig-rearing will be found more profitable to the small farmer than sheep farming, and that the day may come when the large and aristocratic farmer, who at present might sicken at the bare suggestion, will find that pig rearing will pay on a large scale. I ask you to do what you can to get farmers to consider the matter. This is a great opportunity for New Zealand, and the reason for Mr Vecht’s appearance in New Zealand is this, as in the case of cheese and many other things, the productive power of America in these

things is not increasing, or only increasing very slowly, but that her population is so rapidly increasing that her exports are diminishing slowly hut surely, and the day is corning when, to a great extent, she will cease to be the great food-supplying country of the world, and as the everincreasing popu 1 ation of Europe must be fed, someone must take her place gradually but surely, and I think New Zealand must be in it. Chicago’s history is a very modern one, and looking back over various productive industries that have risen and flourish in New Zealand to-day, J say that, seeing that we have climate and every condition in Otago and Southland for the proper development of the great pork industry, it will he nothing short of a sin on our part if we don’t give it a fair trial and encourage, by providing raw material, those who are willing to put up the factories and take all the risk of the experimental stages. Mr Vecht’s company is sound, and able to employ any amount of capital provided only pigs are plentiful to warrant erection of factories. I will duly advise you of Mr Vecht’s arrival here, and hope that my dairy friends and farmers generally will give the matter consideration, and meet us when the time comes. I am, etc. James R. Scott, Secretary, National Dairy Association of N.Z. Dunedin Aug. 9.