He Likes Pigs!

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 720, 20 July 1929, Page 18

He Likes Pigs !

Heir to Spanish Throne Runs Bacon Curmg Factory OWNS 5,000 PORKERS I ' ‘g‘ ‘IIEN I was in Spain. a \ \’ I, ludy-iuwvaiting at the \\ I; the Spanish Court drew .63 3‘; a“ for me a little word GLN (.../.4) picture of the Spanish Royal Family (Writes Evelyn Graham I'll “Pearson's “'eokly").

“The Queen breakfasts in her boudoir" she said, “and all her children

invariably come in and say ‘Good morning’ to her. Now that the two Infantas are older they breakfast with ltheir mother. Prince Asturias, or "Alfonsito' as he is called by the family, generally comes in first, kisses his mother, has a game with ‘Ping,’ the Queen’s cocker spaniel, and always ‘has some joke or amusing incident to :tell his sisters 'Baby’ and ‘Christa.’ ‘ “Jaime, Juan and Gonzalo, or ‘Kiki’ as he is generally called, follow, and the _family is complete, especially when the King puts his head round the door on. his way to his study with a. ‘Good morning, all.’ “Prince Asturias and his mother always plunge straight away into books. for both of them are passion-3 ately fond of reading. especially Eng-3 lish novels. After this he generally} tells them the news of his pig farm. l “Prince Asturias often stays withl his mother a. little time after thel others have gone, when he shows her any sketches he may have done thel previous day. He sketches extremely well, but is very shy, and will never show his work to anyone but his mother. He also has a marvellous ear for music and the Queen will often hum little snatches of tunes she has heard while the Prince picks them out charmingly on the small boudoir: grand piano. “They are the most perfect companions,” finished up the lady-in-Waiting. “for they have so much in common.” It is a. charming picture of a. mother and son! He Introduced Bacon! After leaving his mother Prince! Asturias goes straight away to El Pardo, Where his pig farm is situated. He is a very expert gentleman farmer, and has introduced bacon into Spain with great success. There is nothing he does not know about pedigree pigs from the time when they are exported from England to his farm until they reach his model curing factory.

He now has 5,000 pigs, and no one is more interested in them than King Alfonso, who often accompanies his son round, listening with interest to “pig lore.” Speaking of pigs, the Prince himself tells an amusing story of how one day he was sketching some distance outside Madrid. He had settled himself down on his camp stool when an old Spanish peasant farmer came by, driving some pigs to market. Not recognising the Prince, he looked at him sourly and informed him that he would not have any sketching done on his land.

The Prince did not want to disclose his identity, as he knew that if he did so he would soon have a crowd round him. Instead he artfully turned the conversation to pigs, and gave the old peasant so many tips about buying, feeding and breeding that the man told the Prince although he was probably a ne'er do well, he knew a lot about pigs, and that he was at liberty to sketch on his land for as long as he pleased! The Prince “Looks Nippy”

Prince Asturias is often to be seen round about Madrid looking very young and attractive in his slim sports car. He has had many amusing adventures. One day, some miles from Madrid. he came upon a. stranded party of American motorists on a lonely road. “Hi, son." shouted one, putting up his hand, “can you give us any gas?" Prince Asturias pulled up and said he would let them have some with pleasure. ~ “Look nippy then,” said the jovial American, “we've got to get to Madrid tonight.”

Pr—ince Asturias helped him fill, and was preparing to go off, when the American called him back.

“\Vaal," he said, “this obviously ain’t your automobile or you’d never give gas away. Four dollars will about cover it. I reckon; give it to your daddy when you get home." The question or marriage naturally looms on the horizon of all princes. The King and Queen of Spain do not believe, however, in rushing their children into marriage, and they are not in any way worrying either the Prince or the Infantas.