FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1916, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

SUCCESSFUL PIG-RAISING. Farmers are more and more beginning to realise, the value of pig-production as a. profitable, side-liue for the dairy farm, and this is not to be wondered at when one considers the high price ruling for pork now, o'/od as against 3d a few years hack. Indeed, in some'cases pigproduction is made the primary product of the farm, dairying taking second piaec. This is especially noticeable in the ease of a well-known Onaero farmer, who has already turned off this season 400 pigs from his two hundred-acre farm, and before the season is over he expects to fatten another 150. As they always reach maximum weight, some idea of his pork cheque can be gleaned. He favors the Berkshire-Yorkshire cross, and keeps no fewer than 20 breeding sows, and fine, prolific animals they are, too. Last autumn three of them reared 40 pigs, whilst the whole" twenty averaged 11'/; pigs. As they breed at least twice a year it will be seen that they are no mean asset. Save for the top-ping-oil period, the animals haw the run of the paddocks, a system of removable styes being adopted. The great advantage to be derived from this is that the litter can be burnt, thus keeping the paddocks sweet and minimising any risk oi disease, and from sucker to baconer it would be difficult to find a healthier-looking lot of pigs. Practically all the food consumed is grown on the farm. At present the animals are running on rape. They are also given the skim milk from thirty cows milked on the place, and also buttermilk from an adjacent factory. Forty acres'of turnipr. have also been grown for them, and also 10 acres of peas, maple peas being favored. The farmer is very enthusiastic on the. advantages of peas, whieh can either be threshed or the pigs can be turned into them. The stubble, too, when ploughed in, greatly improves the soil. Barley is grown for hardening off the pork. In addition, the farmer has had 15 acres in oats, half of which wiii he threshed and half chaffed. A hundred to two hundred sheen are always on the property, as well as a number of young stock. This will give an idea of what can be done by progressive farming, as a few years ago the same farm was ninning only 30 eows,