FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1921, Page 8

FARM AND DAIRY.

QUALIFICATIONS OF PIGS. IN THE SHOW PENS. Mr. J. Paul, of Stratford, writes: —A case of considerable interest to pig breeders occurred at the Stratford A. and P. Show, which, if carried on, is going to have a very detrimental effect on all the principal shows in New Zealand in regard to the exhibition of pigs. The show schedule reads: “All pigs entered in purebred classes must be entered or eligible for entry in New Zealand Pig Breeders’ Associations’ Herd Book.” In Class 203 a protest was lodged by an exhibitor against the decisions of the judge, the pig awarded first prize not being eligible lor entry in the Herd Book owing to deficent marking. I being the breeder of the pig under dispute, am best able to certify whether the pig is eligible for entry in the Herd Book. The sire is entered in. the Herd Book, his lineage all entered as far back as seven descendents. I also entered lineage to six descendants, four gilts and three boars, full brothers and sisters to the pig under dispute. All appear in the Pig Breeders’ Herd Book, and were passed by the inspector. If the pig under dispute is not eligible for entry in the Herd Book I gladly welcome information as to what is required to make it eligible. Should this pig have been fortunate enough to be born red, white, and blue, instead of black, with white marking, it is still eligible for entry in the Herd Book until rejected by the inspector for same.

Had the show schedule stated “passed by the inspector before awarding prize,” it would have entirely altered the position. Being closely associated with the Berkshire Society of Great Britain for a number of years, I have a copy ox their rules before me, from which the New Zealand Pig Breeders’ Association rules were copied, and prior to the appointment of Mr. Gorringe, pig expert, as inspector for the Herd Book, I acted as Interim Inspector for this district. I am quite satisfied if rigid inspection of pigs were enforced less than one half of the Berkshire pigs filling the different volumes of the Pig Breeders’ Herd Book to-day would be rejected. If rigid inspection were enforced only three Berkshire pigs exhibited at Stratford Show would pass inspection, and for the benefit of the party that lodged the protest, I take the liberty to point these pigs out, trusting to be forgiven for using the names of exhibitors without permission:—First prize, boar over one year, Corn wail and Grover, Bell Block; first prize, sow over one year, Stewart and Landsber'o, Normanby; first prize, sow under six months, E, P, Aldridge, Stratford.. Pigs can be rejected for registration for various causes, viz., bad conformation, knock knees, hog manes, loop ears, hollow back, walking on heels, badly marked, pigs with bob tail, etc., all the above exist more or less in every herd, however well bred, and I am sorry lo say, too mux’h of the above are amongst my own breeding. If the” protest lodged af Stratford be sustained, protests will pour in from eve/y party that is not awarded first place,

Writes our Kaponga correspondent : —ln his lecture on pig-raising at Kaponga on Saturday, Mr. k. W. Gorringe described the various breeds io be found in New Zealand, pointing out their individual merits and weaknesses, Everyone knew the Berkshire, which yva% a good animal. The Yorkshire was just as good though not so generally favored, The Tamworth should be valued Highly a cross. Then there were the Devon, large and small White, Curly Lincoln, the last nauied being one not recommended.

A pig that was not well known in this country, and pne Mr. Gorringe thought would be particularly suited tp pur fern land yyas Wessex or Saddleback. The' Berkshire apd Yorkshire pigs had been dOlPpstipatpd fpr a epntury, and as a pig to get off quickly thpse h a d no rivals. The first cross (Berkshire-Yorkshire) wps

even better foi park production, but for bacon purposes quite a different animal was required- The popular Berkshire ixx the fyfupp wpuld bp np good. The bacojx was ton f#t, fpo tl)ipk on the shqulder, ai .d the Hitch not long enough. jV-hat v.aj known as the Wiltshire side in England was recognised as the best bacon, and it must not have inore than inches of fat. To get such bacon as this was.quite a simple matter if the farmer went the right way to work. The quarter-bred Berk, (if) Tam (4) gave just the article required. The public insisted upon lean mpat, end the farmer who knew his business would see tj)gt tfye pubjit; got it They nmsf look forsyard to the time whep this P.oniipipn would bp doing an immense export business "in pig. products. Then would cpme the grader, and with his arrival, the whey-fed pig wps dpoiped. The United States of America was the greatest author in the world qn “hogs’ - (said Mr. Gorringe). There thp pig wag considered the most .njpqrtanf animal in the country, and the Amerigan spared pains or expense in finding oul all abgqf him. From numerous reports • t their experimental stations, it * thflt young pigs—ten weeks old --eouxu be pro=

duced for 10s. What, had they ni New Zealand? A little while ago Waikato farmers were buying weaners for from £3 2s fid to £3 10s. Then came the slump, and buyers at that price weie fortunate if they got their money back. There should be no jsuch things at store pigs, for farmers should kp£j> just sufficient sows to. supply what they wanjtpd- -ppe Argentine supplied the biggest pig farxps ip rhe world. As

many as 1000 sows were kept on lucernq and water and then turned on to the rnaizq plot, producing well finished aniinals absolutely without th ( e aid of dairy products, said Mr. K. Ggrringc, pig at Ka ; ponga the other night. Casein was, considered Mr. Chas. Dahl, of Palmerston North, who has returned ! from a visit to England and Denmark, a by-product which should be cultivated ;ii New Zealand on a much larger scale, as there was a good market for it abroad. It was being put to' a very wide range of uses. Incident ally' lie fully expected ihap js/}jpp pf articles ip. ih.c ipanul’acture ‘of ivfiich casgin was employed would eveni.u ally be made in Now Zealand. Ip any case it was an expensive practice to send etiseiu Home in bags in the rough. It would have to be shipped in dressed blocks, which for one thing would only take up a quarter of the .shipping opace required for bagged casein. Mr. Dahl said that, even though butter wasr.low in price, he did not think there was any reason for- the New Zealand fanners to be anxious, because all signs pointed to it recovery of the marked; but there’would be no more I’aitcy prices paid. Ne'\y Zealaiw! butter was bound ultimately to command a fair price under normal conditions, providing lint quality was not allowed to depreciate. We had itle.al farming conditions, but we would have tn follow lhe lead of Northern Europe and g<» in for intensified (arming, it was an absolute necessity.