PIG CLUBS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1938, Page 9

PIG CLUBS

VALUE OF MOVEMENT STRESSED. NEED FOR IMPROVED QUALITY. (“Times-Age” Special.) “It has been the consistent policy of this council to form clubs only in cases where they have been founded on a sound basis,” observed the chairman, Mr B. E. Keiller, at yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington District Pig Council, held at Carterton. “We have never rushed in forming clubs here, there and everywhere,” he added, “but rather have been on the careful side and concentrated principally on servicing the clubs already in existence.” If. however, any group of pig breeders in any district wished to form a club, the council would be only too ready to assist them. The association was in a healthy financial position, there being a bank credit balance of about £250. That would probably come in very useful as soon as there was a possibility of one or two additional councils being established in the North Island. Should that be done the Wellington Council’s allowance of £9OO a year would most likely go back to £BOO. After referring to the experiments being carried out at Massey College into breeding for length, Mr Keiller went on to state that a baconer class for pig club members had been included in the schedule of the Manawatu Winter Show. It was hoped that all members would make a big effort to make the class a success.

Professor W. Riddett said it was very gratifying to see the progress made since the movement was established twelve months ago. The council was endeavouring to interest all pig farmers in the matter of improving the quality of their pigs and the quantity of production. Dealing with various avenues of experimental and research work, Professor Riddett said that it was being found that the size of the sire did not decide the size of the progeny. When feeding pigs they should be fed in small and not big groups. It was not at all profitable to let pigs eat as much as they wanted to. Pigs should be fed very well at first, then well and slowly in the finishing off stages. Quality had to be considered just as much as .weight. A heavy weaner was not much good when the breeder finally got paid for a lowgrade animal. The success of the movement throughout the Dominion depended on the pig clubs, which could make or mar the movement. The individual clubs were carrying out a most important work and members were provided with a splendid opportunity of helping themselves and the industry in general. Mr E. P. Nielsen, District Supervisor, stressed the need for improving the quality of the animals if New Zealand breeders were to hold their own with competitors from other countries. He dealt with the competition for members of pig clubs at the. Manawatu Winter Show and at Whangarei and said that big show prizes tended to encourage professional “pot-hunting” and in the main defeated the aims of the Show classes. The offering of big prizes amounted to buying enthusiasm and bought enthusiasm was of no real value.

After a general discussion the principle of setting up an advisory committee in the Wairarapa was approved. The committee is to be known as the Wairarapa Advisory Committee of Pig Clubs. Messrs Bliss and Wright were appointed convenors of the first meeting of the committee, which will consist of two members from each of the seven clubs in the Wairarapa.

While agreeing with the desirability of the... scheme for grading purebred pigs, Mr W. J. Croucher, Palmerston North, said there was a possibility that it would become too unpopular and too unweildy. Farmers could not be bothered with the recording on account of the irksome conditions.