NOTES AND COMMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20950, 1 November 1939, Page 13

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Successful Show The Waikato Centennial Show was an outstanding success in every way. Its success should give heart to all other show associations in the Auckland Province, which were perhaps a little doubtful as to the outcome of their own particular fixtures because of the difficulties occasioned by war. The Waikato Agricultural and Pastoral Association has shown in no uncertain manner that, highly successful shows can be staged even in time of war. Ear Marks Important The necessity of ear-marking pigs correctly was stressed by Mr H. Kneebone, supervising butcher of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, when speaking at a field day at Horotiu this week. If the ear marks were not correct, he said, it meant that some other producer might get the credit for the wrongly marked pigs. It was little use, therefore, in producing top grade carcases if the pigs were carelessly ear-marked. Calf Club Classes All those who were connected with the calf club classes at the Centennial Show are to be congratulated on such a splendid exhibition of calves. There were no fewer than 180 entries, and the manner in which the young exhibitors had got their calves ready for showing and the way in which they handled them in the ring were highly praiseworthy. Truly, the juvenile exhibitors of to-day are the exhibitors of to-morrow and consequently it should be pleasing to all those concerned with the farming industry in the Waikato to see how the calf section of the show is being fostered. Mr A. T. Rogers’ Success There was no more successful exhibitor of pedigree pigs at the Waikato Centennial Show than the wellknown Ngaruawahia breeder, Mr A. T. Rogers. He secured eight of the 16 championships and many class awards, including over 12 first prizes. He showed Tamworths, Berkshires, and Large Blacks. Prize Sow and Litter Keen interest was aroused among visitors to the pig pavilion at the Centennial Show by the modern layout arranged by the Waikato District Pig Council. Centre of attraction was a fine Tamworth sow and litter of 13. The sow, the property of Mr G. V. Fletcher, of Koromatua, was the 2£-year-old Burwen Faith, which won the first prize for sow and litter and also the reserve championship. This sow has now had altogether 31 piglets without a single loss. Tribute to Producers Both the judges of the"fat lambs at the Waikato Centennial Show had nothing but praise for the entries. On the breeding side, it was evident that the producers of this district I have made very considerable progress j and Mr J. Webb, of Taihape, who ! judged many of the big classes, re- ; ferred particularly to flhe fact that lambs showed evidence of being well bred. Mr Webb was certainly in a position to gauge the progress that has been made by Waikato producers because it was some 30 years since he had last been at a Waikato show. He expressed amazement at the progress that had been made during the intervening years. Diseases Of Pigs Some interesting figures in regard to pig carcase rejections at the Horotiu Works was given by Mr R. Toulson, meat inspector, when a field day was held at the works this week by the Auckland and Waikato district pig councils. Sixty per cent of the rejections, he said, could have been prevented by better farm management. Most of the rejections were due to pleurisy and peritonitis, tuberculosis actually accounting for only 3 per cent of the rejections. Arthritis, or inflamation of the joints, was another troiible to guard against. Hydatis, although not resulting in carcase condemnations, was, nevertheless, responsible for the condemnation of the livers, which sometimes amounted to 11 per cent at Horotiu. A favourable development, however, had been the fact that there were now fewer rejections because of faulty castration. In answer to a question, Mr Toulson said that the total number of pigs rejected at Horotiu amounted to some 5 per cent. Restricted Feeding The very satisfactory results that have been obtained from the restricted feeding trials with baconers at the Ruakura Farm were referred to Mr J. H. Hitchcock, of the Department of Agriculture, when speaking at the Horotiu field day this week. The pigs should be allowed to reach 1501 b and then put on a 75 per cent ration. Satisfactory trials had been conducted by farmers on their own properties, said Mr Hitchcock, who offered to assist any producer who thought of conducting a restricted feeding trial for himself. Mr A. Longwell, Auckland District Pig Supervisor, said afterwards, that at a time when every ounce of food was needed to increase production, restricted feeding should make an even greater appeal. Bad Fault In Calves Probably the worst fault which the judge, Mr W. Montgomerie, of Te Aroha, had to find in the entries exhibited in the calf club section at the Waikato Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s show was that some heifers had allowed themselves to be sucked by other calves. In stressing the danger of this, Mr Montgomerie said the fault would result in deformity of the immature udder and probably udder weakness when the heifers came to profit. He said he had found the trouble common among heifer calves in the Waikato and advised young exhibitors to keep a close watch on their animals for evidence of this weakness. As safeguards against the continuance of the trouble, he suggested segregation for a time, combined with the giving of hard feed, such as bran. Mr Montgomerie stated that if the practice were not checked it might continue until maturity and had been known to induce sterility. He had known even of cases where the practice had brought on a flow of milk prior to a heifer’s calving. It would be timely, he said, if teachers in charge of calf clubs would point out to members the necessity for keeping a close scrutiny to guard against sucking.