Vol. IV. No. 81. 



THE AGPJCULTURAL N^^yS. 



157 



PIG REARING IN TRINIDAD. 



Tlie tbllowing statement on pig rearing at the 

 •Oiovernnient Farm, Trinidad, lias been forwarded by 

 the Manager (Mr. C. W. Meaden): — 



The herd was started \\'ith llu-ee sows and a boar 

 •fostiiig, at the start, iJSO'OO. A new l)oar has since been 

 piu'cliased, bringing the capital cost of the stock up to SIO.J'OO. 

 From these the number of sows was increaped to twelve, and 

 this season 112 young pigs were sold readily at $300 each 

 at between two to three months old, the demand for them 

 being much greater than could be met. 



One of the most interesting features is that from this 

 small commencement the stock has been increased to the 

 value of .$2<)0-00 and .'JiTTO-OO deposited as the result of sales 

 -within three years. The expenditure for food was $14G'00, 

 ■which is about !?r00 per month per head. But this money 

 ■was not spent, as all were fed on the produce grown on the 

 farm, supplemented by the waste from the general food store, 

 so that the amount shown has only a relative value. 



The food grown consisted of Ijananas, sugar-cane, corn, 

 Ciuinea and I'ara grass, Guinea corn, sweet potatos, etc., all 

 of which can be put to good account in rearing pigs. The 

 bananas and potatos are cooked with the waste, the other is 

 passed through a chafl' cutter and given as 'chop chop.' 



To get the best results from feeding, comfortable styes 

 should be provided for the pigs. 1 [irefer concrete iiooring 

 with partitions of the same or of galvanized iron sheets 

 and wire netting above to protect against the attacks 

 of bats. It will be found to pay to make the pigs 

 comfortable and keej) theni clean, exercising and bathing 

 being also essential. This is how they are treated at the 

 farm ; the pen can be entered at any time without one 

 becoming soiled or inhaling unpleasant odours. 



The animals are of the breed known as Taniworths, red 

 in colour, with elongated snouts; they are prolific, good 

 mothers, easily and cheaply reared, and have proved them- 

 selves well adapted to the climate. 



In connexion with the [iroposed banana industr\', pig 

 keeping should play an important part ; they would 

 profitably consume the waste fruit and provide a large 

 cjuantity of very useful manure. The two, condjined on 

 a large scale, must, I think, lead to successful results. 



Very few give a thought to the considerable sum of 

 money that Trinidad siiends upon the importation of pigs 

 and their products, and of course the amount expended is 

 practically lost to the colony. 



Most of the pig meat jirovided for the market is 

 repugnant to the better class of consumers, and the inspec- 

 tion records relate how many pigs' lungs are condennied. 

 This indicates the class of animal the market is supplied 

 with, for if the flesh is not unfit for consumption, it is 

 generally anosmic and necessarily deteriorated in value as 

 food. 



Statement of I'iij Account for A2}ril 

 J/arch Jl, J90J. 



46 pigs sold privately at §3-00 

 24 „ „ „ „ 3-00 



42 



1, 1904, lo 



.$138-00 

 72-00 

 ] -54-00 .i?364-00 



1 boar and 2 so^n'S sold at annual sale 



2 sows sold by auction at agricultural 



show 

 1 so^NV sold to butcher ... 



Total receipts 



$ 67-00 



67-00 

 12-00 



146-00 



1.510-00 



Total receipts (brought 

 forward) 

 Cost of labour per annum 

 Cost of feed ,, ,, 



.S.51000 



■i? 96-00 

 146-00 



mi-2-00 



Less value of manure, 60 tons at 48c. 28-80 213-20 



Profit 



Value of stock on hand : 



1 boar and 7 sows 

 136 young born ; 112 sold ; 24 died. 



.$296-80 

 $260-00 



ELECTRIC PLOUGHS IN ITALY. 



The following account of the use of electric 

 ploughs is taken from the U.S. Montlili/ <U>n>tidar 

 Rcpiirt^ for January 190.5 : — 



The iSocieta Elettrotecnica Italiana, of Turin, ha.s 

 invented and constructed devices for the application of 

 electric power to ploughs and other farm machinery. The 

 exiieriment of ploughing by electric power was recently made 

 near this city in the presence of representative men from 

 different parts of Italy and, it is reported, with gratifying 

 •success. 



The device consists of two power cars, which are 

 stationed at each side of the field and between which are 

 stretched cables attached to the plough. The electric current 

 is taken from a trolley line ; a current of about 500 volts is 

 said to be needed. Each ear is said to connnunicate 

 25 horse-power, which car. safely be increased tn 40 liorse- 

 jjower. The plough is ])ulled by the caldes from one side of 

 the field to the other, and wdien it reaches the end of the 

 furrow it stops automaticall}', the current being cut off. It 

 can be run backward or forwai-d with ease. One man 

 manages the plough, and each car is operated by one man. 

 Thus three men do all the work. 



Of course, much depends on the condition of the soil, 

 but it is said that from 7 to 15 acres can be ploughed ia 

 twelve hours. These power cars are said to be as easily 

 managed as traction engines, and their power can be applied 

 to thrashing machines?, cornshellers, pumps, grain drills, etc. 



THE TRUMPET TREE AS A FODDER 

 PLANT. 



ilr. George F. Branch, Agricultural Instructor at 

 Dominica, writes as follows: In the last issue of the Agri- 

 cultural Neios (Vol. IV, p. 127), I read an article on the 

 trumpet tree (Cecropia ^^eltata). I should like to draw your 

 attention to the value of this tree as fodder for animals, as 

 no reference was made to its value in this line. Cattle are 

 Tery fond of it and will often eat the leaves in preference to 

 grass. In the forest lands of Dominica the trumpet tree is 

 very common, and whenever the land is cleared it generally 

 grows cpiite thick from seed scattered evidently by the wind, 

 in addition to the old stumps, which will stand cutting back 

 for a long period. In such places where grass is generally 

 very scarce, and when a settler might be inclined to keep 

 a cow for supplying his milk, but on account of the scarcity 

 of grass is unable to do so, the end part of the branches, 

 about 12 inches from the tip of the stem, and the leaves 

 distributed on the harder parts of the stem will be found 

 verv valuable as fodder. 



