150 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [Feb. 2, 1920. 



Woonoua. 



The monthly meeting was held on 9th December, when nine new members 

 were admitted. Mr. Fowler read an interesting paper to members entitled 

 " How a Plant Grows." 



Yarramalong. 



A meeting was held on 26th November, and during the evening a lecture 

 on pig-raising was given by Mr. E. J. Shelton. 



Profitable Pig Farming. 



Mr. Shelton dealt with the subject under three headings, viz., (1) breeds and control, 

 {2) feeding and management, and (3) marketing. The extent to which the industry had 

 developed in other lands, indicated its possibilities, said the speaker. Last year the 

 figures representing the number of live pigs in the different countries were as follows :— ■ 



United States of America 67,453,000 United Kingdom 2,998,657 



Brazil 17,329,210 Argentine 1,197,337 



Austria-Hungary 7,580.4-16 Australia 1,141,132 



There was no coimtry more suited to the production of live stock than Australia, and 

 every pork and bacon buyer in the State would willingly purchase and pay higlier prices 

 for at least ten times the number of pigs available. Nor was there any need to fear a" y 

 perrnanent glut in the market. For the next few years they were not likely to see 

 even the occasional glutted markets of the past. 



There were four common breeds of pigs in Australia, viz., Berkshire, Yorkshire (medium 

 and large tj'pes), Poland China, and Taniworth. All had certain special advantages, and 

 all could be handled with profit. The Berkshire was the most popular and most exten- 

 sively bred, but the Middle Yorkshire was a close runner-up. It was rather more prolific 

 than the " Berk," but required more attention and must have plenty of shade and pro- 

 tection from both sun and rain. The Large Yorkshire was essentially a bacon pig, and 

 though of great value in the LTnited Kingdom and Canada it had not gained any popu- 

 larity here. The Poland China, so wonderfully popular in America, and a thoroughly 

 reliable and growthy pig, had been in the background for many years, but was now slowly 

 forging ahead. A Poland China boar mated to Berkshire or common type sows made 

 a great deal of difference in the annual returns. The Tamworth was distinctly a bacon 

 pig, suited to cross-breeding with Berkshire and similar type pigs for the production 

 of medium to heavy baconers. Where haulage to market was an item, it was well worth 

 considering the production of bacon pigs instead of porkers. In a general way, where the 

 farmer was c'ose to market, porkers paid the best, as returns were more regular and the 

 money was turned over more frequently. 



As to feeding and management, it was observed that the onlj' way to make money out 

 of pigs was to keep them on the move all the while. Their growth should never be allowed 

 to suffer a check, for they would probably never make the same type of animal once they 

 ceased growing for a while. 



Skim milk was no more a balanced ration for pigs than porridge for a human being. 

 It was a necessary and appetising addition to the food and of great value, but it needed 

 some concentrated addition. Amongst the most suitable foods for this piirpose were 

 pollard, wli(>at meal, pea meal, maize meal (when cheap enough), biscuit meal, or seme 

 other cereal by-product. These foods were all expensive at the time and likely to ccntinue 

 so, and farmers must therefore add some form of green food such as lucerne, green maize, 

 sorghuni, kale, rape and barley, artichokes, pumpkins, melons, &c.. These made up the 

 flesh forming portion of the food. The concentrates were the fat formers. 



The production f)f the food (m the farm and its proper utilisation with attention to 

 ail the details of managt^meiit counted for much. It was useless to expect the stcck 

 to care for themselves. Under these ccmditions they quickly reverted to the wild state, 

 in which tlu>y were (mtircly improfitable. Profits would be made only by careful forcing 

 of th(^ animal from birth to maturity. 



Bacon pigs should weigh 120 lb. dressed in six months from birth. This meant they 

 would weigh alive from 145 to 1 .50 lb. In other words, the pig wlien weaned at. say. eight 

 weeks old weighed 30 to 35 lb. live weight ; in the succeeding four niontlis he had to put 

 on over 100 lb. in weiL'ht. and as four months was approximately 120 days, he must put 

 on at least 1 lb. per day. This would rise from say | lb. per day at three months 

 to J lb. per day at four months, 1 lb. at five months, and 1 ^ lb. between five and six months. 



