l84 JuUK.NAJ. Ol' IHE ijEi'AKTMEM OF AgKICULTURE. AuG., 1^22. 



Deciduous Fruit Farming. 



■I (ilutiineshuiy.--\ am ciiixiuiis lo take up t'aimiug' with deciduous 

 fruit : kindly advise lue where I should look for laud. I am told not 

 to go further afield llian 1 oO miles from Ca})etowu. I ha^e a capital 

 of about £30(10. 



The Chief, Division of lloiticulture, replies: It is uot at ail 

 uecessary for fruit growing- to be a success that one should start not 

 more than 150 miles from Capetown. The 150-mile radius certainly 

 includes the bulk of the deciduous fruit-growing areas. Going nortli 

 this would land you about Robertson, Montagu, Nuy, etc., in which 

 areas both deciduous trees and grape vines thrive. Land there is 

 very costlj, anything from £50 to £150 per morgen, and even more 

 if laid out in orchard, with homestead, etc. With a capital of from 

 £2500 to £3000 a place might be obtained in going order, but it would 

 be small if all laid out to fruit or vines. Around Paarl, Stellenbosch, 

 Ceres, Elgin, French Hoek, and the Drakenstein Valley there are 

 good farms, but the prices asked in most cases at the present time 

 would almost preclude even an experienced man making decent 

 interest on his money. 



One of the most reasonably priced parts of the Union is about 

 Georg'e, but that is somewhat over 300 miles from Capetown. Apples 

 and other fruits grow well, and something might be done with pigs 

 and dairying. 



Xo one should purchase a farm without seeing- it himself or 

 getting a reliable friend or agent to do so. 



You might get from the Publicity Department, South African 

 Railways and Harbours, Johannesburg, the booklet, " Farming 

 Opportunities in the Union of South Africa." 



Castration of Pigs. 



CAanwilliain, Cape. — AVlien is the best time to castrate pigs? 



The Princijyal, Elsenburg Schopl of Agriculture, replies : It will 

 depend entirely upon whether you are breeding on commercial or 

 pure-bred lines. If on the former, then it is ordinarily best to 

 castrate at about six weeks of age, or in other words, two weeks prior 

 to weaning. By so doing, the youngsters will have got over tiie 

 operation by weaning time, and will be fit to go ahead, and make good 

 gains without any set l)ack, which is usually experienced when 

 castrating at a very much later age. On the otiier liand, if one is 

 working on ])ure-bred lines, it is best to follow the same system with 

 those boar pigs that are noticeably weak, and below standard. Those 

 that are at all doubtful should ordinarily be given the benefit of the 

 doubt, and gone through again when they are about four months of 

 age. If they are castrated at a later age, say about six months, they 

 will usually be found to have developed a certain amount of crest, 

 and therefore would have too staggy an appearance to be disposed of 

 as baconers when eight and a half months of age. Furthermore, the 

 (►peration can be done with greater ease and less risk of loss when the 

 pigs are still suckling their dams. At this age they do not go off. 

 their feed so easily, a fact which is no doubt partly due to the solacing 

 effect of being in company with others in the same boat, and alstt 

 having their dam close at hand. Read the Bulletin "Pigs and 

 Piggerie,«j."" 



