PIG RAISING. 



production of pigs, while the demand is ever an increasing- one. It 

 is true that the drought through the State is in some measure re- 

 sponsible 'lor the decrease, yet the position must be regarded as 

 serious. I venture to say that the price of pigs in our State for 

 months past has been higher than the London market. Surely in 

 what we regard as one of the great food producing countries of the 

 world this is an unhealthy sign, and the sooner some enquiry is 

 made as to the why and wherefore the better. We are now a fede- 

 rated Commonwealth, and there is a considerable interchange of 

 bacon between nearly the whole of the States, yet each State has 

 its own local Acts of Parliament governing the inspection and con- 

 demnation ot diseased meat. Surely this is a matter for the Federal 

 Government, and the law governing it should be uniform in the 

 whole of the States, otherwise, though one State may make stringent 

 laws to protect the health of its people by preventing any animal 

 that is diseased coming into consumption, another State may have 

 little or no inspection, but still its bacon and pork comes into con- 

 sumption. Here in New South Wales we are only safeguarded 

 so far as our own production is concerned. I trust ere long this 

 matter will receive the attention of our legislators. With our State 

 put on an equality with the other States, and given fair field and 

 no favour.! am convinced that pig raising is going to be a profitable 

 industry for many years to come. With pork at 4d. per lb., I feel 

 sure that with an ordinary amount of intelligence in the breeding 

 and feeding of pigs, any dairy farmer, by growing some feed and 

 using his skimmed milk, can on a rented farm make his rent at least, 

 and if properly managed can cover cost of labor as well. Without 

 the aid of milk I have been able to pay from 45. to 5s. per bushel 

 for grain and make a profit. With the great advantage the farmer 

 has by raising lucerne and other feeds, surely he should be in a much 

 better position." 



" As regards the most profitable pigs to breed, I have no hesitation 

 in saying, from my experience, the Berkshire stands pre-eminently 

 first among the several breeds of pigs in use among the settlers 

 of this State, for the reason that of all the breeds it can be crossed 

 with every other breed with a certainty of successfully augmenting 

 the most valuable parts of the carcase and decreasing the less valu- 

 able parts. There is no breed that gives the finely mixed meat 

 and lull plump hams, which makes the carcase more valuable, than 

 the Berkshire. 



" It is these characteristics which makes the Berkshire so valuable 

 for crossing with other breeds, having, as it were, special power of 

 tram-mitt'ng these essential qualities to a very large degree to almost 

 any other breed. 



The best cross I have tried has been with the Berkshire, and Tarn- 

 worth breeds. As before mentioned, I have pigs raised by this cross 

 weighing u6Ib. dressed weight at 16 weeks old. In addition, I 

 have found all the good qualities of the Berkshire retained, besides 

 being finer in the skin than the Berkshire, which is a decided advan- 

 tage in pigs for bacon curing purposes. 



" There is, undoubtedly, awaiting us a large export market to 

 South America and the East, to say nothing of the London market, 

 whenever we have made up our minds to the fact that it will pay 

 to treat the pig as a commercial proposition, and not merely to use 

 him as a scavenger to consume our waste products." 



In conclusion, let me say that many small ailments to which the 

 pig is heir to may be cured or prevented, i-f from one to one and 

 a-half tablespoonful of betony or madder according to size of pig 

 were given occasionally ,as it corrects the irregularities of the diges- 

 tive organs. It is also advisable to supply the pigs with a few 

 pieces of coal or cinder, as this greatly assists digestion. 



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