February, 1909.J 



160 



LIVE STOCK. 



RINDERPEST. 



In view of the popularity attained 

 amongst cultivators throughout India 

 by the anti-rinderpest inoculation treat- 

 ment, the demand for serum has be- 

 come larger than the Muktesar Labor- 

 atory can meet. Steps, therefore, are 

 being taken to ascertain the feasibility of 

 establishing an independent laboratory 

 in the Madras hills, where the serum 

 for South India could be manufactured. 

 It is necessary for this purpose to find 

 a locality where a breed of cattle exists 

 (as in the case in the Naini Tal Hima- 

 layas) sufficiently susceptible to the 

 disease to supply material for the serum, 

 and investigations to this end are in 

 progress.— Indian Agriculturist, Vol. 

 XXXIII., No. 9. 



PIG FARMING IN BRITISH EAST 

 AFRICA. 



A Review. 



We have to acknowledge the receipt 

 of a nicely got up booklet entitled " Pig 

 Breeding and Feeding in East Africa" 

 by J. E. Prossor, adviser in Swine Hus- 

 bandry and Bacon-curing to the Uplands 

 of East Africa Syndicate, who has 

 devoted his life to this branch of farm- 

 ing. The author, in transmitting the 

 work, writes:— "I have been looking 

 into the figures giving the quantity of 

 bacon imported into India — over £70,000 

 annually— and it has struck me that 

 a country like India should grow its 

 own pork as the heat suits pigs in this 

 country (British East Africa), and, now 



that refrigeration has been brought to 

 its present standing, there is no diffi- 

 culty in curing in any climate or at 

 acy temperature. I shall be glad to 

 exchange any information with you." 



Pig rearing has, so far as we know, 

 never been taken up as a serious busi- 

 ness in the Island ; but, judging from 

 a perusal of Mr. Prossor's work, there 

 would seem to be no reason whatever 

 why it should not prove a successful 

 venture. 



No systematic farmer in any country is 

 without pigs. In Ireland the pig is look- 

 ed upon as " the gentleman who pays the 

 rent" ;,in Denmark as "the Savings bank." 

 In America, pigs are found to pay when 

 other animals do not, proving there and 

 elsewhere "the farmers' friend." As 

 regards East Africa, after a careful 

 study of the conditions, Mr. Prossor 

 says: "lam certain that once the set- 

 tlers knew that they have a regular 

 and sure market, provided they breed 

 and feed the right sort of pig, they will 

 find that there is no class of stock that 

 will pay them better and turn over 

 the cost in a shorter time." And in his 

 book Mr. Prossor proceeds tc instruct 

 the reader on all matters connected 

 with selection, feeding, &c , so that one 

 cannot go far wrong if he carefully 

 studies the facts and figures in the 

 manual referred to. In Ceylon there 

 would appear to be as great facilities 

 in the matter of food, &c, as in the 

 colony regarding which the expert re- 

 ports. We shall be glad to give any 

 information on this subject that read- 

 ers who are interested in it may desire 



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