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468 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 June, 1900. 
the animal. It is only 16 incheslong. The hams are monstrous in size, and the 
vast stretch of pork in the long waist is borne just above the ground by four 
comparatively small feet. The usual porker is a mere pigmy by its side. The 
biggest pig heretofore grown weighed 1,250 lb. dead weight.” 
EXPERIMENTS IN PIG-FEEDING. 
Some recent experiments (says the Field), made to ascertain the quantity 
of food required to produce 1 1b. of pork with pigs of different ages, shows 
that pigs from 115 to 155 Ib. live weight require 4°67 lb. of food to increase 
their weight by 1 1b.; pigs from 155 Ib. to 195 Ib. want 4°99 lb. of food; from 
195 Ib, to 235 1b., 5:43 lb. food ; and from 235 to 275 Ib. live weight they requze 
6-24 Ib. of food to make the 1 Ib. gain in weight. Thus showing that it is nob 
profitable to feed pigs too long. 
DAIRY FARMING IN HOLLAND. 
Oxz feature of Dutch agriculture in recent years has been the development of 
stock rearing and dairy farming, accompanied by an extensive cultivation 0 
forage crops. For a number of years the imports of grain of all kinds into 
the country have exceeded the exports, while, on the other hand, the exports 0 
dairy produce, margarine, and fresh meat, especially mutton, have been steadily 
growing. The increase in the number of live stock is shown not only by 22 
absolute augmentation in the dimensions of the herds, but also by an increase 
in the number of animals kept on a given area, owing, to some extent, to 
greater attention being paid to stall-feeding than formerly, which has bee? 
facilitated by the importation of cheap fodder grain. 
The importance of the dairy industry in the Netherlands is indicated by the 
large proportion of milch cows in the cattle herds of the country, and also by 
the steady growth in the number of butter and cheese factories, co-operative” 
and otherwise. In 1896 there were 639 of these establishments in operation, 
and in the following twelve months 128 new factories were opened, so that 1D 
1897 there were 702 butter and 65 cheese factories. The estimated gross pro- 
duction of butter and cheese in 1897 amounted to 104,281,846 Ib. and 
142,113,882 lb. respectively. Of the former, 39,140,700 lb. and of the chees?® 
38,248,100 Ib. were produced in factories, and the remainder was made in farm 
dairies. 
In connection with these remarks on the progress of dairying in Holland, 
reference may be made to some interesting observations on certain features © 
Dutch farming contained in a report, recently issued by the Hssex Technica 
Instruction Committee, on the results of a visit of a number of Hssex agricul 
turists to the Netherlands. The districts visited were for the most part polder 
land—i.e., land which had been reclaimed from the sea or marsh, protected Lye 
massive sea walls, and kept drained by pumping engines. The soil was either 
alluvial or peaty, of great depth, and in many cases kept moist, even in time ° 
drought, by maintaining the water in the canals at a constant leyel. On the 
farms in these districts all the cattle were found to be of the pure Dutch bree 
which, though in some respects inferior for beef production, is celebrated for 
the high milk yields furnished by the cows. With the object of improving 
herds, the steer calves are usually fattened, while the heifers are reared a? 
only killed if they turn out inferior milkers. ‘The cows are kept in a conditior 
of scrupulous cleanliness, and many of the herds are subjected to a periodic 
inspection for tuberculosis, which, it is stated, enables the meat, milk, and liv 
stock from such herds to command a ready sale. Ata farm at Waddingstee?; 
which was visited, the average daily yield per cow in January was 14? pints, 2? 
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